Milton Esterow, Pioneering Arts Journalist and Editor, Dies at 97

Milton Esterow, a legendary arts journalist and editor, passed away on October 3 at the age of 97. He was a renowned figure in the art world, known for bringing an investigative edge to culture reporting, particularly regarding artwork looted by the Nazis. Esterow's career spanned over seven decades, with notable stints at The New York Times and ARTnews, where he transformed the magazine into one of the most widely circulated art publications.

Key Takeaways:

• Esterow began his career at The New York Times as a 17-year-old copy boy in 1945 and later returned as a freelancer nearly 45 years later, with his final article written at the age of 97.
• He is credited with bringing a toughness of his early crime beat coverage to culture reporting, inspiring his book "The Art Stealers" in 1966.
• Esterow was a pioneer in investigative journalism, and his work at ARTnews led to a National Magazine Award for general excellence in 1981 and George Polk awards for cultural reporting in 1980 and 1991.
• His Jewish heritage likely played a role in his interest in Nazi looting, but he appeared driven more by a journalist's desire to break news, and he continued to report on the topic until his death.
• Esterow sold ARTnews in 2014 for an undisclosed amount to a private asset management firm owned by Sergey Skaterschikov, after which he contributed freelance articles to The Times.

Statistics:

• Esterow spent over 45 years without a byline at The New York Times.
• ARTnews, under Esterow's stewardship, won a National Magazine Award for general excellence in 1981 and two George Polk awards for cultural reporting in 1980 and 1991.
• 77 paintings and 236 other objects were returned to their rightful owners and heirs in 1985.
• In 1996, the remaining objects were auctioned by Christie's, raising over $14 million to help needy Holocaust victims and their heirs.

Sources:

• The New York Times, October 3, 2023
• University of Southern California, 2009 lecture by Milton Esterow
• ARTnews, December 1984
• Christie's, 1996 auction of Nazi-looted artworks.