About History Detectives

History Detectives is devoted to exploring the complexities of historical mysteries, searching out the facts, myths and conundrums that connect local folklore, family legends and interesting objects.

Traditional investigative techniques, modern technologies, and plenty of legwork are the tools the History Detectives team of experts uses to give new - and sometimes shocking - insights into our national history.

The hosts of the program are a high-energy group of renowned experts in the world of historical investigations. Their expertise ranges from architecture, popular culture and sociology to archeology, collectibles and genealogy.

Wes Cowan is an independent appraiser and auctioneer; Elyse Luray is independent appraiser and expert in art history; Gwendolyn Wright is a professor of architecture, planning and preservation, and professor of history, Columbia University; Tukufu Zuberi is a professor of sociology and director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Eduardo Pagan is the Bob Stump Endowed Professor of History at Arizona State University.

Each hour-long episode of History Detectives features three investigations that delve into family legends, local folklore and stories behind potentially extraordinary objects in everyday American homes, cities and small towns. Follow the twists and turns of each investigation and find out more about the historical events that shaped America.

The viewer is included in each aspect of the detectives’ decision-making process, with explanations and rationales for each evaluative method. The viewers themselves get the chance to become armchair experts as the detectives describe in detail the purpose and method for each test.

The History Detectives web site is jam-packed with information about the show and information on how to conduct your own historical investigations.

You can also access every single past investigation season, detective geographical location or historical era in Investigations.

Explore all the Video, including full episodes and web exclusives, including interviews with the History Detectives, behind the scenes videos and tutorials on how to conduct your own investigations such as dating a house or spotting a fake artifact.

If you need more help with your own investigations, visit Detective Techniques, with guides on how to research a WWII military record, rock and mineral identification , and more information on art and photo evaluation. You can also find a step-by-step guide to genealogy, researching buildings, document evaluation and much more.

Engage with our History Detectives team and fans in our Insider Blog and follow the detectives as they travel around the country investigating stories, by joining the fan page on Facebook or checking out the Twitter feed.

The site also provides resources for use in the classroom. For Educators includes lesson plans and other tools to reinforce concepts from the programs, and develop student interest in the study of history, science, and other core subjects.

We're always interested in hearing your thoughts so send us your feedback.

History Detectives is co-produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting and Lion Television.