Harlan Crow’s vast wealth and strong network among Western business elites have placed him in a position to indulge his passion for collecting both art and historical artifacts. Crow’s interests are wide, but several news outlets have highlighted his preoccupation with many of the 20th century’s most reviled leaders. Critics point to a collection of sculptures that Crow has grouped in the garden of his mansion, which some have referred to as the “Garden of Evil,” which includes resemblances of the communist leaders Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and other tyrants.
The most controversial pieces in his collection, however, are objects closely associated with Adolf Hitler. Crow reportedly owns a signed copy of Hitler’s memoir, “Mein Kampf,” an anti-Semitic text that outlines the worldview underpinning Nazism. The book is part of a wider collection of Nazi objects and personal effects, including two landscape paintings Hitler made while he was attempting to begin a career as an artist. Though the paintings are undoubtedly of historical significance, experts in the craft of painting have typically derided Hitler’s artistic skills.
