About this season
A group of researchers help people to find answers to various historical questions they have, usually centering around a family heirloom, an old house or other historic object or structure. It devotes itself "to exploring the complexities of historical mysteries, searching out the facts, myths and conundrums that connect local folklore, family legends and interesting objects."
Episodes (11)
1. Space Boot; Satelloon; Moon Museum
Aired 21 June 2010 • 60 min
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?
2. Iwo Jima Map; Copperhead Cane; Theremin
Aired 28 June 2010 • 60 min
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?
3. Lauste Film Clip; Baker's Gold; Transatlantic Cable
Aired 5 July 2010 • 60 min
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.
4. Barton Letter; Andrew Jackson's Mouth; Spybook
Aired 12 July 2010 • 60 min
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.
5. Cromwell Dixon; Bartlett Sketchbook; Duke Ellington Plates
Aired 19 July 2010 • 60 min
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"?
6. Korean War Letter, Diana, Lookout Mt. Painting
Aired 26 July 2010 • 60 min
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?
7. St.Valentine's Day Massacre; G. Washington Miniature; Stalag 17 Portrait
Aired 9 August 2010 • 60 min
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.
8. Hot Town Poster, Face Jug, Lost City of Gold
Aired 16 August 2010 • 60 min
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?
9. Jackie Robinson All-Stars; Modoc Basket; Special Agent Five
Aired 23 August 2010 • 60 min
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?
10. WB Cartoons; Galvez Papers; Mussolini's Dagger
Aired 30 August 2010 • 60 min
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?
11. Chicago Clock; Universal Friends; War Dogs
Aired 6 September 2010 • 60 min
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?