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Secrets of the Dead

How Americans Profited Off Looted Art

Season 22 Episode 6 | 1m 46s

The explosion of new museums in post-war America increased the demand for art –while, at the same time, those looking to shrink their taxable income were being given tax breaks for charitable donations. These two factors created a “very murky” market, explains restitution attorney Raymond Dowd, as “museums became filled with toxic assets. Almost no one had a motivation to look into provenance.”

SECRETS OF THE DEAD is made possible, in part, by public television viewers.
Extras
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Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the post-war life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.
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Extended Preview | Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.
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