Investigations

Map

The History Detectives have traveled the length and breadth of the country, delving into family legends, local folklore and stories behind potentially extraordinary objects in everyday American homes, cities and small towns.

Browse the investigations on the map and see what we've revealed in your local area.

If you've got an object that you think may have played a starring role in American history, let us know.

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Techniques Written Items - Checklist Printable checklist to use when examining written items.
Investigations King Kong Camera Was this old movie camera used to film the original version of King Kong?
Techniques Photographs - Checklist Printable checklist to use when analyzing photographs.
Techniques Genealogy Learn how to successfully investigate your family history.
Investigations Transistor Radio Is this the oldest transistor radio in existence?
Techniques Gun Timeline A timeline of firearm history.
Investigations Diana How did this alleged lesbian autobiography escape censorship in the 1930’s?
Investigations Charlie Parker's Saxophone Could this be jazz legend Charlie "Bird" Parker's saxophone?
Techniques Patent Analysis Find out the origin and detail surrounding an invention or innovation.
Investigations Home of Lincoln Assassination Plot Did the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln begin in this New York City building?
Investigations Lawrence Billy Club Was this truncheon used in the famous Bread and Roses labor strike?
Investigations GAR Photograph How did two African Americans come to be part of this photograph in Reconstructionist-era America?
Techniques Case File: Quirky Quilts How to look after a very old quilt.
Techniques Property Search How to carry out a property search.
Techniques Census Information How to use census records in your investigation.
Techniques Historical Research - Checklist Printable checklist to use when doing historical research.
Investigations First Movie Studio Could a broken gateway once have been the grand entrance to a Hollywood studio?
Techniques Weapon Dating Determining the age of a weapon.
Investigations Marshall House Flag Did this piece of fabric come from a flag that cost a Union colonel his life?
Techniques Ballistics Collecting clues and evidence from bullets and firearms.
Techniques Tracking People - Checklist Printable checklist to use when tracking people.
Investigations Stalag 17 Portrait What happened to the artist of this portrait made in a German POW camp?
Investigations Hindenburg Artifact Was this device snatched from the burning wreckage of the ill-fated zeppelin?
Investigations Civil War Bridge Has a new discovery rewritten Civil War history?
Investigations Highlander Badge Could an amateur treasure diver really have found a possible Revolutionary War artifact?
Techniques Timber Dating Using ring sequences or radiocarbon dating.
Techniques Geological Analysis Learn how to identify probable age and origin of ceramic, stone and tile objects
Techniques Genealogy - Glossary A list of useful words to know when using genealogy.
Investigations Frank Zappa Collage Is the artist who created this piece Frank Zappa?
Techniques Military History - WWII Learn how to research a WWII veteran’s military record.
Techniques Forensic Anthropology How to use a multi-disciplinary approach to uncover the secrets hidden in bones.
Investigations Goering Gun Did this shotgun belong to Hitler's right hand man?
Investigations Poison Pin Are these prototypes for poison suicide pins carried by spy plane pilots during the Cold War?
Techniques African-American Genealogy
Investigations Lost Musical Treasure Are these fragments of a lost moment in American musical history?
Investigations Jigsaw Puzzle Does this puzzle depict a real event - women playing contact sports in the late 19th century?

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