Mellon Family, Rembrandts and Swastikas: How Are These Things Connected?

[McCamy Taylor]

THis is a real question. I dont know much about the Mellon family. But after going to DC this weekend and walking around the city and then visiting the National Gallery of Art, I think I need to know more about the Mellon family.

How did they acquire a bunch of what look like authentic Rembrandts to donate to the National Gallery of Art during the 1930s and early 1940s? Most of such works would have been in the hands of Europeans and the only ones that I can imagine that would have been changing hands would have been ones looted or stolen by Nazis or sold by refugees fleeing Nazi persecution? Did the Mellon family buy cheap from refugees or fence Nazi stolen property? (The other big Rembrandt donors collection appeared to be riddled with fakes, at least to my unschooled eye).

Second question, why does a Department of Agriculture Building with the date 1930 and the name "Mellon Secretary of Treasure" on the side have the border of SWASTIKAS around it??????? I mean, in 1930, everyone knew what the swastika stood for, right? Could not they have come up with a better border?

[davidinalameda]

1. is there a picture of the building

:shrug:

and no, not everyone in 1930 knew the Nazis were using the swastika for their symbol

[McCamy Taylor]

3. I took a pic of the border, I cant find one on line.

[JohnnyBoots]

4. The Swastika was a religious symbol before it got corrupted by the

Nazi's. (I think)

[JohnnyBoots]

2. Richard Scaife, the Mellon heir is a big PNAC backer. As

well as a big time conservative operative. He is based in Pittsburgh I believe and runs a rag newspaper called the Tribune Review.

[smirkymonkey]

17. I worked for a Mellon heir - the guy was bat shit crazy, alcoholic

and insanely abusive. He was also filthy rich and hated paying taxes - at all!

I also went to university with one of them - another raging alcoholic. Nothing surprises me with that family.

[never cry wolf]

5. This?

This is simply an art deco frieze, not a swastika.

There was an American Nazi party in the 30's but hitler didn't even come into power until this building was 2 or 3 years old.

As for the art work, I have no clue. I do think the Mellon family are long time fascist/corporatist/bfee types however all the way down to todays Mellon Scaifes.

[Splatter Phoenix]

6. You gotta admit...

you can see one in there. Just like Jesus' face in a Cinnabon.

[never cry wolf]

7. Sure, part of the decoration

has the same form as a swastika but I doubt the designed had the Nazi's in mind.

The Oldest Known Symbol

The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used for over 3,000 years. (That even predates the ancient Egyptian symbol, the Ankh!) Artifacts such as pottery and coins from ancient Troy show that the swastika was a commonly used symbol as far back as 1000 BCE.

During the following thousand years, the image of the swastika was used by many cultures around the world, including in China, Japan, India, and southern Europe. By the Middle Ages, the swastika was a well known, if not commonly used, symbol but was called by many different names:

* China - wan
* England - fylfot
* Germany - Hakenkreuz
* Greece - tetraskelion and gammadion
* India - swastika

Though it is not known for exactly how long, Native Americans also have long used the symbol of the swastika.

http://history1900s.about.com/cs/swastika/a/swastikahistory.htm

[Splatter Phoenix]

9. Oohh...

That's some interesting stuff! (learn something new every day) Thanks much.

Also, the Nazi one is skewed, right? Tilted to the left or the right, I forget which...

[mcscajun]

12. Doesn't have to be skewed at all...it can be straight up.

It's the direction of the "open arms" that determines it.

http://history1900s.about.com/cs/swastika/a/swastikahistory.htm

[SpiralHawk]

18. The symbol is important in many Native American cultures, too

and plays a key role in the teachings of the Hopi elders about this Time of Transition.

[mcscajun]

8. It's a traditional "Greek key" detail and isn't really even a swastika

The intersections just resemble one.

The usage of "Greek key" detailing on major buildings far predates any use of the swastika by any Nazis anywhere.

Image here:
http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/menuglossary/greekkey.htm

[McCamy Taylor]

13. Link to the building's construction: 1930-1936

By 1936 I sort of suspect that this "Greek Key" would have looked as shocking to the eye as it does now, and I wonder if it was selected deliberately by someone who was hoping that the US would enter the war on the side of the Germans or at the very least remain neutral.

This border gave me quite a shock.

http://w3.gsa.gov/web/p/interaia_save.nsf/0/da6c1ac35ae302e2852565d900539e8e?OpenDocument

[mcscajun]

10. Not swastikas, really...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4928255&mesg_id=4928438

[emcguffie]

11. Swastikas weren't always nasties.

They're an ancient symbol.

[djeseru]

14. I'll watch it again to double-check...

...but I believe Stalin raided The Hermitage of some of it's Rembrandts and sold them globally, some ending up in the National Gallery. I believe it was for tractors, etc for the Soviet Union supposedly.

"Hermitage-niks" covered that period when certain pieces went missing from the Hermitage...

[McCamy Taylor]

15. Link about how the Nazis LOVED the Greek Key design

http://www.ufc.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=118

Get your Nazi wedding bands here (yuch!)

[davidinalameda]

16. what a lovely site

I want a Hitler coffee mug

:puke: