Robert M. Edsel

Robert M. Edsel is recognized today as one of the world’s foremost advocates for art preservation. While living in Florence, he developed a great passion for art and architecture and became curious as to how so many of the monuments and great works of art survived the thefts and devastation of World War II. What began as a question evolved into an impassioned journey to unravel the secrets and heroics of the Monuments Men and Women, and share their remarkable stories with a global audience. In 2007, Mr. Edsel founded the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art to honor the remarkable legacy of these men and women. Throughout the years, Robert found and interviewed 21 Monuments Men and Women. Only three of them are living today. He travels frequently as a speaker introducing the story of the Monuments Men and Women through multi-media presentations to audiences throughout the United States and Western Europe as well as to men and women in uniform. He has served on various not-for-profit boards, including The National WWII Museum and St. Mark’s School of Texas. Mr. Edsel regularly blogs on his website, www.robertedsel.com.