History Detectives

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?

Iwo Jima Map - What role did this map play in one of WWII’s fiercest battles? Copperhead Cane - How did this cane inspire a fiery political movement that threatened Lincoln’s presidency? Theremin - How did this strange instrument help spark a rock n’ roll revolution?

A collector who may possess part of the first talking movie; a Cape Cod beachcomber's discovery of what may be a section of the first transatlantic cable. Also: the story behind sketches of five- and eight-pound gold nuggets.

Sculpture piece may be part of one that featured Andrew Jackson; Clara Barton letter; a notebook may have belonged to a World War I spy.

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"?

Korean War Letter: What does this letter reveal about a forgotten act of heroism during the final days of the Korean War? Diana: How did this alleged lesbian autobiography escape censorship in the 1930’s? Lookout Mountain Painting: What can this painting tell us about a turning point in the Civil War?

St.Valentine's Day Massacre: Family lore says their shotgun played a role in the Chicago St. Valentine's Day Massacre. G. Washington Miniature: Why is this miniature of Washington more than a piece of art? Stalag 17 Portrait: A portrait sketched in a WWII prison leads to a meeting 65 years later.

Hot Town Poster: What role did this striking poster play in the explosive events of 1960s America? Face Jug: Did the artist mean to scare someone with the grimace on this face jug? Lost City of Gold: What does the inscription on a rock tell us about when Spain first arrived in America?

JACKIE ROBINSON SCORECARD What does this scorecard reveal about the desegregation of our national pastime? MODOC BASKET What tales does this basket weave of the heroism of an American-Indian woman? SPECIAL AGENT FIVE How did this tale of robbery and murder help FBI director J. Edgar Hoover consolidate his power?

WB Cartoons:This box of cartoon drawings and cels tells an unexpected story about animation's early days. Galvez Papers: Why did a regional governor care enough about a slave to sign her emancipation papers? Mussolini's Dagger: Did this dagger once belong to Benito Mussolini?

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?