Art Sleuths: Trails & Trials of Tracking Missing Art

While studying art and architecture at the University of Wisconsin during the Great Depression, Karl Nelson wanted to make some extra money by joining the Reserve Officer Training Corps. But he got more than he bargained for when his unit was called to active duty in the Army. Then the Army Secret Services saw his art training as a springboard for his studying in Sweden as a cover for his spying on art being looted by the Nazis. There he enlisted a Swedish woman art student to join him as a spy. After the war, these Art Sleuths continued to investigate ownerhip of art, to the dismay of varied possessors of art with questionable provenance. Along the way, the publicity about their sleuthing generated considerable demand for art produced by the Sleuths.

Combining his interest in art, history and communication, Richard E. Londgren has turned that background into writing a communication textbook, a book about making the most of survial during the Great Depression, and several novels such as Art Sleuths. He literally self-published one book by printing the covers with his antique printing press, arranging for copy-center printing of the text, and comb-binding this limited edition book. With his background as a Swedish-American and as Director of the Scandinavian Center at California Lutheran University, he incorporates many in the stories with Scandinavian names and characteristics, including their involvement in the Lutheran Church and their dedication to the Judeo-Christian ethic.