Linda Banche here. Tune in Tuesday, January 4 at 9PM E/P, as The Travel Channel presents Volume 10 of Mysteries at the Museum. Stories include the saga of the 1907 car that changed the way the world viewed automobiles, to the tragic tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald, shipwrecked on the Great Lakes. More below.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 10
Museum of the City of New York: No story is bigger than the attacks of September 11, 2001. But 9/11 wasn’t the first time an airplane flew into a New York City skyscraper. Within the Museum of the City of New York, there is one artifact that tells the incredible and largely forgotten story of another incident that brought dread and destruction to this city.
National Museum of Crime and Punishment: At the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, DC there is one particularly chilling artifact. It’s a plaster mould of a man’s face, made with impressive precision. It’s called a “death mask” and it was cast directly from the corpse of a notorious bank robber. According to the FBI this death mask is proof that they gunned down a man once known as “public enemy number one”… John Dillinger. But, to people that knew the elusive outlaw, the resemblance between the death mask and the man is no dead certainty.
National Automobile Museum: At the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada, there’s a beat up, old-fashioned car known as the Thomas Flyer. Its seats are perched high behind the steering wheel and there’s no roof, no windows and no windshield. This four-cylinder, sixty horsepower car traversed the globe in one of the most grueling car races ever conceived. In the process, this singular 1907 car shattered the way the world looked at automobiles.
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum: In Paradise, Michigan, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum displays artifacts from numerous ships that have been lost on America’s great inland seas. But, one artifact, a two hundred pound bronze bell that once sat on the deck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, is a somber reminder of the greatest enigma in Great Lakes History. What exactly happened on the Edmund Fitzgerald’s perplexing and tragic final journey?
Sterling Memorial Library at Yale: In New Haven, Connecticut, the grand library of Yale University holds a surprisingly modest artifact. This simple metal pie plate inspired one of the most used, most loved and most widespread toys of all time, the Frisbee. How did a pie maker, a UFO fanatic, and some Yale students all come together to invent one of the world’s most popular toys and sports?
Gerald R. Ford Museum: Inside the Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, some 18,000 artifacts celebrate Ford’s contributions as a statesman and US President. But, there’s one artifact here that haunted President Ford until the day he died. It’s a 15-foot high metal staircase and it symbolizes one of most controversial and tragic moments in US History – the Fall of Saigon. How did this staircase become a lifeline to thousands and close the door on one of America’s longest and most bitter conflicts?
Showing posts with label Travel Channel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel Channel. Show all posts
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday, December 26, 2010
The Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum, Vol. 9
Linda Banche here. Tune in Tuesday, December 28 at 9PM E/P, as The Travel Channel presents Volume 9 of Mysteries at the Museum. What does one of the first electronic musical instruments have to do with a spy scandal, and how large was the USS Cyclops, a colossal ship that has passed into legend? More below.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 9
Franklin Institute: The Franklin Institute holds one of the first electronic instruments, but this warbling wonder is more than just a footnote in musical history. How did this play a part in triggering one of the biggest spy scandals of the century?
Washington State History Museum: On display at the Washington State History Museum is a 600 lb hunk of concrete with a disastrous past. More than a piece of junkyard scrap, this is a remnant from one of the most catastrophic engineering failures in U.S. history: the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. How did this state of the art bridge fail so spectacularly?
Strong Museum of Play: At the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, poised amongst history’s greatest toys, is a small plastic egg filled with some beloved bouncing goo: Silly Putty. Did you know that this sensational children’s novelty originated from a war shortage?
Detroit Science Center: On display at the Detroit Science Center is a truly macabre exhibit: 36 men, women and children that died two centuries ago are mysteriously preserved. But they aren’t the carefully prepared mummies of Egyptian royalty. These bodies were preserved by something else – and for decades science has struggled to figure out how… until now.
Johnston Ridge Observatory: At the Johnston Observatory in Gifford Pinchot National Forrest, the splintered remains of what was once a mighty 100 foot Hemlock tree stands as a visceral reminder. Like millions of other trees, it was napped like a toothpick by a blast 1600 times more powerful than an atom bomb. What’s capable of such a tremendous explosion?
Mariner’s Museum: At the Mariners’ Museum in Newport ,Virginia, thousands of artifacts chronicle man’s relationship with the sea. But one artifact, an ordinary supply box, speaks of the sea’s tremendous and mysterious powers. The box belonged to the USS Cyclops, a colossal ship that has since passed into legend. What happened to this notorious ship, and does this box hold any answers?
Happy Holidays!
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 9
Franklin Institute: The Franklin Institute holds one of the first electronic instruments, but this warbling wonder is more than just a footnote in musical history. How did this play a part in triggering one of the biggest spy scandals of the century?
Washington State History Museum: On display at the Washington State History Museum is a 600 lb hunk of concrete with a disastrous past. More than a piece of junkyard scrap, this is a remnant from one of the most catastrophic engineering failures in U.S. history: the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. How did this state of the art bridge fail so spectacularly?
Strong Museum of Play: At the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, poised amongst history’s greatest toys, is a small plastic egg filled with some beloved bouncing goo: Silly Putty. Did you know that this sensational children’s novelty originated from a war shortage?
Detroit Science Center: On display at the Detroit Science Center is a truly macabre exhibit: 36 men, women and children that died two centuries ago are mysteriously preserved. But they aren’t the carefully prepared mummies of Egyptian royalty. These bodies were preserved by something else – and for decades science has struggled to figure out how… until now.
Johnston Ridge Observatory: At the Johnston Observatory in Gifford Pinchot National Forrest, the splintered remains of what was once a mighty 100 foot Hemlock tree stands as a visceral reminder. Like millions of other trees, it was napped like a toothpick by a blast 1600 times more powerful than an atom bomb. What’s capable of such a tremendous explosion?
Mariner’s Museum: At the Mariners’ Museum in Newport ,Virginia, thousands of artifacts chronicle man’s relationship with the sea. But one artifact, an ordinary supply box, speaks of the sea’s tremendous and mysterious powers. The box belonged to the USS Cyclops, a colossal ship that has since passed into legend. What happened to this notorious ship, and does this box hold any answers?
Happy Holidays!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum, Vol. 8
Linda Banche here. On Tuesday, December 21 at 9PM E/P, The Travel Channel presents Volume 8 of Mysteries at the Museum. More mysteries await, including the telegram that was unable to save the Titanic and the truth about Big Foot.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 8
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, National Historic Site: Tucked away on the east side of Manhattan is Theodore Roosevelt’s childhood home. Inside are two particular artifacts on display that had a bigger impact on Roosevelt’s life than any other. Both of these artifacts share a strange feature, and saved the life of one of America’s greatest statesmen.
The Western Reserve Historical Society: The Western Reserve Historical Society carefully preserves Cleveland’s legacy, but one set of the museum’s artifacts remains shrouded in mystery. They are five postcards from the 1950’s that hold a distinctly taunting tone. Who wrote them and why? The story starts in the midst of one of the worst killing sprees in American history…
Museum of Science and Industry: Inside Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, there’s a vehicle that resembles a space hip or rocket, but it’s neither. In the 1960’s this amazing automobile helped a young California hot rod driver do something no one had ever done before- travel over 407 mph on land.
Titanic Historical Society: In Massachusetts there’s a museum that is dedicated to shedding new light on the ill-fated voyage of the world’s most famous ocean liner. Inside this official Titanic museum there is a single faded piece of paper. Do you know why this wireless telegram was unable to save the Titanic from her tragic fate?
Henry Ford Museum: On the outskirts of Detroit, the famed motor city, is the Henry Ford Museum. On display is a simple yellow city bus where visitors can see for themselves the very seat where Rosa Parks took a historical stand, by simply sitting down. But this story didn’t play out the way most of believe…
Big Foot Discovery Museum: Nestled in the heart of Northern California’s epic red wood forests is a museum dedicated to the region’s most famous alleged inhabitant, Big Foot. Can a recently discovered primate tooth put an end to the age old debate of whether or not Big Foot is real?
Enjoy! And Merry Christmas to all!
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 8
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, National Historic Site: Tucked away on the east side of Manhattan is Theodore Roosevelt’s childhood home. Inside are two particular artifacts on display that had a bigger impact on Roosevelt’s life than any other. Both of these artifacts share a strange feature, and saved the life of one of America’s greatest statesmen.
The Western Reserve Historical Society: The Western Reserve Historical Society carefully preserves Cleveland’s legacy, but one set of the museum’s artifacts remains shrouded in mystery. They are five postcards from the 1950’s that hold a distinctly taunting tone. Who wrote them and why? The story starts in the midst of one of the worst killing sprees in American history…
Museum of Science and Industry: Inside Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, there’s a vehicle that resembles a space hip or rocket, but it’s neither. In the 1960’s this amazing automobile helped a young California hot rod driver do something no one had ever done before- travel over 407 mph on land.
Titanic Historical Society: In Massachusetts there’s a museum that is dedicated to shedding new light on the ill-fated voyage of the world’s most famous ocean liner. Inside this official Titanic museum there is a single faded piece of paper. Do you know why this wireless telegram was unable to save the Titanic from her tragic fate?
Henry Ford Museum: On the outskirts of Detroit, the famed motor city, is the Henry Ford Museum. On display is a simple yellow city bus where visitors can see for themselves the very seat where Rosa Parks took a historical stand, by simply sitting down. But this story didn’t play out the way most of believe…
Big Foot Discovery Museum: Nestled in the heart of Northern California’s epic red wood forests is a museum dedicated to the region’s most famous alleged inhabitant, Big Foot. Can a recently discovered primate tooth put an end to the age old debate of whether or not Big Foot is real?
Enjoy! And Merry Christmas to all!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum, Vol. 7
Linda Banche here. On Tuesday, December 14 at 9PM E/P, The Travel Channel presents Volume 7 of Mysteries at the Museum. Visit six more museums uncovering mysteries involving the most famous German U-Boat of all time, a lunch counter that changed history, and more.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 7
Gerald R. Ford Museum: At the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, a vintage tape recorder from the 1970s was used inside America’s most important Executive Office. What incriminating conversations did this machine record? And how would it ultimately help destroy an American President?
The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History: The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History houses a small antique vial which lies at the center of one of America’s strangest medical mysteries. The vial once held a drug known as Radithor, and some doctors touted it as the “greatest therapeutic force known to mankind”, but this revolutionary medicine was really a potion of death.
National Museum of American History: On display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, is a relic from a volatile era in American history. It appears to be an ordinary restaurant lunch counter accompanied by four fading vinyl chairs. How did this lunch counter becomes center stage in an event that would help overturn centuries of oppression, and change America forever?
The Museum of Science and Industry: Inside Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry there’s a giant World War Two Submarine. It’s a German “U-Boat”, known by its infamous number, 5-0-5. But during the war U-505 mysteriously vanished. How did U-505 end up in Chicago, and how did its sudden disappearance from battle nearly 70 years ago help bring Germany’s invincible U-Boat fleet to its knees?
New Jersey State Police Museum: Secured inside the NJ State Police Museum, sealed in plastic, is a faded piece of paper. It’s inscribed in dark ink, in sloppy handwriting, and it’s stamped with a curious insignia. At first glance, this seventy eight year old document looks inconsequential, but it sparked one of the biggest manhunts in American history. Was the person who wrote this note ever brought to justice?
Ruidoso River Museum: At the River Museum there’s an artifact from one of the most famous western tales ever told. It’s a Colt Thunderer revolver. The polished, ornately etched pistol was presented to one of New Mexico’s most famous Sheriffs, Pat Garrett… as a reward for killing America’s most legendary outlaw, Billy the Kid. But did Pat Garrett really kill the ‘Kid’?
Enjoy!
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 7
Gerald R. Ford Museum: At the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, a vintage tape recorder from the 1970s was used inside America’s most important Executive Office. What incriminating conversations did this machine record? And how would it ultimately help destroy an American President?
The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History: The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History houses a small antique vial which lies at the center of one of America’s strangest medical mysteries. The vial once held a drug known as Radithor, and some doctors touted it as the “greatest therapeutic force known to mankind”, but this revolutionary medicine was really a potion of death.
National Museum of American History: On display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, is a relic from a volatile era in American history. It appears to be an ordinary restaurant lunch counter accompanied by four fading vinyl chairs. How did this lunch counter becomes center stage in an event that would help overturn centuries of oppression, and change America forever?
The Museum of Science and Industry: Inside Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry there’s a giant World War Two Submarine. It’s a German “U-Boat”, known by its infamous number, 5-0-5. But during the war U-505 mysteriously vanished. How did U-505 end up in Chicago, and how did its sudden disappearance from battle nearly 70 years ago help bring Germany’s invincible U-Boat fleet to its knees?
New Jersey State Police Museum: Secured inside the NJ State Police Museum, sealed in plastic, is a faded piece of paper. It’s inscribed in dark ink, in sloppy handwriting, and it’s stamped with a curious insignia. At first glance, this seventy eight year old document looks inconsequential, but it sparked one of the biggest manhunts in American history. Was the person who wrote this note ever brought to justice?
Ruidoso River Museum: At the River Museum there’s an artifact from one of the most famous western tales ever told. It’s a Colt Thunderer revolver. The polished, ornately etched pistol was presented to one of New Mexico’s most famous Sheriffs, Pat Garrett… as a reward for killing America’s most legendary outlaw, Billy the Kid. But did Pat Garrett really kill the ‘Kid’?
Enjoy!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum, Vol. 6
Linda Banche here. On Tuesday, December 7 at 9PM E/P, The Travel Channel presents Volume 6 of Mysteries at the Museum. Visit six more museums uncovering mysteries involving aviation, dinosaurs, the biggest art heist in US history, and more.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 6
Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum: Inside a giant airplane hangar at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, there’s a flying machine whose size and reputation dwarfs all others, but this one of a kind aircraft never flew a single mission. In fact, many believed it couldn’t fly at all. So why was the “Spruce Goose” even built?
The Field Museum of Natural History: The star attraction at Chicago, Field Museum is a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton named “Sue”. It is the largest most complete T-Rex skeleton ever found, and this makes Sue the key piece of evidence in unraveling a mystery that has baffled scientists since the very first T-Rex fossil was discovered in 1902… What was life like for the world’s largest prehistoric predator?
William McKinley Presidential Museum: The William McKinley Presidential Museum houses a nightshirt once worn by McKinley that bears a a tear down the back. How did this tear come to be? The answers lie within the mystery of President McKinley’s final moments – a tragic demise that changed the history of the Presidency.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Art: Hanging amid fantastic works of art by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Matisse and numerous others at this museum, are four empty picture frames. These frames hang as symbolic reminder of a shocking crime, and a 20 year old hunt to find out who was behind the biggest art heist in US history.
Johnstown Flood Museum: At a Pennsylvanian museum that’s dedicated to preserving the city’s rich cultural heritage, a 19th century brass pocket watch actually holds one of the Nations’ most unforgettable stories. It all begins with the time frozen on the watch’s face- a time that changed America forever.
Strong National Museum of Play: Not far from the shores of Lake Ontario in Rochester, New York, a museum is dedicated solely to the study of play, and one item here was actually an accidental byproduct of America’s involvement in a global war. Can you guess what childhood favorite this could be?
Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning-in to Mysteries at the Museum Tuesday at 9 E/P on Travel Channel. Enjoy the show, and secrets that will be revealed.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 6
Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum: Inside a giant airplane hangar at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, there’s a flying machine whose size and reputation dwarfs all others, but this one of a kind aircraft never flew a single mission. In fact, many believed it couldn’t fly at all. So why was the “Spruce Goose” even built?
The Field Museum of Natural History: The star attraction at Chicago, Field Museum is a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton named “Sue”. It is the largest most complete T-Rex skeleton ever found, and this makes Sue the key piece of evidence in unraveling a mystery that has baffled scientists since the very first T-Rex fossil was discovered in 1902… What was life like for the world’s largest prehistoric predator?
William McKinley Presidential Museum: The William McKinley Presidential Museum houses a nightshirt once worn by McKinley that bears a a tear down the back. How did this tear come to be? The answers lie within the mystery of President McKinley’s final moments – a tragic demise that changed the history of the Presidency.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Art: Hanging amid fantastic works of art by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Matisse and numerous others at this museum, are four empty picture frames. These frames hang as symbolic reminder of a shocking crime, and a 20 year old hunt to find out who was behind the biggest art heist in US history.
Johnstown Flood Museum: At a Pennsylvanian museum that’s dedicated to preserving the city’s rich cultural heritage, a 19th century brass pocket watch actually holds one of the Nations’ most unforgettable stories. It all begins with the time frozen on the watch’s face- a time that changed America forever.
Strong National Museum of Play: Not far from the shores of Lake Ontario in Rochester, New York, a museum is dedicated solely to the study of play, and one item here was actually an accidental byproduct of America’s involvement in a global war. Can you guess what childhood favorite this could be?
Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning-in to Mysteries at the Museum Tuesday at 9 E/P on Travel Channel. Enjoy the show, and secrets that will be revealed.
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum, Vol. 5
Linda Banche here. On Tuesday, November 30 at 9PM E/P, The Travel Channel presents Volume 5 of Mysteries at the Museum. This episode visits five more museums spanning the country from San Diego to Washington, D. C.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 5
Old Red Museum: In the collection of the Old Red Museum in Dallas, there’s a 44-caliber rifle with a sawed off stock. It looks like many weapons that have been modified by criminals, but it’s possible that this rifle may have been used in an infamous crime spree. Can you guess who the legendary criminal may be?
National Museum of the Marine Corps: In Quantico, Virginia at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, a tattered flag from World War Two’s epic battle for Iwo Jima became the subject of the Nation’s most famous war photograph. How did this Pulitzer Prize winning picture alter history and why do some people suspect that it isn’t everything it claims to be?
National Railroad Museum: The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin houses an ultra-modern locomotive known as the Aerotrain. When it was unveiled in 1956, it was supposed to change the way Americans traveled. So what derailed this futuristic locomotive, and why aren’t we all riding Aerotrains today?
Scripps Institute of Oceanography: Behind the scenes at the Birch Aquarium in San Diego, there are specimens that hail from a realm nearly a mile underwater. They are rare and mysterious organisms that survive in an uncharted frontier known as the Abyss. Can you even imagine what these deep sea creatures could be?
Library of Congress: In the Library of Congress, a tattered diary provokes one of exploration’s fiercest debates; who was the first person to actually reach the North Pole?
National Museum of the United States Air Force: The National Museum of the United States Air Force displays an artifact that paved the way for the exploration of man’s final frontier. At the height of the Cold War, was a team of aeronautical engineers able to create a parachute system that would produce a safe, high altitude aircraft?
Enjoy the show!
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 5
Old Red Museum: In the collection of the Old Red Museum in Dallas, there’s a 44-caliber rifle with a sawed off stock. It looks like many weapons that have been modified by criminals, but it’s possible that this rifle may have been used in an infamous crime spree. Can you guess who the legendary criminal may be?
National Museum of the Marine Corps: In Quantico, Virginia at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, a tattered flag from World War Two’s epic battle for Iwo Jima became the subject of the Nation’s most famous war photograph. How did this Pulitzer Prize winning picture alter history and why do some people suspect that it isn’t everything it claims to be?
National Railroad Museum: The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin houses an ultra-modern locomotive known as the Aerotrain. When it was unveiled in 1956, it was supposed to change the way Americans traveled. So what derailed this futuristic locomotive, and why aren’t we all riding Aerotrains today?
Scripps Institute of Oceanography: Behind the scenes at the Birch Aquarium in San Diego, there are specimens that hail from a realm nearly a mile underwater. They are rare and mysterious organisms that survive in an uncharted frontier known as the Abyss. Can you even imagine what these deep sea creatures could be?
Library of Congress: In the Library of Congress, a tattered diary provokes one of exploration’s fiercest debates; who was the first person to actually reach the North Pole?
National Museum of the United States Air Force: The National Museum of the United States Air Force displays an artifact that paved the way for the exploration of man’s final frontier. At the height of the Cold War, was a team of aeronautical engineers able to create a parachute system that would produce a safe, high altitude aircraft?
Enjoy the show!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum, Vol. 4
Linda Banche here. On Tuesday, November 23 at 9PM E/P, The Travel Channel has Volume 4 of Mysteries at the Museum. This episode again spans the country from Oregon to Massachusetts, featuring such notables as auto maker Henry Ford and master magician Harry Houdini.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 4
The History Museum at the Castle: In the History Museum at the Castle in Appleton, Wisconsin, a plaster bust is modeled after Harry Houdini, who has long passed on but whose mysterious talents still baffle the mind. Is it possible that this bust is actually possessed by the spirit of this famous magician? The answer lies in the suspicious circumstances that surround Houdini’s death.
The Henry Ford Museum: In Michigan, the Henry Ford Museum showcases an artifact that soared high above the roadways in 1926- a unique airplane named “The Josephine Ford”. At the time, the intrepid pilot of this airplane set out on a death defying flight to the end of the earth with one goal in mind. What was this pilot’s goal and why is his journey still shrouded in mystery?
Coos Historical and Maritime Museum: Located on Oregon’s rugged Coast at the Coos Historical and Maritime Museum, there is a peculiar object that looks like a piece of faming equipment, but in fact, it’s actually a piece from a diabolical weapon of mass destruction sent here by America’s former enemy. How did this artifact cause the only deaths resulting from enemy action to occur on mainland America during World War II?
The Chicago History Museum: A plain scrap of fabric, emblazoned with a striking design located at the Chicago History Museum was one of the banners designed for protests at the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Who made this flag and how did it play such a large role in changing the direction of our country?
Fall River Historical Society: The Fall River Historical Society in Fall River, Massachusettes houses an artifact that may have been the murder weapon in one of the most notorious unsolved murders in American history. This hatchet head was the key piece of evidence used against Lizzie Borden in the murders of her parents; but did she really commit the heinous crime?
National Museum of American History: Among the many thousands of objects at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution, is a worn and weathered eighty year old briefcase. This attache once belonged to a lifelong politician and diplomat and held countless, top secret and sensitive government documents. Why do curators at the Smithsonian believe this briefcase was party to one watershed event that changed the history of the planet?
Enjoy!
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 4
The History Museum at the Castle: In the History Museum at the Castle in Appleton, Wisconsin, a plaster bust is modeled after Harry Houdini, who has long passed on but whose mysterious talents still baffle the mind. Is it possible that this bust is actually possessed by the spirit of this famous magician? The answer lies in the suspicious circumstances that surround Houdini’s death.
The Henry Ford Museum: In Michigan, the Henry Ford Museum showcases an artifact that soared high above the roadways in 1926- a unique airplane named “The Josephine Ford”. At the time, the intrepid pilot of this airplane set out on a death defying flight to the end of the earth with one goal in mind. What was this pilot’s goal and why is his journey still shrouded in mystery?
Coos Historical and Maritime Museum: Located on Oregon’s rugged Coast at the Coos Historical and Maritime Museum, there is a peculiar object that looks like a piece of faming equipment, but in fact, it’s actually a piece from a diabolical weapon of mass destruction sent here by America’s former enemy. How did this artifact cause the only deaths resulting from enemy action to occur on mainland America during World War II?
The Chicago History Museum: A plain scrap of fabric, emblazoned with a striking design located at the Chicago History Museum was one of the banners designed for protests at the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Who made this flag and how did it play such a large role in changing the direction of our country?
Fall River Historical Society: The Fall River Historical Society in Fall River, Massachusettes houses an artifact that may have been the murder weapon in one of the most notorious unsolved murders in American history. This hatchet head was the key piece of evidence used against Lizzie Borden in the murders of her parents; but did she really commit the heinous crime?
National Museum of American History: Among the many thousands of objects at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution, is a worn and weathered eighty year old briefcase. This attache once belonged to a lifelong politician and diplomat and held countless, top secret and sensitive government documents. Why do curators at the Smithsonian believe this briefcase was party to one watershed event that changed the history of the planet?
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum, Vol. 3
Linda Banche here. The Travel Channel has Volume 3 of Mysteries at the Museum ready for Tuesday, November 16, at 9PM E/P. This episode travels to both coasts, from museums in San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Pacific, to Harvard and Ellis Island on the Atlantic. A quick peek below and more information on the showpage.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 3
San Francisco Fire Museum: An out-of-control inferno that erupted in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake caused more damage than the earthquake did during that historical day. In the San Francisco Fire Museum, an 1897 LaFrance steam engine remains one of the few surviving relics. How was this recalled after one of the worst natural disasters in American history?
Los Angeles Police Museum: At the Los Angeles Police Museum, a deadly weapon guards the truth behind one of the most infamous kidnappings of modern times. This World War II era semi-automatic rifle unleashed a devastating 1200 rounds-per minute and was used by the kidnap victim who turned into a domestic terrorist. Who was Patty Herst, and what crucial role did this weapon play in the evolution of an extraordinary criminal?
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography: A most curious specimen lives at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. This organism starts life smaller than a grain of rice, but quickly grows into a 6-foot sea monster that’s rumored to pull fisherman out of their boats. Can you image what this super-predator is?
Bradbury Museum of Science: In the 1940s, The Klaus Fuchs, an ordinary ID badge, gave a brilliant physicist access to the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the nation’s most top secret program. This physicist’s acts would forever change our world. What was this top secret program and how did this physicist betray the United States?
Ellis Island Immigration Museum: All new arrivals at Ellis Island were given a literacy test. In theory the test should have prevented thousands of poor, illiterate immigrants from gaining entry into the U.S., but what many immigrants lacked in literacy, they made up for in cunning and guile. How could they possibly have beat the test that was designed to keep them out of America?
Harvard Museum of Natural History: To acquire a unique specimen from Harvard University’s zoological collection, a Boston physician borrowed an enormous sum of money from a wealthy colleague in 1846. When the prized possession finally arrived, the colleague went missing and was eventually discovered in the physician’s basement. What could have caused the doctor to engage in in a murder that sent the tabloids into a whirlwind?
Enjoy!
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 3
San Francisco Fire Museum: An out-of-control inferno that erupted in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake caused more damage than the earthquake did during that historical day. In the San Francisco Fire Museum, an 1897 LaFrance steam engine remains one of the few surviving relics. How was this recalled after one of the worst natural disasters in American history?
Los Angeles Police Museum: At the Los Angeles Police Museum, a deadly weapon guards the truth behind one of the most infamous kidnappings of modern times. This World War II era semi-automatic rifle unleashed a devastating 1200 rounds-per minute and was used by the kidnap victim who turned into a domestic terrorist. Who was Patty Herst, and what crucial role did this weapon play in the evolution of an extraordinary criminal?
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography: A most curious specimen lives at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. This organism starts life smaller than a grain of rice, but quickly grows into a 6-foot sea monster that’s rumored to pull fisherman out of their boats. Can you image what this super-predator is?
Bradbury Museum of Science: In the 1940s, The Klaus Fuchs, an ordinary ID badge, gave a brilliant physicist access to the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the nation’s most top secret program. This physicist’s acts would forever change our world. What was this top secret program and how did this physicist betray the United States?
Ellis Island Immigration Museum: All new arrivals at Ellis Island were given a literacy test. In theory the test should have prevented thousands of poor, illiterate immigrants from gaining entry into the U.S., but what many immigrants lacked in literacy, they made up for in cunning and guile. How could they possibly have beat the test that was designed to keep them out of America?
Harvard Museum of Natural History: To acquire a unique specimen from Harvard University’s zoological collection, a Boston physician borrowed an enormous sum of money from a wealthy colleague in 1846. When the prized possession finally arrived, the colleague went missing and was eventually discovered in the physician’s basement. What could have caused the doctor to engage in in a murder that sent the tabloids into a whirlwind?
Enjoy!
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum, Vol. 2
Linda Banche here. The Travel Channel's Mysteries at the Museum was so well received that the program is now a weekly series. A new episode will air every Tuesday at 9 E/P, starting November 9.
For a preview of the November 9 episode, see the sneak peak:
If the video is not working correctly, link to the sneak peek here.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 2
Page Museum: Located on the site of a bizarre natural phenomenon in LA, there are the world famous La Brea Tar Pits - a sticky mess that is also an ancient graveyard. Four million ancient bones that have been recovered from the site are now catalogued in the stacks of the Page Museum. These relics are the last link to the fantastical creatures that once roamed Southern California. Can you guess which animal that is?
National Museum of the United States Air Force: Did you know that Dayton, Ohio is the birthplace of aviation? It was home to the fathers of manned flight, Orville and Wilbur Wright, and today is the home of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. From President Kennedy’s Air Force One, to the SR71, this museum has a stunning display of extraordinary aircraft, but one stands out amongst all the rest - the Boeing B 29 Super Fortress Bomber. How did a single act from “Bockscar” seal the fate of thousands?
Cooperstown Farmer’s Museum: Cooperstown is home to a unique institution that celebrates our nation’s agrarian past, the Cooperstown Farmer’s Museum. Among the plows and pitch forks held up in this institution, a strange artifact seems totally out of place. This relic was an astonishing discovery that would fuel a debate questioning the very origins of mankind. Where could this possibly have come from?
Seattle Museum of History and Industry: As the Pacific Northwest’s largest city, Seattle is home to an institution that chronicles the rise of this metropolis over the last 150 years. Buried within its vast archives is a pair of puzzling objects. What makes these ornate iron decorations so unique is not the intricacy of their design, but where they were found. How did they arrive at a location nearly 4,000 feet up in the Cascade Mountains?
UFO Museum and Research Center: Do aliens exist? This is one of the greatest scientific questions of our times. The UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico, has several displays dealing with this very question, but one exhibit is at the heart of this debate. A life-like figure enclosed in glass appears to be a wooden man, although we can’t be sure. Why is he here and what does this have to do with some of the biggest-governmental cover-ups in history?
Smithsonian affiliated Museum of Dentistry: In 1776, Baltimore briefly served as our nation’s capital. At the Smithsonian affiliated Museum of Dentistry in this historic location, there is one artifact more intimately involved in our nation’s history than any other city. This artifact is the lower half of a set of 18th century dentures. What do these 200 year old teeth have to do with American history?
Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning-in to the premiere of Mysteries at the Museum Tuesday, November 9, at 9 E/P. Enjoy the stories, and secrets that will be revealed.
For a preview of the November 9 episode, see the sneak peak:
If the video is not working correctly, link to the sneak peek here.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 2
Page Museum: Located on the site of a bizarre natural phenomenon in LA, there are the world famous La Brea Tar Pits - a sticky mess that is also an ancient graveyard. Four million ancient bones that have been recovered from the site are now catalogued in the stacks of the Page Museum. These relics are the last link to the fantastical creatures that once roamed Southern California. Can you guess which animal that is?
National Museum of the United States Air Force: Did you know that Dayton, Ohio is the birthplace of aviation? It was home to the fathers of manned flight, Orville and Wilbur Wright, and today is the home of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. From President Kennedy’s Air Force One, to the SR71, this museum has a stunning display of extraordinary aircraft, but one stands out amongst all the rest - the Boeing B 29 Super Fortress Bomber. How did a single act from “Bockscar” seal the fate of thousands?
Cooperstown Farmer’s Museum: Cooperstown is home to a unique institution that celebrates our nation’s agrarian past, the Cooperstown Farmer’s Museum. Among the plows and pitch forks held up in this institution, a strange artifact seems totally out of place. This relic was an astonishing discovery that would fuel a debate questioning the very origins of mankind. Where could this possibly have come from?
Seattle Museum of History and Industry: As the Pacific Northwest’s largest city, Seattle is home to an institution that chronicles the rise of this metropolis over the last 150 years. Buried within its vast archives is a pair of puzzling objects. What makes these ornate iron decorations so unique is not the intricacy of their design, but where they were found. How did they arrive at a location nearly 4,000 feet up in the Cascade Mountains?
UFO Museum and Research Center: Do aliens exist? This is one of the greatest scientific questions of our times. The UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico, has several displays dealing with this very question, but one exhibit is at the heart of this debate. A life-like figure enclosed in glass appears to be a wooden man, although we can’t be sure. Why is he here and what does this have to do with some of the biggest-governmental cover-ups in history?
Smithsonian affiliated Museum of Dentistry: In 1776, Baltimore briefly served as our nation’s capital. At the Smithsonian affiliated Museum of Dentistry in this historic location, there is one artifact more intimately involved in our nation’s history than any other city. This artifact is the lower half of a set of 18th century dentures. What do these 200 year old teeth have to do with American history?
Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning-in to the premiere of Mysteries at the Museum Tuesday, November 9, at 9 E/P. Enjoy the stories, and secrets that will be revealed.
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum
Linda Banche here. Today we have something a little different. Instead of history in books, this post talks about history on television, specifically, in museums across the United States.
The Travel Channel premieres a new historical program called Mysteries at the Museum next week.
In this show, the Travel Channel takes a look at the strange and curious remnants of America's past, often accompanied by scandal, mystery, and intrigue. The first episode, airing November 2nd at 9 E/P, features some of the nation’s most revered museums.
For a preview, see the sneak peak below:
If the video is not working correctly, link to the sneak peek here.
Additional information about each of the mysteries in this first volume is below.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 1
Alcatraz:
Our journey first takes us to the most inhospitable museum on the
planet: Alcatraz. In 1962 three notorious convicts conquered the
impossible--they escaped. With the help of newspapers, rain jackets, a
spoon handle, and real human hair, how did Alan West, Frank Morris, John
and Clarence Anglin conquer a masterful plan of deception? Did they
even survive?
National Museum of the U.S. Navy:
The National Museum of the U.S. Navy houses The Enigma Machine. It
resembles a typewriter, but was actually a cutting edge, top-secret
machine used to the Nazi’s advantage in the 1940s. Why did the fate of
the free world fell on solving the Enigma’s puzzle?
Mead Art Museum:
Amongst fine art and world artifacts, Amherst College holds one of the
world’s most disgusting looking creatures: The Feejee Mermaid. The
origin of these skeletal remnants are still unknown, but it’s head of a
monkey, body of a fish, sharp teeth, and nasty claws make for a
tantalizing sight.
NASA Space Center:
The Space Center in Houston, Texas is dedicated to the history of
NASA’s space program and holds a lifesaving piece of technology. On
April 11, 1970, NASA launched its third mission to land on the moon, but
two days later, the unthinkable happened. A large oxygen tank on the
space craft exploded, causing the Apollo 13 crew’s oxygen supply to leak
into space. How did a single grey canister save the lives of the crew
of this crippled spaceship?
Henry Ford Museum:
Can you imagine a house able to withstand an earthquake, is flood
resistant, and fire proof? The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan
holds the Dymaxion House that does just that. Coining the term
“sustainable living”, this “futuristic” home could have significantly
impacted how we live today, so why did it fail?
Walter’s Art Museum:
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is one of history’s most enduring
masterpieces. For generations, rumors have circulated that Walter’s Art
Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is where the original painting hangs
today, as opposed to the Musée du Louvre in Paris. As part of one of
the most shocking art thefts in history, was a copy of the famous
painting actually switched with the stolen original?
Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning in to the
premiere of Mysteries at the Museum on Tuesday, November 2nd at 9 E/P.
Enjoy the stories, and the secrets that will be revealed!
The Travel Channel premieres a new historical program called Mysteries at the Museum next week.
In this show, the Travel Channel takes a look at the strange and curious remnants of America's past, often accompanied by scandal, mystery, and intrigue. The first episode, airing November 2nd at 9 E/P, features some of the nation’s most revered museums.
For a preview, see the sneak peak below:
If the video is not working correctly, link to the sneak peek here.
Additional information about each of the mysteries in this first volume is below.
Mysteries at the Museum: Volume 1
Alcatraz:
Our journey first takes us to the most inhospitable museum on the
planet: Alcatraz. In 1962 three notorious convicts conquered the
impossible--they escaped. With the help of newspapers, rain jackets, a
spoon handle, and real human hair, how did Alan West, Frank Morris, John
and Clarence Anglin conquer a masterful plan of deception? Did they
even survive?
National Museum of the U.S. Navy:
The National Museum of the U.S. Navy houses The Enigma Machine. It
resembles a typewriter, but was actually a cutting edge, top-secret
machine used to the Nazi’s advantage in the 1940s. Why did the fate of
the free world fell on solving the Enigma’s puzzle?
Mead Art Museum:
Amongst fine art and world artifacts, Amherst College holds one of the
world’s most disgusting looking creatures: The Feejee Mermaid. The
origin of these skeletal remnants are still unknown, but it’s head of a
monkey, body of a fish, sharp teeth, and nasty claws make for a
tantalizing sight.
NASA Space Center:
The Space Center in Houston, Texas is dedicated to the history of
NASA’s space program and holds a lifesaving piece of technology. On
April 11, 1970, NASA launched its third mission to land on the moon, but
two days later, the unthinkable happened. A large oxygen tank on the
space craft exploded, causing the Apollo 13 crew’s oxygen supply to leak
into space. How did a single grey canister save the lives of the crew
of this crippled spaceship?
Henry Ford Museum:
Can you imagine a house able to withstand an earthquake, is flood
resistant, and fire proof? The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan
holds the Dymaxion House that does just that. Coining the term
“sustainable living”, this “futuristic” home could have significantly
impacted how we live today, so why did it fail?
Walter’s Art Museum:
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is one of history’s most enduring
masterpieces. For generations, rumors have circulated that Walter’s Art
Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is where the original painting hangs
today, as opposed to the Musée du Louvre in Paris. As part of one of
the most shocking art thefts in history, was a copy of the famous
painting actually switched with the stolen original?
Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning in to the
premiere of Mysteries at the Museum on Tuesday, November 2nd at 9 E/P.
Enjoy the stories, and the secrets that will be revealed!
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