Ask the Detectives

History Detectives was created to satisfy our natural curiosity about the past. If your curiosity has been aroused, send your question to our experts. The entire field of historical investigation is open for exploration.

Most Recently Asked Questions

Hi Nicole,
It's great to see you interested in history. You're just the age I was when I visited an uncle near Boston and saw a Civil War museum that was radically different from similar museums in the South, where I'd grown up. Suddenly I realized there were many different kinds of objects and perspectives about any historical event.

I studied history and art history in college then, becoming increasingly interested in the way that buildings and spaces bring together many kinds of history, studied architecture and got a PhD. I've taught at Columbia University for many years, written a number of books, and spoken to all kinds of different groups --- each of which teaches me some new perspective, even if I don't necessarily agree.

The folks who were developing History Detectives came to me when they were thinking about American houses as well as stuff in the houses, and so began another parallel career. My main advice to you is simple: Ask a lot of questions, both of other people and of yourself. What was this person trying to accomplish with a certain law or invention? Is there maybe another story, less obvious, about why something happened? What did different kinds of people think at the time? (There's never an act with just one reason, of with just one response from 'the public'.) Think about all the places you might get information or clues, from different newspapers, diaries, pictures and maps, buildings and walls. What happens over time? How did a law or an idea or a place change, as well as people's attitudes about it? After all, even concepts like family and democracy and nature change, despite the long-term historical continuities. Questions and complications always make history more fun. Moreover, asking questions and tracking different stories, even if they're confusing, let's us think about possible changes in the class-room, in your neighborhood, and in the world.

Best , Gwen Wright

Dear James,
You’ve raised a fascinating question. The policies about gloves and touching don’t just differ from one place to another but, more importantly, from one kind of object to another. There’s also an issue of relatively occasional use versus mass touching over time that may cause damage, combined with a sense that ‘experts’ know how to be careful whereas ‘laypeople’ don’t necessarily know how to be careful with irreplaceable objects. Only one rule is firm: Everyone should wear gloves when handling photographs and film, old or new. You’re right about damage from the oil on human hands. Letters and books are somewhat more tenuous. ‘The public’ is often asked to wear gloves and some libraries ask this of everyone, if only to encourage them to be self-conscious about extra care. However, many libraries and archives don’t ask this, in part because a reader relies on the sensitivity of fingertips to tell if the paper is fragile in certain places, but that’s again relying on some ‘expert’ knowledge and experience. In general, the more ‘significant’ the document the more care is taken. (The National Archives in Washington DC insisted that a head librarian turn the pages of a deposition about the Lincoln assassination, using gloves and a scalpel. In fact, this was a risky proposition, given that mid-19th century paper is very frail!) As far as other objects, it’s always up to the archive or library, just like some museums encourage people to touch and even climb on sculpture while others won’t let you near it. The custodians want to protect the objects in their care, even as they encourage access, so the terms will always vary.

Thanks for asking.
Best , Gwen Wright

Dear Eric,
Thanks for your interest in that wonderful segment on the Woman's Suffrage poster. Frankly, I cannot remember which dictionary I used since there are several: Artists in America; Biographical Index of American Artists; and the Dictionary of American Artists. Any good library would have them. Just make sure you get one that after the period of time that interests you, long enough after that the biographies of lesser known individuals will have been entered. As far as the conservation analysis at the Library of Congress, that was indeed very sophisticated state-of-the-art equipment that most appraisers don't have. It's used in part to detect big-time forgeries. However good appraisers would have the infra-red lights to detect brighteners and changes added over time. Good luck in your own investigations.

All the best , Gwen Wright

Dear Linda,
Your uncle could have run into this road block for several reasons.  For example, lack of documentation, marriage of a relative, a change of name by a relative, or immigration could have all contributed to this problem. However, the more typical problem for African Americans is associated with the period of enslavement and the immediate aftermath of this historic tragedy. As a result of enslavement, African Americans are constantly confronted with the limits of tracing their genealogy by the use of surnames. In cases where this problem is the major obstacle, the investigator must pursue alternative means of locating the identity of the individual. Let me assume that you are referring to a limitation imposed by the enslavement of your father’s family.

If you have information on the residential history, the plantation of enslavement, place of birth or death, date of birth or death, military service, pension records, and school records these may also be useful in your search. Some of this type of information might be available in a national or local archive.

Surnames are a complex matter in the history of African Americans. In your case the surname may help in identifying the plantation that your father’s family lived during the period under consideration. When the surname is of not help then you can always turn your attention to the information that you have. For example, you might be able to use the given names (first names) of your father’s known relatives as a clue in your search. Contrary to most popular notions of African American family life during enslavement, African Americans developed relatively stable family relationships during this time. I am not trying to excuse the abuses of the enslaved or the tragedies of family life under enslavement; however, it is important to recognize that the African American family was not destroyed in slavery. African family patterns were not totally destroyed during enslavement. For more on this subject see Herbert G. Gutman's "The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom, 1750-1925" and Andrew Billingsley's "Black Families in White America." Two cultural patterns: (1) African Americans on slave plantations used a number of naming methods that were directly connected to the lack of stable surnames. African Americans have maintained a very strong culture of exogamous (outside the family) marriage patterns. This fact allows you to use the naming patterns of African Americans to identify relatives. (2) If you have the names of several relatives you may be able to discern the pattern used in your fathers family. It was typical for the enslaved to name their children consistently after older relatives in a consistent manner in order to maintain exogamy. Several plantations on which enslavement was maintained kept records of the enslaved. And, often these records indicated the relationships of some of the enslaved. Unfortunately, typically on the first names were used; however, if you follow the research of Professor Gutman you can use these names to guide you in your effort to locate information on your family. Unfortunately, you would need to have both the plantation records and names of all of your father’s relatives.

Good Luck on your journey. Peace, TZ