The Case:
A contributor from Overland Park, KS has an unsigned oil portrait of his grandfather, Najib Musa Diab, that he believes was painted by the Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet.
His grandfather was a contemporary of Gibran, whose poetry was published by the Arabic-language newspaper that Diab founded in Brooklyn, New York.
Gibran and other Arab immigrants faced perplexing challenges as they balanced their new American identities with loyalties to their native lands when World War I changed the Middle East map and policy.
From this turmoil, Gibran found the unique blend of Eastern and Western philosophy that permeated his writing and art.
Did this period in Gibran's life also produce Diab's portrait? History Detectives finds out.
Season 6, Episode 9
Season 7, Episode 12
Detective:
Tukufu Zuberi
Location:Savannah, Georgia and New York City
Related Content
Feature:
Technique:
Technique:
Related Links
Explore
-
Related Investigation
Lucy Parson's Book
Was the legendary anarchist the owner of this manifesto found in a library?
-
Also in Season 7
Manhattan Project Patent
Was this drawing part of America's secret plans to fuel the atomic bomb?
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi
Natchez House
How did a free man of color come to own this house twelve years before emancipation?
-
Also in Season 7
Scottsboro Boys Stamp
Did a penny stamp help save the Scottsboro Boys from the electric chair?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
WWI Chemical Warfare Map
Could this map be an authentic relic from a critical WWI battle?
-
Also with Tukufu Zuberi
Birthplace Of Hip Hop
Did this Bronx apartment building give birth to a culture that now spans the globe?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.