History Detectives
More information: IMDB
Watch History Detectives Season 18
Episode 56
1856 Mormon Tale
aired: Thu, May 5, 2011
The tattered pages of an 1856 anonymously authored book titled "Female Life Among the Mormons" claim to be the personal memoirs of a wife of a Mormon elder. In it, the author claims to have witnessed a shocking, immoral culture of violence, polygamy, sexual depravity and brainwashing. Who wrote this book and is it in face a true account of Mormon life?
Watch History Detectives Season 17
Episode 75
1775 Almanac: Diary of the Revolution
aired: Tue, Sep 6, 2011
In this episode, the notes scrawled in the margins of this 1775 Almanac give us intimate insights into how loyalties strained families during the Revolution. Then a garage sale find ties a woman to the grandfather she never met. Was he the phonograph exercise guru of the 1920s? And did NASA unwittingly smuggle Andy Warhol art to the moon?
Watch History Detectives Season 10
Episode 7
7. Our Colored Heroes, Valley Forge Map, Transistor Radio, Club Continental Card
aired: Tue, Oct 9, 2012
Explore stories about a WWI poster, a map of Valley Forge, a transistor radio and a 70-year-old business card.
Episode 6
6. Vietnam Diary, Bootlegger's Notebook, Hollywood Indian Ledger
aired: Tue, Oct 2, 2012
Get the facts about a Vietnamese soldier's diary, a bootlegger's notebook and a Hollywood Indian ledger.
Episode 5
5. Titanic Frame, Nazi Spy Toys, Woolworth Sign
aired: Tue, Aug 7, 2012
Get the facts about a disputed picture frame, Woolworth signs, German toy soldiers and a book of liquor recipes.
Episode 4
4. Bird of War, Marshall House Flag, War Spoils-Peace Chief, Lincoln Oath
aired: Tue, Jul 31, 2012
Learn the truth about an evocative symbol, a swatch of fabric, Native American clothing and a Lincoln signature.
Episode 3
3. Rogue Book, Plane vs. Skyscraper, Bettie Page, Hollywood Sign
aired: Tue, Jul 24, 2012
Uncover information about Clint Black's book of posters, a slide of Bettie Page and the original Hollywood sign.
Episode 2
2. Fiery Cross, Civil War Pistols, Motown Amp
aired: Tue, Jul 24, 2012
Learn the real stories behind a set of Civil War-era pistols, K.K.K. Records and a battered Ampeg B-15 amp.
Episode 1
1. Dylan Guitar, Zappa Collage, Beatles' Autographs
aired: Tue, Jul 17, 2012
History Detectives roars into its 10th season with three stories devoted to rock 'n' roll.
Watch History Detectives Season 8
Episode 806
Korean War Letter
aired: Sun, Jul 25, 2010
Our contributor needs help solving a mystery in a letter she found from the father she never met. Ron Bradley is among the soldiers declared Missing In Action during the Korean War. The letter tells of a firefight that nearly cost her father his life. Bradley names another soldier who saved his life by jumping on a live grenade. Eduardo Pagan helps find closure in the story of this mystery hero.
Episode 11
Season 8, Episode 11
aired: Tue, Aug 31, 2010
Chicago Clock: How could one clock regulate time for an entire region, and is this it? Universal Friends: A document seems connected to an early controversial religion, the first founded by an American-born woman. War Dogs: What went wrong during a WWII dog-training program on Cat Island?
Episode 10
WB Cartoons
aired: Sun, Aug 29, 2010
Our contributor has a box of cartoon drawings and cels. Host Tukufu Zuberi doesn't recognize most of the characters in these drawings, but the condition of the art leads him to believe they're old. What role did these drawings play in the history of animation? This investigation takes us through the early years of animation and introduces us to some of the unsung heroes behind the art.
Episode 9
Jackie Robinson Scorecard
aired: Sun, Aug 22, 2010
Our contributor has a scorecard for a game between two unusual teams: the Majors' All Stars and Robinson's All Stars. Jackie Robinson's team is made up of both black and white players, yet this game appears to have occurred before Robinson became the first black major league baseball player in 1947. Could this game have been a test to find out how America would react to integrated baseball?
Episode 8
Hot Town Poster
aired: Sun, Aug 15, 2010
The words and images on this poster draw battle lines. We see a photo of what looks like a stern police officer, a clenched fist, and the wording: "Hot Town - Pigs in the Streets... But the streets belong to the people! Dig it?" Who made this poster and why? Tukufu Zuberi brings all the pieces together.
Episode 7
St Valentine's Day Massacre
aired: Sun, Aug 8, 2010
History Detectives stares down the barrel of a shotgun for clues that one of Al Capone's men fired it in a Chicago gang massacre that shocked the nation. The gun came to our contributor's family after it was handed down through two generations of prominent Chicago families. History Detectives combs through physical evidence to see if the gun can be placed at the scene of the crime.
Episode 6
Season 8, Episode 6
aired: Tue, Jul 27, 2010
Korean War Letter: The daughter of a Korean War Veteran (MIA) looks for the man her father mentioned in a letter. The letter says this man saved her father's life. Diana: Could this be the first true, widely published lesbian autobiography? Lookout Mt. Painting: This painting depicts the Civil War battle of Lookout Mountain. What's the story behind the prisoner who painted the scene?
Episode 5
Season 8, Episode 5
aired: Mon, Jul 19, 2010
Cromwell Dixon: A four-inch square of fabric tells the story of one of America's first barnstorming pilots. Bartlett Sketchbook: Does this sketchbook illustrate scenes from the first ever US-Mexican border survey? Duke Ellington Plates (R): Could this dumpster find be the printing plates for Duke Ellington's hit "Take the A Train"?
Episode 4
Clara Barton Letter
aired: Mon, Jul 12, 2010
Tucked into the pages of an antique book, our contributor has what he thinks may be a letter written by Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. Dated July 1866, the letter reports the death of a man named Israel Brown and has an envelope addressed to J. Blair Welch. Did Clara Barton actually write this letter? If so, why was she writing about these men?
Episode 3
Lauste Film Clip
aired: Mon, Jun 28, 2010
Our contributor has a collection of photos, letters and scrapbooks that belonged to a man named Eugene Lauste. Most compelling was a rolled strip of film and an article from 1928 featuring a photo of a similar film strip with the caption, "The First Talking Picture: A section of a talking picture made in 1913 by Eugene Lauste." Could this film be a piece of the first talking picture?
Episode 2
Iwo Jima Maps
aired: Mon, Jun 21, 2010
Iwo Jima Map: Did a Japanese map found during World War II play a role in the Battle of Iwo Jima? Copperhead Cane: Tracing the Civil War-era history of cane topped with a coiled snake. Theremin: Is an instrument owned by a New Mexico man one of the few built by Leon Theremin himself?
Episode 1
Space Boot
aired: Fri, Jun 4, 2010
Was this magnetic boot designed to allow walking in space? Could a three-inch square of metallic material be part of America's first satellite program? Did the Apollo 12 space mission smuggle Andy Warhol's artwork to the moon?
Watch History Detectives Season 7
Episode 11
Season 7, Episode 11
aired: Tue, Sep 22, 2009
Could these music plates be the originals for "Take the A Train?" How is a stamp connected to the landmark civil rights case of the "Scottsboro Boys?" Has the discovery of an old bridge abutment changed the location of an historic site?
Episode 10
Season 7, Episode 10
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
What happened to a WWII POW who sketched portraits at the German camp Stalag 17B? What's the story behind photographs of the Seadrome project? Was an old artillery shell involved in an attack on Black Tom Island?
Episode 9
Season 7, Episode 9
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Are six large paintings part of a mural project commissioned by the WPA? Why would abolitionist White Matlack own a miniature profile of George Washington? Is a piece of paper a fragment of a Japanese Balloon Bomb?
Episode 8
Season 7, Episode 8
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Could a World War II souvenir be a dagger that belonged to Benito Mussolini? Could references in family letters refer to a post-slavery exodus to Liberia? Was a little black box a Civilian Warning Device for nuclear attacks?
Episode 6
Season 7, Episode 6
aired: Tue, Aug 4, 2009
Could this be a piece of Amelia Earhart's lost airplane? Why did an obscure court case about an unknown Native American matter to a US President? Was this unusual home made from a boxcar?
Episode 5
Season 7, Episode 5
aired: Tue, Aug 4, 2009
Did this recording play a part in the infamous trial of "Tokyo Rose?" Could this be a photograph of the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse? Could this diary reveal the fate of a missing bomber pilot from World War II?
Episode 4
Season 7, Episode 4
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Why were babies exhibited at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair? How are these photos linked to an early movie mogul? Did the weaver of this Southwestern rug violate a taboo?
Episode 3
Season 7, Episode 3
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Was this gun used in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre? Does this letter reveal a Booth plot to assassinate Andrew Jackson? How is this explosive device connected to grave robbing and cadaver dissecting?
Episode 2
Season 7, Episode 2
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Did a Manhattan Project insider sell his invention to the government for a single dollar? Is this huge block of beeswax linked to a ship that wrecked 300 years ago? Could this French manuscript solve a family mystery?
Episode 1
Season 7, Episode 1
aired: Tue, Jun 23, 2009
Did Thomas Edison invent this machine to unlock the secrets of the dead? What went wrong on Cat Island? Was the owner of this watch fob witness to Francisco "Pancho" Villa's infamous 1916 raid?
Watch History Detectives Season 6
Episode 10
Season 6, Episode 10
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Did this record play a dramatic role in the Allied victory during the Second World War? Does this letter link an American President to the high seas piracy of the 1800s? What is the meaning of the markings on a silver bar found in a Spanish shipwreck?
Episode 9
Season 6, Episode 9
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Are these the remains of a navy schooner that fought with the mighty British Empire? How is this Connecticut farmhouse connected to the assassination of a Russian tsar? Is this painting an unknown work by an immigrant poet whose words inspired a generation?
Episode 8
Season 6, Episode 8
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Do these pages open the book on a President who built a nation as his son fell into ruin? / What does this silver spoon have to do with the largest mass execution in U.S. history? Is this piece of fabric from the first transatlantic flight, eight years before Lindbergh?
Episode 7
Season 6, Episode 7
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Is this shell from a devastating act of foreign sabotage on U.S. soil? Did this farmhouse door sail into battle in one of America's greatest naval victories? Did this unassuming house protect an American colony from attack almost 300 years ago?
Episode 5
Season 6, Episode 5
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Was this device snatched from the burning wreckage of the ill-fated zeppelin? Is this stamp connected to a moment when the military bore weapons against fellow soldiers? Did this bell sit ringside at the world's first boxing superstar's legendary match?
Episode 4
Season 6, Episode 4
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Can the symbols on this unusual item of clothing help identify a marine? Was this mobile home part of a modern-day wagon train halfway across the world? Could this piece of sheet music have come from Abraham Lincoln's private collection?
Episode 3
Season 6, Episode 3
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Is this scrap of fabric evidence of a secret wartime attack on the United States' mainland? Why did some New Yorkers plan a high society circus during the Great Depression? Could a box found in a dumpster hold information about the founding of a top-secret Presidential retreat?
Episode 2
Season 6, Episode 2
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Is this peculiar flag one that African-American soldiers marched under in the war to end all wars? Is this painting an original depiction of Native American life from one of the premiere painters of the American West? Was this building a safe haven for persecuted immigrants, or a hub for organized crime?
Episode 1
Season 6, Episode 1
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Does this diary hold the key to understanding the fate of a missing bomber pilot from World War II? Was this coin a target for one of the Wild West's most popular female sharpshooters? Is this tattered book a true account of female slavery in the old West?
Watch History Detectives Season 5
Episode 5
Season 5, Episode 5
aired: Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Does a movie poster reveal a bizzare alliance between an American filmmaker and a Mexican revolutionary? Why do the names of some of the America's most powerful leaders appear in a cabaret singer's autograph book? Did a preacher's robe once conceal a rebel's military uniform?
Episodes
Episode
History Detectives: Mysteries from the Wild West
aired: Fri, Mar 22, 2013
We investigate four stories from the American West. Did this biography of legendary frontiersman Kit Carson once belong to members of his family? Then, a rodeo saddle tells the story of movie stuntman Yakima Canutt. Discover the meaning behind an inscription on sheet music of the popular western song Tumbling Tumbleweeds? Did a pivotal character in the Modoc Indian wars weave this basket?
Episode
History Detectives: Bill of Sale, Cobb Powder Horn and the Star Spangled Banner
aired: Fri, Jan 4, 2013
In this episode, Eduardo investigates the life story behind with a Bill of Sale for a 17-year old “negro girl.” Gwen traces a powder horn from a muddy Minnesota field to the American Revolution. Elyse asks what role a handwritten score played in the creation of our national anthem. Finally, notes in a 1775 Almanac tell how conflicting loyalties strained family ties during the Revolution.
Episode
History Detectives: Colored Heroes, Valley Forge Map and a Transistor Radio
aired: Fri, Sep 28, 2012
In this episode, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer helps us find the details behind the heroic acts pictured in a poster about two WWI African American soldiers. Then, do we have a hand-drawn map of Valley Forge that George Washington used during the American Revolution? Finally we investigate an early first transistor radios ever made and a business card’s link to Prohibition-era underworld crime.
Episode
History Detectives: Vietnam Diary, Bootlegger’s Notebook and a Hollywood Ledger
aired: Fri, Sep 28, 2012
In this episode, can History Detectives return the diary of a fallen North Vietnamese soldier to that veteran’s family? Then, a notebook full of recipes for large volumes of liquor makes an Indiana man wonder if his rich uncle was a Prohibition-era bootlegger. And what can an old ledger tell us about how Hollywood treated Native American actors?
Episode
History Detectives: A Vietnam Diary’s Homecoming
aired: Fri, Sep 28, 2012
For 46 years, Bob Frazure has wanted to return the small, red diary he took off a dead Vietnam soldier’s chest. Now Bob has asked Wes Cowan to find the soldier’s hometown and return the diary to his family. The search becomes part of a profound international exchange as U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta gets involved to present the document to Vietnam’s Minister of Defense.
Episode
History Detectives: Woolworth Signs
aired: Mon, Aug 6, 2012
Matt thinks he may have snatched up a remnant of American Civil Rights history. Perusing Craig’s List, Matt saw an ad for two “F.W. Woolworth Co.” signs. The seller claims he helped clean out a closed Winston-Salem store in the 1990s. Matt aks Tukufu to find out whether these signs were at the Winston-Salem Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in.
Episode
History Detectives: Toy Soldiers Reveal a Mysterious Past
aired: Mon, Aug 6, 2012
Growing up in Detroit during WWII, Jim played toy soldiers with his best friend, Fritz. The toys they played with bared a special mark “Lineol – Germany.” Jim vividly remembers on a summer afternoon in 1943 hearing a newspaper boy yell “Extra! Nazi spy ring broken in Detroit!” Fritz’s family soon moved away and Jim never saw him again. Was Fritz’s father a Nazi spy? Jim asks Eduardo to find out.
Episode
History Detectives: Titanic Picture Frame, Woolworth Signs, Nazi Spy Toys
aired: Mon, Aug 6, 2012
In this episode, was this picture frame was crafted from wood from the Titanic, the Lusitania, or neither? Were these Woolworth signs at the 1960 Winston-Salem lunch-counter sit-ins? And, for 70 years the owner of these toy soldiers has wondered if the father of his childhood friend was a Nazi spy.
Episode
History Detectives: Titanic Picture Frame
aired: Mon, Aug 6, 2012
Robert and Cathy were told that their great-grandfather worked on a ship recovering bodies after the Titanic sank. When his ship the Lusitania was torpedoed in 1915, he grabbed a floating piece of wood and had it made into a frame. Robert believes the frame was made from a piece of the Titanic whereas Cathy heard it was made from the Lusitania. They ask Elyse to help them figure out the truth.
Episode
History Detectives: Bird of War, Lincoln Oath and War Spoils of a Peace Chief
aired: Fri, Jul 27, 2012
In this episode we investigate an evocative symbol of a bird dropping a bomb. Did these patches belong to a World War II unit? Then, Gwen connects a swatch of tattered red fabric to a pivotal moment in U.S. Civil War history. And, did this neckpiece and these leggings once belong to Chief Black Kettle, long known as a Cheyenne Peace Chief? Finally, did President Lincoln actually sign this oath?
Episode
History Detectives: Book of Rogues, Empire State Crash & a Forbidden Pinup
aired: Tue, Jul 24, 2012
In this episode, Elyse floors country singer Clint Black with the information she uncovers about his book of wanted posters. Eduardo links a chunk of molten metal to the B-25 Bomber that crashed into the Empire State Building. Did we find a slide of Bettie Page that somehow escaped the censorship of the 1950s? Finally, a 6-foot metal bar tells the story behind the original iconic Hollywood Sign.
Episode
History Detectives: The Motown Bottom Line
aired: Sat, Jul 14, 2012
Our contributor’s heart skipped a beat when he came across a battered Ampeg B-15 amp with the name “James Jamerson” stenciled on the side. Jamerson, the man who’s bass line drove the Motown sound, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Now the museum might want to display the amp, but only if Eduardo Pagán can prove Jamerson owned it.
Episode
History Detectives: Civil War Derringers
aired: Sat, Jul 14, 2012
Antiques Roadshow appraiser Christopher Mitchell says this Civil War era matched gun set is worth as much as $30,000. But if the holder can find out about the original owner the guns could be worth much more. Hunting for the man behind these pistols takes host Wes Cowan to a Civil War border state torn between loyalties to the blue and the gray.
Episode
History Detectives: KKK Record and The Bright Fiery Cross
aired: Sat, Jul 14, 2012
The titles on a 78rpm record reads “The Bright Fiery Cross,” and “The Jolly Old Klansman.” A collection of 1920s records came with the Victrola phonograph Jan Hazel of Tennessee bought at an Indiana antique store. The record sleeve is stamped with the name “AMERICAN RECORD SHOP –All K.K.K. Records.” Tukufu tracks down the story behind these mysterious records.
Episode
History Detectives: Civil War Derringers, KKK Records & Motown’s Bottom Line
aired: Sat, Jul 14, 2012
In this episode, Wes traces the story behind a pair of Civil War derringers and introduces us to a descendent of their first owner. Tukufu makes an amazing discovery researching part of collection of 1920s vinyl albums labeled “All K.K.K. Records.” Did we find the amplifier of James Jamerson, the man who played the signature bass line of My Girl and hundreds of other Motown hits?
Episode
History Detectives: Dylan Goes Electric, Beatles Autograph & Frank Zappa Collage
aired: Thu, Jul 5, 2012
In this episode, Elyse Luray and Wes Cowan investigate whether they have found the long-lost electric Fender Stratocaster Bob Dylan plugged in at the 65’ Newport Folk Festival. Tukufu Zuberi tracks down some treasured Beatles autographs allegedly signed for two brothers in Miami Beach. And Gwendolyn Wright investigates the little-known artistic side of musical iconoclast, Frank Zappa.
Episode
History Detectives: Bob Dylan's Fender Stratocaster
aired: Thu, Jul 5, 2012
At the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, Bob Dylan stepped on stage, plugged in his Stratocaster electric guitar and forever changed Rock ’n’ Roll. Now, 47-years later, Dawn Peterson thinks she may have that very guitar, left on her pilot father’s plane after the show. Elyse Luray and Wes Cowan team up to investigate what could be the most valuable item since the show began.
Episode
History Detectives: Civil War Letters: Dear Brother
aired: Fri, Jan 13, 2012
In a box filled with stamps, we find a letter from a Civil War soldier to his brother, addressed "Senate Post, Washington, D.C." He asks to command an African American unit. A second letter to the brother in D.C. indicates the soldier has been wounded. Eduardo Pagan sets out to find out why the soldier wanted to lead an African American unit. Did he get his wish?
Episode
History Detectives: Fighting for Harlem Land Rights
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
This ornate 1892 stock certificate bears the name Harlem Associated Heirs Title Company. It includes a detailed map of New York's Harlem. Who are the Harlem Associated Heirs? And does this stock certificate give them a stake in Harlem real estate? This investigation takes HISTORY DETECTIVES host Gwen Wright to an often forgotten chapter of Harlem's history.
Episode
History Detectives: Chandler Tintype, Hollywood Indian Ledger, Harlem Heirs
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
What is the relationship behind the two men in this photo? Both wear Confederate uniforms, one is white, the other black. Did slaves fight in the Confederate army? What will this ledger tell us about how Hollywood treated Indian actors? And who are the Harlem Heirs, and what stake does this 1892 stock certificate give them in Harlem real estate?
Episode
History Detectives: Wearing the Confederate Uniform: Slave or Soldier?
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
In this extraordinary Civil War tintype, two men sit side by side, one white, the other black, both wearing Confederate uniforms, both holding weapons. Descendants of the men in this photo ask: Could a slave be a soldier in the Confederate army? Wes Cowan dusts off years of dueling family legends to reveal the facts behind the men in this photo.
Episode
History Detectives: Fighting for Harlem Land Rights
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
This ornate 1892 stock certificate bears the name Harlem Associated Heirs Title Company. It includes a detailed map of New York's Harlem. Who are the Harlem Associated Heirs? And does this stock certificate give them a stake in Harlem real estate? This investigation takes HISTORY DETECTIVES host Gwen Wright to an often forgotten chapter of Harlem's history.
Episode
History Detectives: Chandler Tintype, Hollywood Indian Ledger, Harlem Heirs
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
What is the relationship behind the two men in this photo? Both wear Confederate uniforms, one is white, the other black. Did slaves fight in the Confederate army? What will this ledger tell us about how Hollywood treated Indian actors? And who are the Harlem Heirs, and what stake does this 1892 stock certificate give them in Harlem real estate?
Episode
History Detectives: Wearing the Confederate Uniform: Slave or Soldier?
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
In this extraordinary Civil War tintype, two men sit side by side, one white, the other black, both wearing Confederate uniforms, both holding weapons. Descendants of the men in this photo ask: Could a slave be a soldier in the Confederate army? Wes Cowan dusts off years of dueling family legends to reveal the facts behind the men in this photo.
Episode
History Detectives: Fighting for Harlem Land Rights
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
This ornate 1892 stock certificate bears the name Harlem Associated Heirs Title Company. It includes a detailed map of New York's Harlem. Who are the Harlem Associated Heirs? And does this stock certificate give them a stake in Harlem real estate? This investigation takes HISTORY DETECTIVES host Gwen Wright to an often forgotten chapter of Harlem's history.
Episode
History Detectives: Chandler Tintype, Hollywood Indian Ledger, Harlem Heirs
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
What is the relationship behind the two men in this photo? Both wear Confederate uniforms, one is white, the other black. Did slaves fight in the Confederate army? What will this ledger tell us about how Hollywood treated Indian actors? And who are the Harlem Heirs, and what stake does this 1892 stock certificate give them in Harlem real estate?
Episode
History Detectives: Wearing the Confederate Uniform: Slave or Soldier?
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
In this extraordinary Civil War tintype, two men sit side by side, one white, the other black, both wearing Confederate uniforms, both holding weapons. Descendants of the men in this photo ask: Could a slave be a soldier in the Confederate army? Wes Cowan dusts off years of dueling family legends to reveal the facts behind the men in this photo.
Episode
History Detectives: Fighting for Harlem Land Rights
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
This ornate 1892 stock certificate bears the name Harlem Associated Heirs Title Company. It includes a detailed map of New York's Harlem. Who are the Harlem Associated Heirs? And does this stock certificate give them a stake in Harlem real estate? This investigation takes HISTORY DETECTIVES host Gwen Wright to an often forgotten chapter of Harlem's history.
Episode
History Detectives: Chandler Tintype, Hollywood Indian Ledger, Harlem Heirs
aired: Wed, Oct 12, 2011
What is the relationship behind the two men in this photo? Both wear Confederate uniforms, one is white, the other black. Did slaves fight in the Confederate army? What will this ledger tell us about how Hollywood treated Indian actors? And who are the Harlem Heirs, and what stake does this 1892 stock certificate give them in Harlem real estate?
Episode
History Detectives: Ince's Hollywood Indian Payroll
aired: Wed, Oct 5, 2011
Who were "Two Lance and Wife" and "Luke Big Turnip and Wife?" And why did the New York Motion Picture Company pay them each week? Two California teens found the 1914 ledger in their great grandfather's attic. They ask HISTORY DETECTIVES host Eduardo Pagan to find out how these Native Americans earned their pay. Did Hollywood treat them fairly?
Episode
History Detectives: Ince's Hollywood Indian Payroll
aired: Wed, Oct 5, 2011
Who were "Two Lance and Wife" and "Luke Big Turnip and Wife?" And why did the New York Motion Picture Company pay them each week? Two California teens found the 1914 ledger in their great grandfather's attic. They ask HISTORY DETECTIVES host Eduardo Pagan to find out how these Native Americans earned their pay. Did Hollywood treat them fairly?
Episode
History Detectives: Ince's Hollywood Indian Payroll
aired: Wed, Oct 5, 2011
Who were "Two Lance and Wife" and "Luke Big Turnip and Wife?" And why did the New York Motion Picture Company pay them each week? Two California teens found the 1914 ledger in their great grandfather's attic. They ask HISTORY DETECTIVES host Eduardo Pagan to find out how these Native Americans earned their pay. Did Hollywood treat them fairly?
Episode
History Detectives: Club Continental, St. V-Day Massacre, Society Circus Program
aired: Tue, Sep 27, 2011
Our Prohibition Era episode: Why does our contributor's father have a Club Continental business card? What did Fred Nicolls do for this glitzy LA underworld night club? Then was this shotgun used in the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre? And why was FDR on the celebrity list for this Society Circus benefit?
Episode
History Detectives: Club Continental: Underworld Calling Card
aired: Tue, Sep 27, 2011
Richard Nicholls has a Club Continental business card with his father's name on it. Club Continental was a glitzy night club known as a hub of the LA underworld. What did Fred Nicholls do for Club Continental? Does this have anything to do with his prison term for violating the Prohibition Act?
Episode
History Detectives: Club Continental: Underworld Calling Card
aired: Tue, Sep 27, 2011
Richard Nicholls has a Club Continental business card with his father's name on it. Club Continental was a glitzy night club known as a hub of the LA underworld. What did Fred Nicholls do for Club Continental? Does this have anything to do with his prison term for violating the Prohibition Act?
Episode
History Detectives: Club Continental, St. V-Day Massacre, Society Circus Program
aired: Tue, Sep 27, 2011
Our Prohibition Era episode: Why does our contributor's father have a Club Continental business card? What did Fred Nicolls do for this glitzy LA underworld night club? Then was this shotgun used in the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre? And why was FDR on the celebrity list for this Society Circus benefit?
Episode
History Detectives: Club Continental: Underworld Calling Card
aired: Tue, Sep 27, 2011
Richard Nicholls has a Club Continental business card with his father's name on it. Club Continental was a glitzy night club known as a hub of the LA underworld. What did Fred Nicholls do for Club Continental? Does this have anything to do with his prison term for violating the Prohibition Act?
Episode
History Detectives: Club Continental, St. V-Day Massacre, Society Circus Program
aired: Tue, Sep 27, 2011
Our Prohibition Era episode: Why does our contributor's father have a Club Continental business card? What did Fred Nicolls do for this glitzy LA underworld night club? Then was this shotgun used in the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre? And why was FDR on the celebrity list for this Society Circus benefit?
Episode
History Detectives: Club Continental: Underworld Calling Card
aired: Tue, Sep 27, 2011
Richard Nicholls has a Club Continental business card with his father's name on it. Club Continental was a glitzy night club known as a hub of the LA underworld. What did Fred Nicholls do for Club Continental? Does this have anything to do with his prison term for violating the Prohibition Act?
Episode
History Detectives: Order of Leopold, Suffrage Pennant, WB Cartoon
aired: Wed, Sep 21, 2011
What World War II action earned John Goularte, Sr. this prestigious medal from the Belgian government? Then Elyse Luray follows the path of this pennant to a campaign pivotal in winning American women the right to vote. And, a box of cartoon drawings and cells lead us to the unsung artists in the early days of animation.
Episode
History Detectives: Order of Leopold: A Medal of High Honor from Belgium
aired: Wed, Sep 21, 2011
John Goularte, Jr. found an ornate medal in his father's things after his father died, along with a photograph of his father at an award ceremony in 1951 with a caption explaining the Belgian government bestowed upon him the "Order of Leopold." Goularte asks HISTORY DETECTIVES host Gwen Wright to find out how his father earned such a prestigious medal from the Belgian government.
Episode
History Detectives: Order of Leopold, Suffrage Pennant, WB Cartoon
aired: Wed, Sep 21, 2011
What World War II action earned John Goularte, Sr. this prestigious medal from the Belgian government? Then Elyse Luray follows the path of this pennant to a campaign pivotal in winning American women the right to vote. And, a box of cartoon drawings and cells lead us to the unsung artists in the early days of animation.
Episode
History Detectives: Order of Leopold: A Medal of High Honor from Belgium
aired: Wed, Sep 21, 2011
John Goularte, Jr. found an ornate medal in his father's things after his father died, along with a photograph of his father at an award ceremony in 1951 with a caption explaining the Belgian government bestowed upon him the "Order of Leopold." Goularte asks HISTORY DETECTIVES host Gwen Wright to find out how his father earned such a prestigious medal from the Belgian government.
Episode
History Detectives: Order of Leopold, Suffrage Pennant, WB Cartoon
aired: Wed, Sep 21, 2011
What World War II action earned John Goularte, Sr. this prestigious medal from the Belgian government? Then Elyse Luray follows the path of this pennant to a campaign pivotal in winning American women the right to vote. And, a box of cartoon drawings and cells lead us to the unsung artists in the early days of animation.
Episode
History Detectives: Order of Leopold: A Medal of High Honor from Belgium
aired: Wed, Sep 21, 2011
John Goularte, Jr. found an ornate medal in his father's things after his father died, along with a photograph of his father at an award ceremony in 1951 with a caption explaining the Belgian government bestowed upon him the "Order of Leopold." Goularte asks HISTORY DETECTIVES host Gwen Wright to find out how his father earned such a prestigious medal from the Belgian government.
Episode
History Detectives: Order of Leopold, Suffrage Pennant, WB Cartoon
aired: Tue, Sep 20, 2011
What World War II action earned John Goularte, Sr. this prestigious medal from the Belgian government? Then Elyse Luray follows the path of this pennant to a campaign pivotal in winning American women the right to vote. And, a box of cartoon drawings and cells lead us to the unsung artists in the early days of animation.
Episode
History Detectives: Suffrage Pennant
aired: Thu, Sep 15, 2011
A purple and gold "Votes For Women" pennant opened our contributor to a side of her grandmother she never knew. Did this pennant belong to her grandmother, Addie Luther Blemly? Was Grandma part of the Women's Suffrage movement? HISTORY DETECTIVES host Elyse Luray traces the pennant to a pivotal time and place in the fight for women's voting rights.
Episode
History Detectives: Suffrage Pennant
aired: Thu, Sep 15, 2011
A purple and gold "Votes For Women" pennant opened our contributor to a side of her grandmother she never knew. Did this pennant belong to her grandmother, Addie Luther Blemly? Was Grandma part of the Women's Suffrage movement? HISTORY DETECTIVES host Elyse Luray traces the pennant to a pivotal time and place in the fight for women's voting rights.
Episode
History Detectives: Suffrage Pennant
aired: Thu, Sep 15, 2011
A purple and gold "Votes For Women" pennant opened our contributor to a side of her grandmother she never knew. Did this pennant belong to her grandmother, Addie Luther Blemly? Was Grandma part of the Women's Suffrage movement? HISTORY DETECTIVES host Elyse Luray traces the pennant to a pivotal time and place in the fight for women's voting rights.
Episode
History Detectives: Suffrage Pennant
aired: Thu, Sep 15, 2011
A purple and gold "Votes For Women" pennant opened our contributor to a side of her grandmother she never knew. Did this pennant belong to her grandmother, Addie Luther Blemly? Was Grandma part of the Women's Suffrage movement? HISTORY DETECTIVES host Elyse Luray traces the pennant to a pivotal time and place in the fight for women's voting rights.
Episode
History Detectives: The Civil War Secrets of a Drug Smuggling Doll
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
A Confederate family legend says a young girl carried a doll past the Northern blockade with drugs tucked inside its hollow head. The morphine and quinine would aid sick soldiers. Gwen Wright tracks down the story behind 'Nina,' a 'much loved member of the Anderson family' and whether she helped to relieve suffering and save lives during the War Between the States.
Episode
History Detectives: The Woman Who Photographed the President
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
This episode takes Wes Cowan to the White House. Did the first woman photographer assigned to the White House use this camera to photograph Harry Truman? Then Gwen Wright looks into a Confederate family legend that a child and her doll smuggled medicine behind the Northern blockade. And with labels in French, English and Spanish, what does this map tell us about how Europe colonized Florida?
Episode
History Detectives: Marion Carpenter Camera, Drug Smuggling Doll, Florida Map
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
This episode takes Wes Cowan to the White House. Did the first woman photographer assigned to the White House use this camera to photograph Harry Truman? Then Gwen Wright looks into a Confederate family legend that a child and her doll smuggled medicine behind the Northern blockade. And with labels in French, English and Spanish, what does this map tell us about how Europe colonized Florida?
Episode
History Detectives: Fitness, Flappers and Phonograph Records
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
The voice on these 78rpm records is the grandfather our contributor never met. The 1920s albums play music with Wallace Rogerson giving exercise instructions. She asks HISTORY DETECTIVES host Tukufu Zuberi to tell her more about her grandfather. Was he the Jack LaLanne of the 1920s?
Episode
History Detectives: Marion Carpenter Camera, Drug Smuggling Doll, Florida Map
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
This episode takes Wes Cowan to the White House. Did the first woman photographer assigned to the White House use this camera to photograph Harry Truman? Then Gwen Wright looks into a Confederate family legend that a child and her doll smuggled medicine behind the Northern blockade. And with labels in French, English and Spanish, what does this map tell us about how Europe colonized Florida?
Episode
History Detectives: The Civil War Secrets of a Drug Smuggling Doll
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
A Confederate family legend says a young girl carried a doll past the Northern blockade with drugs tucked inside its hollow head. The morphine and quinine would aid sick soldiers. Gwen Wright tracks down the story behind 'Nina,' a 'much loved member of the Anderson family' and whether she helped to relieve suffering and save lives during the War Between the States.
Episode
History Detectives: The Woman Who Photographed the President
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
This episode takes Wes Cowan to the White House. Did the first woman photographer assigned to the White House use this camera to photograph Harry Truman? Then Gwen Wright looks into a Confederate family legend that a child and her doll smuggled medicine behind the Northern blockade. And with labels in French, English and Spanish, what does this map tell us about how Europe colonized Florida?
Episode
History Detectives: Fitness, Flappers and Phonograph Records
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
The voice on these 78rpm records is the grandfather our contributor never met. The 1920s albums play music with Wallace Rogerson giving exercise instructions. She asks HISTORY DETECTIVES host Tukufu Zuberi to tell her more about her grandfather. Was he the Jack LaLanne of the 1920s?
Episode
History Detectives: The Civil War Secrets of a Drug Smuggling Doll
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
A Confederate family legend says a young girl carried a doll past the Northern blockade with drugs tucked inside its hollow head. The morphine and quinine would aid sick soldiers. Gwen Wright tracks down the story behind 'Nina,' a 'much loved member of the Anderson family' and whether she helped to relieve suffering and save lives during the War Between the States.
Episode
History Detectives: The Woman Who Photographed the President
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
This episode takes Wes Cowan to the White House. Did the first woman photographer assigned to the White House use this camera to photograph Harry Truman? Then Gwen Wright looks into a Confederate family legend that a child and her doll smuggled medicine behind the Northern blockade. And with labels in French, English and Spanish, what does this map tell us about how Europe colonized Florida?
Episode
History Detectives: Marion Carpenter Camera, Drug Smuggling Doll, Florida Map
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
This episode takes Wes Cowan to the White House. Did the first woman photographer assigned to the White House use this camera to photograph Harry Truman? Then Gwen Wright looks into a Confederate family legend that a child and her doll smuggled medicine behind the Northern blockade. And with labels in French, English and Spanish, what does this map tell us about how Europe colonized Florida?
Episode
History Detectives: Fitness, Flappers and Phonograph Records
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
The voice on these 78rpm records is the grandfather our contributor never met. The 1920s albums play music with Wallace Rogerson giving exercise instructions. She asks HISTORY DETECTIVES host Tukufu Zuberi to tell her more about her grandfather. Was he the Jack LaLanne of the 1920s?
Episode
History Detectives: Fitness, Flappers and Phonograph Records
aired: Wed, Aug 31, 2011
The voice on these 78rpm records is the grandfather our contributor never met. The 1920s albums play music with Wallace Rogerson giving exercise instructions. She asks HISTORY DETECTIVES host Tukufu Zuberi to tell her more about her grandfather. Was he the Jack LaLanne of the 1920s?
Episode
History Detectives: The Civil War Secrets of a Drug Smuggling Doll
aired: Tue, Aug 30, 2011
A Confederate family legend says a young girl carried a doll past the Northern blockade with drugs tucked inside its hollow head. The morphine and quinine would aid sick soldiers. Gwen Wright tracks down the story behind 'Nina,' a 'much loved member of the Anderson family' and whether she helped to relieve suffering and save lives during the War Between the States.
Episode
History Detectives: The Woman Who Photographed the President
aired: Tue, Aug 30, 2011
This episode takes Wes Cowan to the White House. Did the first woman photographer assigned to the White House use this camera to photograph Harry Truman? Then Gwen Wright looks into a Confederate family legend that a child and her doll smuggled medicine behind the Northern blockade. And with labels in French, English and Spanish, what does this map tell us about how Europe colonized Florida?
Episode
History Detectives: Florida Map: Europe's Colonial Blueprint
aired: Thu, Aug 25, 2011
After 15 years of research our contributor cannot make sense of the towns and missions on this Florida Map. The place names are a mixture of French, English and Spanish. Tukufu Zuberi sets out to determine who drew this map and when, and to learn what this map can tell us about how Europe colonized Florida.
Episode
History Detectives: Florida Map: Europe's Colonial Blueprint
aired: Thu, Aug 25, 2011
After 15 years of research our contributor cannot make sense of the towns and missions on this Florida Map. The place names are a mixture of French, English and Spanish. Tukufu Zuberi sets out to determine who drew this map and when, and to learn what this map can tell us about how Europe colonized Florida.
Episode
History Detectives: Florida Map: Europe's Colonial Blueprint
aired: Thu, Aug 25, 2011
After 15 years of research our contributor cannot make sense of the towns and missions on this Florida Map. The place names are a mixture of French, English and Spanish. Tukufu Zuberi sets out to determine who drew this map and when, and to learn what this map can tell us about how Europe colonized Florida.
Episode
History Detectives: Florida Map: Europe's Colonial Blueprint
aired: Thu, Aug 25, 2011
After 15 years of research our contributor cannot make sense of the towns and missions on this Florida Map. The place names are a mixture of French, English and Spanish. Tukufu Zuberi sets out to determine who drew this map and when, and to learn what this map can tell us about how Europe colonized Florida.
Episode
History Detectives: Hot Town Poster, Andrew Jackson Mouth, and Modoc Basket
aired: Wed, Aug 24, 2011
In this episode, what is the story behind this poster with an angry cop and a clenched fist? "The streets belong to the people. Dig it?" Then, Elyse Luray tries to reunite a vandalized sculpture of President Andrew Jackson. And Wes Cowan finds the name and life of a Native American heroine woven into a Modoc basket.
Episode
History Detectives: Hot Town Poster, Andrew Jackson Mouth, and Modoc Basket
aired: Wed, Aug 24, 2011
In this episode, what is the story behind this poster with an angry cop and a clenched fist? "The streets belong to the people. Dig it?" Then, Elyse Luray tries to reunite a vandalized sculpture of President Andrew Jackson. And Wes Cowan finds the name and life of a Native American heroine woven into a Modoc basket.
Episode
History Detectives: Hot Town Poster, Andrew Jackson Mouth, and Modoc Basket
aired: Wed, Aug 24, 2011
In this episode, what is the story behind this poster with an angry cop and a clenched fist? "The streets belong to the people. Dig it?" Then, Elyse Luray tries to reunite a vandalized sculpture of President Andrew Jackson. And Wes Cowan finds the name and life of a Native American heroine woven into a Modoc basket.
Episode
History Detectives: Hot Town Poster, Andrew Jackson Mouth, and Modoc Basket
aired: Wed, Aug 24, 2011
In this episode, what is the story behind this poster with an angry cop and a clenched fist? "The streets belong to the people. Dig it?" Then, Elyse Luray tries to reunite a vandalized sculpture of President Andrew Jackson. And Wes Cowan finds the name and life of a Native American heroine woven into a Modoc basket.
Episode
History Detectives: Japanese Cane, Revolutionary Telescope & I.W. Baker's Gold Rush Hype
aired: Wed, Jul 27, 2011
In this episode, can the Japanese characters carved into this cane unlock the mystery of a family's past in a World War II relocation camp? Elyse Luray tries to trace an unusual wooden telescope to its Revolution-era ancestor. And Wes Cowan explores a story of California Gold Rush hype in the form of an unusual drawing.
Episode
History Detectives: Hidden Secrets in a Japanese Cane
aired: Wed, Jul 27, 2011
What can the Japanese characters carved into a cane tell about a family's past in a World War II relocation camp? Tukufu Zuberi sets out to translate the words and uncover the story behind the cane. A curator of art from internment camps places this cane into the tradition of "gaman" - the art of living with the unbearable. Then Tukufu unravels a surprising clue about the cane's original owner.
Episode
History Detectives: Hidden Secrets in a Japanese Cane
aired: Wed, Jul 27, 2011
What can the Japanese characters carved into a cane tell about a family's past in a World War II relocation camp? Tukufu Zuberi sets out to translate the words and uncover the story behind the cane. A curator of art from internment camps places this cane into the tradition of "gaman" - the art of living with the unbearable. Then Tukufu unravels a surprising clue about the cane's original owner.
Episode
History Detectives: Hidden Secrets in a Japanese Cane
aired: Wed, Jul 27, 2011
What can the Japanese characters carved into a cane tell about a family's past in a World War II relocation camp? Tukufu Zuberi sets out to translate the words and uncover the story behind the cane. A curator of art from internment camps places this cane into the tradition of "gaman" - the art of living with the unbearable. Then Tukufu unravels a surprising clue about the cane's original owner.
Episode
History Detectives: Hidden Secrets in a Japanese Cane
aired: Wed, Jul 27, 2011
What can the Japanese characters carved into a cane tell about a family's past in a World War II relocation camp? Tukufu Zuberi sets out to translate the words and uncover the story behind the cane. A curator of art from internment camps places this cane into the tradition of "gaman" - the art of living with the unbearable. Then Tukufu unravels a surprising clue about the cane's original owner.
Episode
History Detectives: The First Assault Drone?
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
Working beside a rural airstrip, an Illinois man dug up an intriguing find: an eight-foot long wooden airplane propeller. A little research online made him believe that his propeller might be from a TDR-1 plane, a pioneering U.S. drone plane from World War II. Elyse Luray investigates whether this propeller is an important piece of American military history or simply fell off a local prop plane.
Episode
History Detectives: Top Secret Drone, Roosevelt's War Club & Clara Barton Letter
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
In this episode, Elyse Luray investigates a propeller that may be from a WWII-era drone aircraft. Then, an inscribed, wooden club appears to be a gift to Teddy Roosevelt. Tukufu Zuberi find out who gave him this club, and why? And Eduardo Pagan follows the trail of a letter and learns about Clara Barton's humanitarian work during the Civil War.
Episode
History Detectives: The Spyglass That Saw Revolution
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
Antique dealers can't date this telescope, a family heirloom from a man in Kittery Point, ME. They've never seen a spyglass quite like this. But our contributor suspects it belonged to his ancestor William Bray who served in the American Revolution. Follow Elyse Luray as she tries to track down the original owner and find out whether this telescope was used during the war for independence.
Episode
History Detectives: The First Assault Drone?
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
Working beside a rural airstrip, an Illinois man dug up an intriguing find: an eight-foot long wooden airplane propeller. A little research online made him believe that his propeller might be from a TDR-1 plane, a pioneering U.S. drone plane from World War II. Elyse Luray investigates whether this propeller is an important piece of American military history or simply fell off a local prop plane.
Episode
History Detectives: Top Secret Drone, Roosevelt's War Club & Clara Barton Letter
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
In this episode, Elyse Luray investigates a propeller that may be from a WWII-era drone aircraft. Then, an inscribed, wooden club appears to be a gift to Teddy Roosevelt. Tukufu Zuberi find out who gave him this club, and why? And Eduardo Pagan follows the trail of a letter and learns about Clara Barton's humanitarian work during the Civil War.
Episode
History Detectives: The Spyglass That Saw Revolution
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
Antique dealers can't date this telescope, a family heirloom from a man in Kittery Point, ME. They've never seen a spyglass quite like this. But our contributor suspects it belonged to his ancestor William Bray who served in the American Revolution. Follow Elyse Luray as she tries to track down the original owner and find out whether this telescope was used during the war for independence.
Episode
History Detectives: The First Assault Drone?
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
Working beside a rural airstrip, an Illinois man dug up an intriguing find: an eight-foot long wooden airplane propeller. A little research online made him believe that his propeller might be from a TDR-1 plane, a pioneering U.S. drone plane from World War II. Elyse Luray investigates whether this propeller is an important piece of American military history or simply fell off a local prop plane.
Episode
History Detectives: Top Secret Drone, Roosevelt's War Club & Clara Barton Letter
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
In this episode, Elyse Luray investigates a propeller that may be from a WWII-era drone aircraft. Then, an inscribed, wooden club appears to be a gift to Teddy Roosevelt. Tukufu Zuberi find out who gave him this club, and why? And Eduardo Pagan follows the trail of a letter and learns about Clara Barton's humanitarian work during the Civil War.
Episode
History Detectives: The Spyglass That Saw Revolution
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
Antique dealers can't date this telescope, a family heirloom from a man in Kittery Point, ME. They've never seen a spyglass quite like this. But our contributor suspects it belonged to his ancestor William Bray who served in the American Revolution. Follow Elyse Luray as she tries to track down the original owner and find out whether this telescope was used during the war for independence.
Episode
History Detectives: Top Secret Drone, Roosevelt's War Club & Clara Barton Letter
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
In this episode, Elyse Luray investigates a propeller that may be from a WWII-era drone aircraft. Then, an inscribed, wooden club appears to be a gift to Teddy Roosevelt. Tukufu Zuberi find out who gave him this club, and why? And Eduardo Pagan follows the trail of a letter and learns about Clara Barton's humanitarian work during the Civil War.
Episode
History Detectives: The First Assault Drone?
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
Working beside a rural airstrip, an Illinois man dug up an intriguing find: an eight-foot long wooden airplane propeller. A little research online made him believe that his propeller might be from a TDR-1 plane, a pioneering U.S. drone plane from World War II. Elyse Luray investigates whether this propeller is an important piece of American military history or simply fell off a local prop plane.
Episode
History Detectives: The Spyglass That Saw Revolution
aired: Wed, Jul 20, 2011
Antique dealers can't date this telescope, a family heirloom from a man in Kittery Point, ME. They've never seen a spyglass quite like this. But our contributor suspects it belonged to his ancestor William Bray who served in the American Revolution. Follow Elyse Luray as she tries to track down the original owner and find out whether this telescope was used during the war for independence.
Episode
History Detectives: Teddy Roosevelt's War Club
aired: Thu, Jul 14, 2011
More than 30 years ago, a Chicago man discovered an oddly carved piece of wood in the dark recesses of a farmhouse attic. It is about three and a half feet long, two inches around with a faint inscription that suggests it was a gift to the "Great Chief Teddy Roosevelt." Aug. 29, '12. Follow Tukufu Zuberi as he heads to New England to find out who, if anyone, gave this club to Teddy Roosevelt.
Episode
History Detectives: Teddy Roosevelt's War Club
aired: Thu, Jul 14, 2011
More than 30 years ago, a Chicago man discovered an oddly carved piece of wood in the dark recesses of a farmhouse attic. It is about three and a half feet long, two inches around with a faint inscription that suggests it was a gift to the "Great Chief Teddy Roosevelt." Aug. 29, '12. Follow Tukufu Zuberi as he heads to New England to find out who, if anyone, gave this club to Teddy Roosevelt.
Episode
History Detectives: Teddy Roosevelt's War Club
aired: Thu, Jul 14, 2011
More than 30 years ago, a Chicago man discovered an oddly carved piece of wood in the dark recesses of a farmhouse attic. It is about three and a half feet long, two inches around with a faint inscription that suggests it was a gift to the "Great Chief Teddy Roosevelt." Aug. 29, '12. Follow Tukufu Zuberi as he heads to New England to find out who, if anyone, gave this club to Teddy Roosevelt.
Episode
History Detectives: Teddy Roosevelt's War Club
aired: Thu, Jul 14, 2011
More than 30 years ago, a Chicago man discovered an oddly carved piece of wood in the dark recesses of a farmhouse attic. It is about three and a half feet long, two inches around with a faint inscription that suggests it was a gift to the "Great Chief Teddy Roosevelt." Aug. 29, '12. Follow Tukufu Zuberi as he heads to New England to find out who, if anyone, gave this club to Teddy Roosevelt.
Episode
History Detectives: Civil War Letters, Aviation Fabric & African American Comic Book
aired: Wed, Jul 13, 2011
This episode fills in the moving story behind letters from a Civil War soldier to his brother and his desire to lead an African American unit. Then, Tukufu Zuberi sets out to identify the source of a piece of fabric with signatures of Charles Lindbergh and helicopter inventor Igor Sikorsky. Finally, did black artists create the 1950's comic book, Negro Romance?
Episode
History Detectives: Aviation Autographs Reveal a Mystery Aircraft
aired: Wed, Jul 13, 2011
This piece of aviation fabric has the signatures of Charles Lindbergh and helicopter inventor Igor Sikorsky along with the date August 1943. Tukufu Zuberi sets out to authenticate the signatures. Which aircraft did this fabric come from? Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis? Sikorsky's first helicopter? Or another aircraft altogether?
Episode
History Detectives: Civil War Letters: Dear Brother
aired: Wed, Jul 13, 2011
In a box filled with stamps, we find a letter from a Civil War soldier to his brother, addressed "Senate Post, Washington, D.C." He asks to command an African American unit. A second letter to the brother in D.C. indicates the soldier has been wounded. Eduardo Pagan sets out to find out why the soldier wanted to lead an African American unit. Did he get his wish?
Episode
History Detectives: Aviation Autographs Reveal a Mystery Aircraft
aired: Wed, Jul 13, 2011
This piece of aviation fabric has the signatures of Charles Lindbergh and helicopter inventor Igor Sikorsky along with the date August 1943. Tukufu Zuberi sets out to authenticate the signatures. Which aircraft did this fabric come from? Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis? Sikorsky's first helicopter? Or another aircraft altogether?
Episode
History Detectives: Civil War Letters: Dear Brother
aired: Wed, Jul 13, 2011
In a box filled with stamps, we find a letter from a Civil War soldier to his brother, addressed "Senate Post, Washington, D.C." He asks to command an African American unit. A second letter to the brother in D.C. indicates the soldier has been wounded. Eduardo Pagan sets out to find out why the soldier wanted to lead an African American unit. Did he get his wish?
Episode
History Detectives: Aviation Autographs Reveal a Mystery Aircraft
aired: Wed, Jul 13, 2011
This piece of aviation fabric has the signatures of Charles Lindbergh and helicopter inventor Igor Sikorsky along with the date August 1943. Tukufu Zuberi sets out to authenticate the signatures. Which aircraft did this fabric come from? Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis? Sikorsky's first helicopter? Or another aircraft altogether?
Episode
History Detectives: Civil War Letters: Dear Brother
aired: Wed, Jul 13, 2011
In a box filled with stamps, we find a letter from a Civil War soldier to his brother, addressed "Senate Post, Washington, D.C." He asks to command an African American unit. A second letter to the brother in D.C. indicates the soldier has been wounded. Eduardo Pagan sets out to find out why the soldier wanted to lead an African American unit. Did he get his wish?
Episode
History Detectives: Aviation Autographs Reveal a Mystery Aircraft
aired: Wed, Jul 13, 2011
This piece of aviation fabric has the signatures of Charles Lindbergh and helicopter inventor Igor Sikorsky along with the date August 1943. Tukufu Zuberi sets out to authenticate the signatures. Which aircraft did this fabric come from? Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis? Sikorsky's first helicopter? Or another aircraft altogether?
Episode
History Detectives: John Brown Spear, US Bullet in Siberia & Ronald McDonald Suit
aired: Thu, Jul 7, 2011
In this episode, Wes Cowan looks into whether this weapon was part of abolitionist John Brown's notorious Harpers Ferry raid. Then, words etched into a bullet lead Eduardo Pagan to ask why US troops spent time in Siberia during World War I. Finally, Elyse Luray falls in love with a Ronald McDonald costume, complete with clown shoes. Was it the first costume of the Ronald McDonald campaign?
Episode
History Detectives: The Bullet That Fought America's Secret Siberian War
aired: Thu, Jul 7, 2011
A World War I vintage cartridge discovered by a viewer in Colorado contains a curious etching: Leo V. Thompson, CO E 31st Inf., A.E.F. Siberia. Nearly 40 years after he paid one dollar for the bullet, our contributor still wonders about Leo V. Thompson and what United States troops were doing in Siberia after the First World War. Follow Eduardo Pagan as he tries to track down the answers.
Episode
History Detectives: The Spear That Stoked the Civil War
aired: Thu, Jul 7, 2011
Wes Cowan looks into whether this antique spear weapon was part of abolitionist John Brown's notorious Harpers Ferry raid. Our contributor bought the spear, or pike, from an antique shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio where John Brown is known to have lived. Follow Wes on the trail to the blacksmith who forged the weapon over 150 years ago and the ground at Harpers Ferry where the battle took place.
Episode
History Detectives: The Bullet That Fought America's Secret Siberian War
aired: Thu, Jul 7, 2011
A World War I vintage cartridge discovered by a viewer in Colorado contains a curious etching: Leo V. Thompson, CO E 31st Inf., A.E.F. Siberia. Nearly 40 years after he paid one dollar for the bullet, our contributor still wonders about Leo V. Thompson and what United States troops were doing in Siberia after the First World War. Follow Eduardo Pagan as he tries to track down the answers.
Episode
History Detectives: The Spear That Stoked the Civil War
aired: Thu, Jul 7, 2011
Wes Cowan looks into whether this antique spear weapon was part of abolitionist John Brown's notorious Harpers Ferry raid. Our contributor bought the spear, or pike, from an antique shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio where John Brown is known to have lived. Follow Wes on the trail to the blacksmith who forged the weapon over 150 years ago and the ground at Harpers Ferry where the battle took place.
Episode
History Detectives: The Bullet That Fought America's Secret Siberian War
aired: Thu, Jul 7, 2011
A World War I vintage cartridge discovered by a viewer in Colorado contains a curious etching: Leo V. Thompson, CO E 31st Inf., A.E.F. Siberia. Nearly 40 years after he paid one dollar for the bullet, our contributor still wonders about Leo V. Thompson and what United States troops were doing in Siberia after the First World War. Follow Eduardo Pagan as he tries to track down the answers.
Episode
History Detectives: The Spear That Stoked the Civil War
aired: Thu, Jul 7, 2011
Wes Cowan looks into whether this antique spear weapon was part of abolitionist John Brown's notorious Harpers Ferry raid. Our contributor bought the spear, or pike, from an antique shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio where John Brown is known to have lived. Follow Wes on the trail to the blacksmith who forged the weapon over 150 years ago and the ground at Harpers Ferry where the battle took place.
Episode
History Detectives: The Bullet That Fought America's Secret Siberian War
aired: Thu, Jul 7, 2011
A World War I vintage cartridge discovered by a viewer in Colorado contains a curious etching: Leo V. Thompson, CO E 31st Inf., A.E.F. Siberia. Nearly 40 years after he paid one dollar for the bullet, our contributor still wonders about Leo V. Thompson and what United States troops were doing in Siberia after the First World War. Follow Eduardo Pagan as he tries to track down the answers.
Episode
History Detectives: Moon Museum
aired: Thu, Jun 30, 2011
A Florida art curator purchased a a tiny ceramic chip with six images. The seller told him the tiny images were the works of several prominent artists and the chip was made as a miniature art museum to attach to the Apollo 12 lunar module. Did NASA actually deliver the artwork of Andy Warhol to the moon? Gwendolyn Wright tracks down three eyewitnesses to this historic moment.
Episode
History Detectives: Propaganda Leaflet,Tiffany Window & Spanish Civil War Eulogy
aired: Wed, Jun 29, 2011
In this episode, Wes Cowan decodes the message and strategy behind a U.S. World War II propaganda leaflet. Researching a family heirloom, a watercolor, leads Gwen Wright to Tiffany stained glass, and opportunity for early 20th century women. And a touching eulogy unites a nephew and a son of two American soldiers who fought in the Spanish Civil War.
Episode
History Detectives: Propaganda Leaflet,Tiffany Window & Spanish Civil War Eulogy
aired: Wed, Jun 29, 2011
In this episode, Wes Cowan decodes the message and strategy behind a U.S. World War II propaganda leaflet. Researching a family heirloom, a watercolor, leads Gwen Wright to Tiffany stained glass, and opportunity for early 20th century women. And a touching eulogy unites a nephew and a son of two American soldiers who fought in the Spanish Civil War.
Episode
History Detectives: Propaganda Leaflet,Tiffany Window & Spanish Civil War Eulogy
aired: Wed, Jun 29, 2011
In this episode, Wes Cowan decodes the message and strategy behind a U.S. World War II propaganda leaflet. Researching a family heirloom, a watercolor, leads Gwen Wright to Tiffany stained glass, and opportunity for early 20th century women. And a touching eulogy unites a nephew and a son of two American soldiers who fought in the Spanish Civil War.
Episode
History Detectives: Propaganda Leaflet,Tiffany Window & Spanish Civil War Eulogy
aired: Wed, Jun 29, 2011
In this episode, Wes Cowan decodes the message and strategy behind a U.S. World War II propaganda leaflet. Researching a family heirloom, a watercolor, leads Gwen Wright to Tiffany stained glass, and opportunity for early 20th century women. And a touching eulogy unites a nephew and a son of two American soldiers who fought in the Spanish Civil War.
Episode
History Detectives: The Suit That Launched Ronald McDonald
aired: Mon, Jun 27, 2011
Have we found the original Ronald McDonald costume? The label credits a well-known designer, and the costume is similar to the suit we see in an early Ronald McDonald commercial. But there are also some curious differences. For answers, Elyse Luray consults with a food and social historian, speaks to McDonald's first Chief Marketing Officer, and meets the widow of an early Ronald McDonald clown.
Episode
History Detectives: The Suit That Launched Ronald McDonald
aired: Mon, Jun 27, 2011
Have we found the original Ronald McDonald costume? The label credits a well-known designer, and the costume is similar to the suit we see in an early Ronald McDonald commercial. But there are also some curious differences. For answers, Elyse Luray consults with a food and social historian, speaks to McDonald's first Chief Marketing Officer, and meets the widow of an early Ronald McDonald clown.
Episode
History Detectives: The Suit That Launched Ronald McDonald
aired: Mon, Jun 27, 2011
Have we found the original Ronald McDonald costume? The label credits a well-known designer, and the costume is similar to the suit we see in an early Ronald McDonald commercial. But there are also some curious differences. For answers, Elyse Luray consults with a food and social historian, speaks to McDonald's first Chief Marketing Officer, and meets the widow of an early Ronald McDonald clown.
Episode
History Detectives: The Suit That Launched Ronald McDonald
aired: Mon, Jun 27, 2011
Have we found the original Ronald McDonald costume? The label credits a well-known designer, and the costume is similar to the suit we see in an early Ronald McDonald commercial. But there are also some curious differences. For answers, Elyse Luray consults with a food and social historian, speaks to McDonald's first Chief Marketing Officer, and meets the widow of an early Ronald McDonald clown.
Episode
History Detectives: A Father's Forgotten Tribute in a Spanish Civil War Eulogy
aired: Thu, Jun 23, 2011
Among the late Sol Fellman's mementos of the Spanish Civil War is a four-page eulogy titled, "A Negro Hero Dies" written for a man named Douglas Roach. Sol fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade with his brother Harry, but they were separated in Spain and Harry went missing. Who was Douglas Roach and what happened to Sol's brother Harry? Tukufu Zuberi unravels this tale of brotherly love.
Episode
History Detectives: A Father's Forgotten Tribute in a Spanish Civil War Eulogy
aired: Thu, Jun 23, 2011
Among the late Sol Fellman's mementos of the Spanish Civil War is a four-page eulogy titled, "A Negro Hero Dies" written for a man named Douglas Roach. Sol fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade with his brother Harry, but they were separated in Spain and Harry went missing. Who was Douglas Roach and what happened to Sol's brother Harry? Tukufu Zuberi unravels this tale of brotherly love.
Episode
History Detectives: A Father's Forgotten Tribute in a Spanish Civil War Eulogy
aired: Thu, Jun 23, 2011
Among the late Sol Fellman's mementos of the Spanish Civil War is a four-page eulogy titled, "A Negro Hero Dies" written for a man named Douglas Roach. Sol fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade with his brother Harry, but they were separated in Spain and Harry went missing. Who was Douglas Roach and what happened to Sol's brother Harry? Tukufu Zuberi unravels this tale of brotherly love.
Episode
History Detectives: A Father's Forgotten Tribute in a Spanish Civil War Eulogy
aired: Thu, Jun 23, 2011
Among the late Sol Fellman's mementos of the Spanish Civil War is a four-page eulogy titled, "A Negro Hero Dies" written for a man named Douglas Roach. Sol fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade with his brother Harry, but they were separated in Spain and Harry went missing. Who was Douglas Roach and what happened to Sol's brother Harry? Tukufu Zuberi unravels this tale of brotherly love.
Episode
History Detectives: The Hero of Ni'ihau, Hawaii
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
Mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a forbidden Hawaii island where he finds a heroic story often overshadowed by the raid on Pearl Harbor. Join Eduardo's quest to confirm whether these engine parts belong to a Japanese Zero that took part in that raid.
Episode
History Detectives: First Cannon Fire of Civil War Secession
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
A Charleston, SC antique dealer discovered what appear to be metal filings along with a note that suggests they were from a Charleston cannon that fired the shot that began the Civil War. Could these shavings come from the cannon that sounded the first volley in the fight for southern secession? Follow Elyse Luray to Ft. Sumter as she tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon.
Episode
History Detectives: Paper Bombs: WWII Propaganda Over Japan
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
What do the violent and provocative images on this pamphlet mean? A note accompanying the leaflet suggests it was dropped on Japan during WWII. But who was the artist and how did it contribute to the U.S. war effort? Join Wes Cowan as he sets out to decode the message and strategy behind this document.
Episode
History Detectives: The Hero of Ni'ihau, Hawaii
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
Mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a forbidden Hawaii island where he finds a heroic story often overshadowed by the raid on Pearl Harbor. Join Eduardo's quest to confirm whether these engine parts belong to a Japanese Zero that took part in that raid.
Episode
History Detectives: First Cannon Fire of Civil War Secession
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
A Charleston, SC antique dealer discovered what appear to be metal filings along with a note that suggests they were from a Charleston cannon that fired the shot that began the Civil War. Could these shavings come from the cannon that sounded the first volley in the fight for southern secession? Follow Elyse Luray to Ft. Sumter as she tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon.
Episode
History Detectives: Paper Bombs: WWII Propaganda Over Japan
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
What do the violent and provocative images on this pamphlet mean? A note accompanying the leaflet suggests it was dropped on Japan during WWII. But who was the artist and how did it contribute to the U.S. war effort? Join Wes Cowan as he sets out to decode the message and strategy behind this document.
Episode
History Detectives: The Hero of Ni'ihau, Hawaii
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
Mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a forbidden Hawaii island where he finds a heroic story often overshadowed by the raid on Pearl Harbor. Join Eduardo's quest to confirm whether these engine parts belong to a Japanese Zero that took part in that raid.
Episode
History Detectives: First Cannon Fire of Civil War Secession
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
A Charleston, SC antique dealer discovered what appear to be metal filings along with a note that suggests they were from a Charleston cannon that fired the shot that began the Civil War. Could these shavings come from the cannon that sounded the first volley in the fight for southern secession? Follow Elyse Luray to Ft. Sumter as she tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon.
Episode
History Detectives: Paper Bombs: WWII Propaganda Over Japan
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
What do the violent and provocative images on this pamphlet mean? A note accompanying the leaflet suggests it was dropped on Japan during WWII. But who was the artist and how did it contribute to the U.S. war effort? Join Wes Cowan as he sets out to decode the message and strategy behind this document.
Episode
History Detectives: First Cannon Fire of Civil War Secession
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
A Charleston, SC antique dealer discovered what appear to be metal filings along with a note that suggests they were from a Charleston cannon that fired the shot that began the Civil War. Could these shavings come from the cannon that sounded the first volley in the fight for southern secession? Follow Elyse Luray to Ft. Sumter as she tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon.
Episode
History Detectives: The Hero of Ni'ihau, Hawaii
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
Mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a forbidden Hawaii island where he finds a heroic story often overshadowed by the raid on Pearl Harbor. Join Eduardo's quest to confirm whether these engine parts belong to a Japanese Zero that took part in that raid.
Episode
History Detectives: Paper Bombs: WWII Propaganda Over Japan
aired: Wed, Jun 22, 2011
What do the violent and provocative images on this pamphlet mean? A note accompanying the leaflet suggests it was dropped on Japan during WWII. But who was the artist and how did it contribute to the U.S. war effort? Join Wes Cowan as he sets out to decode the message and strategy behind this document.
Episode
History Detectives: A Hero in Hawaii, Civil War Cannon & Stuntman Pioneer
aired: Thu, May 26, 2011
In this episode, mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a heroic story on a forbidden Hawaiian island. Then, Elyse Luray tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon and Wes Cowan connects a rodeo saddle to a star who changed Hollywood movie-making.
Episode
History Detectives: A Hero in Hawaii, Civil War Cannon & Stuntman Pioneer
aired: Thu, May 26, 2011
In this episode, mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a heroic story on a forbidden Hawaiian island. Then, Elyse Luray tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon and Wes Cowan connects a rodeo saddle to a star who changed Hollywood movie-making.
Episode
History Detectives: A Hero in Hawaii, Civil War Cannon & Stuntman Pioneer
aired: Thu, May 26, 2011
In this episode, mysterious airplane engine parts lead Eduardo Pagan to a heroic story on a forbidden Hawaiian island. Then, Elyse Luray tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon and Wes Cowan connects a rodeo saddle to a star who changed Hollywood movie-making.
Episode
History Detectives: Society Circus Program
aired: Fri, May 6, 2011
An Oregon girl finds a yellowed circus program reading "Official Program of Cobina Wright's Society Circus for the benefit of the Boy Scout Foundation, Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt, President, Season 1933." Host Gwendolyn Wright explores New York City's 1930s high society and illuminates a link between FDR and the Boy Scouts that inspired one of the most effective pieces of the President's New Deal.
Episode
History Detectives: Stalag 17 Portrait
aired: Mon, May 23, 2011
65 years after her father became a prisoner of war, our contributor has a portrait of him which appears to be drawn by another POW while they were both prisoners in Stalag 17b. What happened to the artist? Did he survive the camp Eduardo Pagan uncovers a stoic act of defiance and dignity behind the Stalag's barbwire.
Episode
History Detectives: Lubin Photos
aired: Sun, May 22, 2011
History Detectives examines century old photos that may have captured the dawn of American movie-making, nearly 3000 miles from Hollywood. Some captions refer to the Siegmund Lubin Studios. Who was Siegmund Lubin? History Detectives goes on an excursion through an early movie mogul's dramatic rise and fall.
Episode
History Detectives: Boxcar Home
aired: Sat, May 21, 2011
The Depression, followed by the war years, had left the nation with a critical housing shortage. Where would the army of returning GI's live? History Detectives investigates a discovery which may offer a unique look at how necessity became the mother of invention in postwar America. Has a boxcar been used to build a couple's Lakewood home?
Episode
History Detectives: Airstream Caravan
aired: Fri, May 20, 2011
A couple in California owns a classic Airstream trailer that seems to have been part of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International, and elite adventure club. Did this particular trailer make the journey on the historic "Cape Town to Cairo Caravan" of 1959? Host Tukufu Zuberi heads to Denver and Southern California to explore one man's wanderlust at the birth of American leisure travel.
Episode
History Detectives: Crazy Horse Photo
aired: Fri, May 20, 2011
Our contributor found a photograph along with a note in the Lakota language dated 1904. The note claims, "This is a photograph of Crazy Horse." Does our contributor have the Holy Grail of the Wild West: a photo of the Lakota warrior who defeated General Custer? Host Elyse Luray puts this photo in context with other works by the same photographer at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.
Episode
History Detectives: Cromwell Dixon Plane Fragment
aired: Fri, May 13, 2011
Our contributor has a four by three inch swatch of fabric she found among her late grandfather's possessions. On it are written the words "Dixon" and "Grand Island, 1911." She wonders if the name refers to the pioneering aviator, Cromwell Dixon. Could this piece of fabric be the last remaining artifact of Cromwell Dixon's brief aviation career? Elyse Luray finds out.
Episode
History Detectives: Theremin
aired: Thu, May 12, 2011
A man from New Mexico bought a theremin, one of the first electronic instruments off e-Bay. When his theremin arrived, our contributor found an unusual document tacked to the inside of the cabinet. The letterhead paper bore the address to the Theremin Studios in New York City. Does our contributor have one of the fewer than a dozen instruments in the U.S. that Leon Theremin built himself?
Episode
History Detectives: Chicago Clock
aired: Wed, May 11, 2011
Our contributor wonders if her family clock kept time for the entire Midwest during the 19th century. According to the story, the clock sat in the family jewelry store in Chicago and regulated time in other towns via telegraph signals. Elyse Luray takes on the case, and discovers how regulating time became critical as America moved into the industrial age.
Episode
History Detectives: Diana
aired: Wed, May 11, 2011
Our contributor has a book published in 1939 titled Diana: A Strange Autobiography, which tells a sympathetic story of how one woman discovers that she is a lesbian. Experts call this book groundbreaking as one of the first works of gay literature with a happy ending. History Detectives sets out to find the author. Who is Diana Fredericks? And is this story true?
Episode
History Detectives: Mussolini's Dagger
aired: Wed, May 11, 2011
In the spring of 1945, in some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II, Allied forces move north through Italy, liberating towns from Fascist control. Italy's leader, Benito Mussolini, is in hiding. Our contributor has a weapon which he believes may be connected to the last days of the world's first fascist state. Did this dagger his uncle brought back from the war belong to Mussolini himself?
Episode
History Detectives: Universal Friends
aired: Wed, May 11, 2011
Our contributor has inherited a most unusual document. The yellow, three-page record dates 1791 and reads, "Act of Incorporation of the Universal Friends." The Universal Friends were an early, controversial religious group with a woman leader named Jemima Wilkinson, the first religion founded by an American born woman. Gwen Wright unravels the mysteries of this short-lived religious community.
Episode
History Detectives: Galvez Papers
aired: Wed, May 11, 2011
Our contributor has a document from 1779 signed by the Governor of Spanish colonial Louisiana that emancipated Agnes Mathieu from slavery. What was so special about Agnes? Most freedom papers from the time bear only the notarization of a local clerk. Elyse Luray discovers Galvez's pivotal role in America's fight for freedom and in a romantic story of our contributor's past.
Episode
History Detectives: Modoc Basket
aired: Wed, May 11, 2011
Our contributor believes she has a basket woven by a woman who played a pivotal role in the Indian Wars that helped define the settlement of the West. The weaver worked the name "Toby" into the pattern of the basket. Could this be Toby Riddle, the woman who thrust her body into the line of fire to save the life of a peace negotiator? Wes Cowan investigates.
Episode
History Detectives: Special Agent Five
aired: Wed, May 11, 2011
The intrigue on the brittle pages of this 1930s radio script reaches beyond the suspenseful plot line. From the text we gather that J. Edgar Hoover himself endorsed the creator to reveal the details of a true story. What does J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI have to do with this radio script? And how accurate are the events in the play? Gwen Wright finds out.
Episode
History Detectives: Face Jug
aired: Wed, May 11, 2011
Our contributor has a startling piece of art - a ceramic jug with eyes, nose, ears and teeth bared in a grimace. She suspects African Americans made this face jug during the Civil War era and wonders if it came to Philadelphia on the Underground Railroad. Gwen Wright investigates the who, what, when and where of this curious jug.
Episode
History Detectives: Lost City of Gold
aired: Wed, May 11, 2011
Our contributor has long pondered an inscription on a rock wall. Written in Spanish it translates as: "Fray Marcos de Niza crowned all of New Mexico at his expense, 1539." If this date is accurate, then de Niza was the first European in the Phoenix area. Is the inscription authentic? Eduardo Pagan investigates.
Episode
History Detectives: N.E.A.R Device
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
History Detectives peers inside a black box that may shed light on some of the darkest days of the Cold War. More than sixty years after the start of the Cold War, Wayne Gilbert, of Westminster, Colorado, has stumbled across an interesting discovery. Was this device invented to help Americans believe they could survive a Soviet nuclear attack?
Episode
History Detectives: Bartlett's Sketchbook
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
Our contributor thinks this leather bound sketchbook might outline significant US history. It includes drawings of what look like Southwest landscapes and references to a J.R. Bartlett. Could that be the John Russell Bartlett who the US Government hired as an early surveyor of the Southwest? Eduardo Pagan follows the journey to its colorful conclusion.
Episode
History Detectives: Spybook
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
Our contributor thinks his great-grandfather was a World War I spy, he has a notebook he believes details the investigations. Inside the book are typed entries and handwritten notes. Who was John H. Brady and is this his spybook? History Detectives tracks down the secrets of this mysterious little black book.
Episode
History Detectives: Baker's Gold
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
A viewer from Colorado thinks he may have discovered a gem of Gold Rush memorabilia.The drawing depicts four huge gold nuggets. The signature, I.W. Baker, catches our contributor's eye. Could this be the Isaac Baker famous for his photographs of the Gold Rush? And did miners actually find gold nuggets that large?
Episode
History Detectives: Copperhead Cane
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
Our contributor inherited a cane topped with a snake, According to family lore, the copperhead cane belonged to our viewer's great-great grandfather, Henry Clay Dean who opposed the Civil War. He was a member of a powerful anti-Lincoln group who were nicknamed the "Copperheads" after the snake known for striking without warning. History Detectives tracks the story behind the Copperhead Cane.
Episode
History Detectives: Duke Ellington Plates
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
1941, a new instrumental "Take the 'A' Train," becomes the signature song of pianist Duke Ellington. But was the young composer denied full credit for the hit song? Our contributor has discovered boxes of sheet music and metal sheets that look like printing plates for this song. History Detectives investigates the story behind these plates and determines the role they played in this jazz classic.
Episode
History Detectives: Scottsboro Boys Stamp
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
What is the connection between a black and white stamp and a landmark civil rights case? "Save the Scottsboro Boys" is printed on the stamp above nine black faces behind prison bars and two arms prying the bars apart. History Detectives delves into civil rights and consults with a stamp expert to discover how a tiny penny stamp could make a difference in the young men's courageous defense effort.
Episode
History Detectives: Civil War Bridge
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
Winter 1865: the final stages of General Sherman's bloody march through the south. In an effort to protect the vital railroad hub Confederate soldiers destroy the remaining bridge over Broad River. Our contributor believes the marker commemorating this history has missed the mark. History Detectives examines the evidence to see if this discovery will redraw the maps of the Civil War.
Episode
History Detectives: Seadrome
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
Nearly 14 years before Lindbergh's flight, a lone inventor had proposed a technology he believed would safely carry air passengers across the ocean in comfort, rivaling the day's luxurious steamships. Our contributor believes a collection of photos and badges links his family to this extraordinary dream. History Detectives investigates what happened to a fantastic engineering marvel.
Episode
History Detectives: WPA Mural Studies
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
FDR's New Deal programs put people back to work including many in various arts projects. But what happened to these important pieces of our nation's history? Our contributor has inherited some paintings that may be part of this lost work. Created by her aunt, Thelma Johnson Streat, she believes they were mural studies. Did any of these studies become murals and do any of them still exist?
Episode
History Detectives: George Washington Miniature
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
History Detectives investigates a tiny portrait which may lie at the center of some very big history. It's a miniature color painting of a man in profile labeled "G. Washington" On the back of the portrait is the inscription, "Property of White Matlack." Did the artist paint this portrait of Washington from life, and what is its connection to the abolitionist and patriot, White Matlack?
Episode
History Detectives: Liberia Letter
aired: Mon, May 9, 2011
By the early 19th century, the United States was home to increasing numbers of free blacks, many of whom sailed to West Africa to establish the Republic of Liberia. Our contributor has long been mystified by some old family letters. One letter is from her grandmother's brother, Harvey McLeod, and it suggests that he was heading to Liberia, but did he make it there?
Episode
History Detectives: Amelia Earhart Plane
aired: Sun, May 8, 2011
1937: Amelia Earhart's airplane disappears. For decades historians have debated how and where the aviator disappeared. Less scrutinized is an accident she had four months earlier. Did that crash somehow contribute to Earhart's disappearance? History Detectives investigates whether a piece of metal is from the missing plane.
Episode
History Detectives: Fillmore Pardon
aired: Sun, May 8, 2011
By the middle of the 19th century, new territory beckoned settlers. But as their wagon trains rumbled west they cut through the heart of Indian country and came under frequent attack. History Detectives takes a look at an old paper that shows President Millard Fillmore engaged in what appears to be an unusual act for the time - sparing the life of a Native American convicted of murder.
Episode
History Detectives: Tokyo Rose
aired: Sun, May 8, 2011
History Detectives explores whether a 1940s recording may have helped convict the woman alleged to be "Tokyo Rose". In 1948, the woman who twice signed her name the "one and original Tokyo Rose," was brought back from Japan to face a grand jury. The war had ended, but her battle had just begun. History Detectives investigates whether this object can explain the story behind her "confession?"
Episode
History Detectives: Sideshow Babies
aired: Sun, May 8, 2011
A woman wants to know if a silver baby cup from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair engraved with the name "Patricia", can unlock the mystery to her mother's unusual start in life. Family lore says the Chicago Public Health Board took premature Patricia from her shoebox cradle at home and put her in an incubator at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. But why were babies exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair?
Episode
History Detectives: Navajo Rug
aired: Sun, May 8, 2011
History Detectives investigates the mystery behind an unusual Navajo rug. We meet with a Navajo medicine man and a traditional Navajo weaver. We travel to Crownpoint, New Mexico, long considered the center of Navajo weaving to discover if a weaver violated a taboo to create this rug. Finally we meet a textile historian to find out who may have been behind this controversial design.
Episode
History Detectives: Booth Letter
aired: Sun, May 8, 2011
History Detectives investigates a letter which indicates that thirty years before John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln, Booth's father threatened to kill another sitting president, Andrew Jackson. The letter to Jackson reads, "You damn'd old scoundrel... I will cut your throat whilst you are sleeping." Is this letter a hoax? Or does assassination run in the Booth blood?
Episode
History Detectives: Cemetery Alarm
aired: Sun, May 8, 2011
A man has snapped up an item at an estate auction that looked like a Civil War-era weapon.On closer inspection, and after consulting with other collectors, he decides he has an explosive device meant to guard against grave robbers. Is this a grave alarm? History Detectives unearths tales of body snatching and cadaver dissecting, unusual crimes and the most unlikely suspects.
Episode
History Detectives: Manhattan Project Patent
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A contributor brings History Detectives a patent with his father's name on it. He is certain that his father worked on the famous Manhattan Project - America's covert effort to be the first to build an atomic weapon during World War II. Was this invention used to build the Atomic Bomb? History Detectives discovers a plan to hide atomic secrets in plain sight.
Episode
History Detectives: Galleon Shipwreck
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A woman in Portland, Oregon has a large chunk of what she believes is very old beeswax. Could it have been cargo aboard a Spanish Galleon that wrecked over 300 years ago? And what do those odd markings mean? History Detectives unlocks the clues to decipher where the beeswax came from and which ship may have brought it to the Oregon Coast.
Episode
History Detectives: Creole Poems
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A History Detectives fan from Chicago recently unearthed a French manuscript rolled in a cardboard tube, he thinks he has a collection of love poems, possibly written to one of his relatives. What is this? And why has his family kept it for 160 years? History Detectives ventures into the little known world of the Creoles of Color to unlock a family mystery.
Episode
History Detectives: Psychophone
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A couple acquired a peculiar phonograph at an antique auction labeled "PsychoPhone". Their research makes our contributors think Thomas Edison invented the PsychoPhone to record messages from the afterlife. History Detectives finds out if Edison made a machine to unlock the secrets of the dead.
Episode
History Detectives: War Dog Letter
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A document collector has a cryptic letter between a soldier and another military man. The soldier explains that military investigators have questioned him about a man named Prestre - specifically about his character and qualifications as a dog trainer. The military put great effort into a new "War Dogs" program during WWII. What went wrong on Cat Island?
Episode
History Detectives: Pancho Villa Watch Fob
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
Just before he died a man gave his neighbors a most unusual gift: a watch fob commemorating Francisco "Pancho" Villa's murderous raid on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico. The man says he was a boy when the raid happened in 1916. The new owners want to know more about this watch fob. Who made it? Did their friend indeed witness this infamous raid?
Episode
History Detectives: Josh White Guitar
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A Michigan man owns a Guild brand acoustic guitar that he thinks may have belonged to Josh White. Our contributor met White when he was a kid, and the guitar reminds him of a confidence White had shared with him: the Guild Company was talking to White about making a signature guitar built to his specifications and to be marketed under his name. Is this the guitar White had spoken of?
Episode
History Detectives: Atocha Spanish Silver
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
In 1985, the wreck of Spanish ship Atocha was found, still loaded with silver and gold. A man from Georgia was a diver on that legendary find, and received two silver bars as compensation. He's long wondered about a strange mark on one of the bars. In Key West, host Tukufu Zuberi translates 300-year-old documents to crack a unique code of communication among ship captains of that era
Episode
History Detectives: Blueprint Special
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
As a young GI during WWII, our California contributor picked up a 16-inch acetate recording of a promo for a musical called "Hi Yank," a "blueprint special" created by GIs for GIs. Is this record a piece of forgotten history? In Washington, D.C. and Virginia, host Elyse Luray meets with U.S. Army archivists and historians to discuss the military's efforts to boost morale during WWII.
Episode
History Detectives: Kahlil Gibran Painting
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A contributor from KS has an unsigned portrait of his grandfather, Najib Musa Diab. Did the Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran paint it? Host Tukufu Zuberi heads to Georgia and New York to find out. Along the way, the investigation reveals the challenges Arab immigrants faced when balancing their American identities with loyalties to their native lands as World War I changed the Middle East.
Episode
History Detectives: Shipwreck Cannons
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
Beachcombers on the Oregon Coast found priceless artifacts, cannons from the shipwreck of the USS Shark. In 1846, both the U.S. and Great Britain laid claim to parts of the Northwest Territories. The Shark was sent to resolve the matter of the "Oregon question," but met with disaster. Host Gwendolyn Wright tracks the 162-year-old tale with help from the U.S. Navy and the State of Oregon.
Episode
History Detectives: Mankato Spoon
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
Our contributor has a silver spoon with an eerie scene etched into its bowl: buildings, wagons and a crowd gathered before a gallows. A disturbing message is inscribed: "Hanging 38 Sioux In 1862 Mankato, Minn." Host Wes Cowan travels to Minnesota to explore the clash between white settlers and the Dakota Sioux in the mid nineteenth-century that led to the largest mass execution in U.S. history.
Episode
History Detectives: John Adams Book
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A New Hampshire woman inherited a curious book titled "Trials of Patriots." It contains what appears to be President John Adams' signature, and includes an inscription, "Charles Adams from His Father, 1794." In Boston and John Adams' hometown of Quincy, Massachusetts, host Gwendolyn Wright examines the Adams family's correspondence and conflict as they balanced home life with public service.
Episode
History Detectives: Front Street Blockhouse
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A couple in Schenectady, New York wonder if their home, with its stone attic walls, could have guarded against enemy attacks during the French and Indian Wars nearly 300 years ago. Host Elyse Luray travels to Upstate New York to determine whether this structure may have helped ensure the survival of a 17th- and 18th-century vanguard Dutch outpost as it fought for control of the fur trade.
Episode
History Detectives: USS Olympia Glass
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A farmhouse door in Nebraska has an etched glass window with a depiction of a ship on open waters. This ship may be the USS Olympia, commanded by George Dewey when he defeated Adm. Montojo's Squadron in 1898, beginning the Spanish-American War. Host Wes Cowan travels to Fremont, Nebraska and Philadelphia to see if the window can serve as a portal into a turning point in American foreign policy.
Episode
History Detectives: Black Tom Shell
aired: Sat, May 7, 2011
A woman in Whitehouse Station, NJ has an explosive artifact in her possession: an intact artillery shell. In 1916 a German spy ring set off explosions on Black Tom Island in New York's harbor, using the United States' own munitions. Host Gwendolyn Wright heads to Maryland and New Jersey to determine whether this shell was involved in one of the earliest foreign terrorist attacks on American soil.
Episode
History Detectives: Bonus Army Stamp
aired: Fri, May 6, 2011
A collector in Hawaii has a stamp he believes is linked to the "Bonus Army". This group of WWI veterans demanded pay for their combat service, marching on Washington and camping out in protest in 1932. These veterans were eventually attacked by the military. Host Wes Cowan heads to Hyde Park, NY and Washington, DC to find out the role this political stamp played in the veterans' movement.
Episode
History Detectives: Hindenburg Artifact
aired: Fri, May 6, 2011
A New Jersey man has a green metal box that looks like an instrument panel. Family lore says a relative was among the many bystanders plucking items from the Hindenburg wreckage. Was this item recovered from the crash site? Host Elyse Luray travels to Atlanta and the New Jersey landing site of the ill-fated zeppelin to determine if the instrument panel is in fact from the horrifying crash.
Episode
History Detectives: Camp David Letter
aired: Fri, May 6, 2011
A Californian has memorabilia revealing a story behind the Presidential retreat Camp David. One letter, from Ronald Reagan, reads "...Captain John H. Kevers gave many years of service to Presidents... Because of Captain Kevers, we have the enjoyable facility of Camp David..." In California, host Wes Cowan explores Kevers' connection to the secret hideaway that was FDR's "Shangri-La."
Episode
History Detectives: Japanese Balloon Bomb
aired: Fri, May 6, 2011
The granddaughter of a World War II veteran from Austin, TX may have remnants of a unique weapon in modern warfare: the Japanese Balloon Bomb. Host Tukufu Zuberi travels to Texas and to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. to learn whether this souvenir is a missing piece of a secret weapon.
Episode
History Detectives: Isleton Tong
aired: Fri, May 6, 2011
The president of the historical society in Isleton, California has inherited a building that may be an old Chinese Tong. In the late 1800s, Tongs were places of protection and solidarity for outcast Chinese immigrants. But in the newspapers, these were secretive centers of gangland warfare and gambling. Host Gwendolyn Wright heads to California to unravel the mystery of the Chinese Tong.
Episode
History Detectives: Red Hand Flag
aired: Fri, May 6, 2011
A Desert Storm veteran purchased a worn flag with a red felt hand sewn in the center and small U.S. flags sewn in the corner. Was this flag carried into battle by one of the few African-American infantry regiments that fought in WWI under French command? Host Elyse Luray heads to South Carolina to link this mysterious flag to the legacy of the Red Hand Division and its wartime triumphs.
Episode
History Detectives: Annie Oakley Coin
aired: Fri, May 6, 2011
A contributor from Bath, Maine has a 1853 French Napoleon coin with a great bit of family more: it's said the coin was shot by Annie Oakley who gave the coin to two of her great-grand uncles. She wants to know if the story is true. To find out, host Elyse Luray travels to Cody, Wyoming to conduct ballistics tests, scour the archives and even recreate one of Oakley's sure shots.
Episode
History Detectives: World War II Diary
aired: Thu, May 5, 2011
A man in Lexington, North Carolina has a moving diary written by a World War II pilot. He inherited the diary 20 years ago from his father, who said it once belonged to a close friend he fought with in WWII, until the war took his friend's life in 1944.
Episode
History Detectives: Seth Eastman Painting
aired: Thu, May 5, 2011
An Illinois man purchased a painting from a seller in Northern Ireland that depicts a scene of traditional Native American life. Could this be an authentic work of artist and military officer Seth Eastman? Host Tukufu Zuberi travels to Fort Snelling to examine how Eastman carried out government policies of Native American removal while capturing on canvas what he believed was a doomed way of life.
