The History Detectives

Was the father of his childhood friend a Nazi spy?

Then, a journal full of liquor recipes makes a man wonder if his uncle was a prohibition bootlegger. What does the evocative symbol of a bird dropping a bomb mean? Did two patches with the symbol belong to a World War II unit?

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Then, Gwen Wright connects a tiny swatch of tattered red fabric to a pivotal moment in U. Finally, did President Lincoln actually sign this note? Country music singer Clint Black's turn-of-theth-century book of wanted posters; a chunk of molten metal thay may be linked to the B Bomber that crashed into the Empire State Building in ; a slide of Bettie Page, "Queen of Pinups," that may have escaped the censorship of the s; and a six-foot metal bar tells the story behind the original iconic Hollywood sign.

Wes Cowan travels to Frankfort, Kentucky to research the identity of an Owensboro, Kentucky man whose name is engraved on a rare set of Civil War-era pistols. He visits local landmarks including Rick's City Cafe and discovers his family history intersects with that of original owner of these guns. Also, the story behind an old 78rpm distributed by K. A one-of-a-kind photograph poses a jarring question: Is the African American wearing a Confederate uniform slave or free?

And, did Hollywood treat the Native Americans listed in this payment ledger fairly? Then, an ornate stock certificate unlocks secrets to the earliest days of Harlem. What can a Club Continental business card tell us about California's prohibition-era underground? Then, did gangs use this shotgun in the Chicago St. Valentine's Day massacre that shocked the nation? Gwen dissects the mystery behind an ornate Belgian war medal. Elyse traces a pennant to the early battle for the women's vote.

And a cartoon cel leads Tukufu to unsung heroes of animation. What can the notes in a Almanac tell us about how the revolution may have strained family ties? Do phonograph records called "Get Thin to Music" reveal Jack Lalanne, the media exercise guru of the s? Did the first woman photographer assigned to the White House use this camera to shoot President Truman? Then, did families of the Confederate South use a child's doll to smuggle medicine past the Northern blockade? And, what does a 15th century map, with a mix of French, English, and Spanish labels, tell us about how Europe colonized Florida?

The images and the words on this poster suggest a battle is brewing: Then, was a woodcarving of a mouth and chin once part of the Andrew Jackson figurehead affixed to the bow of the USS Constitution?

And, how does a basket connect us to a woman the U. Congress honored as a heroine of the Modoc Indian Wars? A propeller from a World War II drone, a wooden club that could be Teddy Roosevelt's, and a letter that Clara Barton could have written concerning a soldier's life. A Civil War soldier's letter, fabric from an aircraft that could be linked to Charles Lindbergh and Igor Sikorsky, and a s comic book Negro Romance.

Wes Cowan investigates a raid on the federal armory in Harpers Ferry. Eduardo Pagan wonders why U. Wes Cowan decodes the message and strategy behind a U. 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.

Elyse Luray tries to match metal shavings to the right Civil War cannon. Wes Cowan connects a rodeo saddle to a star that changed Hollywood movie-making. How could one clock regulate time for an entire region, and was this that clock? Then, a document seems connected to an early controversial religion, the first founded by an American-born woman.

So why is her name missing from this document? A box of cartoon drawings and cels tell an unexpected story about the early days of animation and the people behind the art. Then, why did a regional governor care enough about a slave to sign her emancipation papers? And in a repeated segment , did a dagger once belong to Fascist Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini? Does the roster on a Jackie Robinson All-Stars scorecard signal early steps toward integration of major league baseball?

Then, see the name 'Toby' worked into the weave of a basket. And, why did J. Edgar Hoover endorse a radio script, a crime suspense drama based on an FBI case? The images and words on a poster suggest a battle is brewing: Then, did the artist mean to scare someone with the grimace on a face jug? And, what does the inscription on a rock in Phoenix tell us about when Spain first arrived in America? Family lore says their gauge shotgun played a role in the Chicago St.

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Is their story true? Then, why is this miniature of George Washington much more than a piece of art? And, a portrait sketched in a World War II prison leads to a moving meeting 65 years later. These three encore segments first aired in 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; the book Diana may be the first true, widely published lesbian autobiography; the story behind the prisoner who painted the Civil War battle of Lookout Mountain.

A four-inch square of fabric tells the story of one of America's first barnstorming pilots; a sketchbook may illustrate scenes from the first-ever US-Mexican border survey; and a dumpster find could be the printing plates for Duke Ellington's hit "Take the A Train"?

The reunification of two halves of a vandalized sculpture of President Andrew Jackson; why did Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, write a letter about a Civil War soldier; and does a Pennsylvania man have a notebook that once belonged to a World War I spy?

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A clip of the first talking picture, the story behind Gold Rush sketches of five and eight-pound gold nuggets, and a beachcomber finds a section of the first transatlantic cable. The history of a hand-drawn map taken from the body of a Japanese soldier during the World War II battle of Iwo Jima, a cane topped with a coiled snake with ties to the anti-Abraham Lincoln group the "Peace Democrats," and the origins of the Theremin — one of the first electronic musical instruments.

A scrap of metallic Mylar that could be one of America's early satellites, the audacious notion that Andy Warhol's art may be on the moon, and a jury-rigged ski boot with a magnetic metal brick bolted to the bottom that may be one of the first prototypes for a NASA space boot. The site where a bridge may have been burned to thwart General Sherman's attempt to cross into Columbia, S. A portrait created in a German prisoner of war camp; the Seadrome, a floating airport anchored to the ocean floor where trans-Atlantic passenger flights could refuel; and an intact artillery shell that may have been part of an attack on the U.

Mural studies that may have been commissioned by the WPA in the s or 40s, a miniature painting that may depict George Washington, and a balloon scrap that may be a missing piece of a secret weapon. A dagger that may have belonged to dictator Benito Mussolini, letters from a man who may have been part of the post-slavery exodus to Liberia, and a device that could have had something to do with nuclear attack preparedness. An instrument that may have been recovered from the Hindenburg, a book that may have been a gift from John Adams to his son, and a home in the Bronx that may have been the birthplace of hip hop.

A fragment that may been a piece of Amelia Earhart's plane, a letter from President Millard Fillmore commuting the death sentence of a Native American, and a Colorado home whose supports may have been constructed from a railroad boxcar. A child who may have been exhibited in an incubator at the Chicago World's Fair, an early movie mogul's dramatic rise and fall, and a controversial design woven into a Navajo rug.

A gun that may have belonged to a member of Al Capone's gang, a letter allegedly written by John Wilkes Booth's father, and a device meant to guard against grave robbers. An invention that may have been used in the atomic bomb; a pound block of beeswax with strange markings; and a French manuscript kept by an American family for years. Creating an account is free and gets you: Access to High-Definition streaming A personal area on the site where you can access: Who Killed Jimmy Hoffa Preview: Tackling the mystery of the SS Sultana Clip.

History Detectives Check Your Local Listings Favorite Add to Favorites America's top gumshoes are on the case to prove once again that an object found in an attic or backyard might be anything but ordinary. Providing Support for PBS. S11 Ep3 54m 41s checkmark Add to Watchlist. S11 Ep2 54m 41s checkmark Add to Watchlist. S11 Ep1 54m 41s checkmark Add to Watchlist. History Detectives Season 7 Highlights Investigating strange and mysterious objects from the past.

Special 4m 31s checkmark Add to Watchlist. History Detectives Camp David Letter Could this box hold information about the founding of a secret Presidential retreat? Special 18m 13s checkmark Add to Watchlist. Common subjects are family heirlooms and historical structures. Its stated missions is "exploring the complexities of historical mysteries, searching out the facts, myths and conundrums that connect local folklore, family legends and interesting objects.

Over its first decade, the series featured a team of several "detectives": Following a hiatus, the program returned in summer in a different format, with hosts Zuberi and Cowan joined by Kaiama Glover , as History Detectives: Though not officially cancelled, History Detectives is not planning new episodes as of September Episodes usually include three segments, each centering on a single "mystery" or "case". Usually a case will be handled by a single "detective" although in early episodes two would occasionally investigate a single case, and there have been cases where a "detective" has called on one of their colleagues for help, usually when the case involves a specialty of their colleague's.

Each segment begins with a brief introduction and then shows the "detective" meeting with a person who has brought the case to their attention. The cases always revolve around a physical object which is supposedly related in some manner to American history. Usually these are family heirlooms of some type, although occasionally they are public objects or landmarks or items owned by private archives or museums. The person presenting them with the case then shows the investigator the item in question and relates their understanding of how this item is connected to American history.

Often this involves some element of folk history which has been handed down as family or local lore. The investigator will then ask them what they want to find out about the item and the owner will generally give them two or three central questions. Often the questions will revolve around whether the item was owned by a particular famous personage or whether it was used in a particular historic event.

Sometimes the investigator will be asked to track down an obscure creator of a certain item. The investigator will then promise to look into the questions and, if the item in question is portable, will ask to take it with them. The rest of the segment involves an investigation of the item's history, focusing particularly on the questions asked by the person who presented them with the case. If the provenance of the item is in doubt they will often begin by establishing whether or not the item came from the period in question. This will often involve a series of physical tests as well as consultation with experts on appraisal.

When tracking down specific people the investigators will engage in archival research using such resources as biographies, histories, newspapers, and city directories.

PBS History Detectives Think They May Have Found a Rock & Roll Treasure

In attempting to establish the history of the item, the investigators will meet with experts, particularly historians, to gain historical context.