From Delancey Place:
Today's selection -- from Saving Mona Lisa by Gerri Chanel. After World War I, the staff of the Louvre became keenly aware of the vulnerability of its treasures. During the ten years before World War II, they developed a detailed plan on how to evacuate and store the art of the Louvre should the need arise. On August 25, 1939, after Great Britain and Poland had concluded a pact of mutual assistance, war became imminent. That evening, the packing began:
"From all corners of the museum, workers removed the top priority movable paintings, antiquities, and objets d'art -- from religious relics to furniture to the crown jewels -- from walls, pedestals and cases. As paintings were removed, first from the walls and then from their frames, workers marked the empty spaces with chalk to note their location to facilitate rehanging upon their return."Workers took items along the carefully -- planned routes to designated triage areas where others wrapped and crated them, then nailed the crates shut, sealed them and applied more colored priority stickers. The tasks were all the more difficult after dark since workers had only the dim light of small portable lamps, a precaution in case of a bombing raid.....
....MUCH MORE
