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The critically acclaimed PBS series History Detectives
visited the Gilder Lehrman Collection in New York City
to investigate an archive of original documents from
the Manhattan Project, the World War II-era military
program that developed the first nuclear weapons. The
segment aired on Monday, September 10, 2007. History
Detectives host Wes Cowan, appraiser and auctioneer,
came to examine the archive and conduct an exciting
investigation, which included interviews with Gilder
Lehrman Collection Director/Curator Sandra Trenholm
and Special Projects Manager Krista Rupe, who had previously
researched the documents.
In their research, the History Detectives
team uncovered the fascinating story behind this collection
of documents, illuminating a pivotal moment of American
history. The archive, which contains typed and handwritten
documents connected with the top-secret Manhattan Project,
includes a letter written after the war by project scientists
pleading for reduced secrecy. Where did the documents
come from? Did the scientists’ letter help persuade
President Harry S. Truman to change America’s
nuclear policy in the post-war era? Host Wes Cowan leads
the History Detectives to track down the authors
of the documents, and to explore the delicate balance
between science, military power and democracy.
Click here to see a slideshow of select documents from the Manhattan Project Archive
Click here
to see featured documents related to the Manhattan Project.
Co-produced by Lion Television (UK) and Oregon Public Broadcasting, the series combines the latest forensic technology with old-fashioned, pavement-pounding detective work. Again hosted by four inquisitive fact-finders, History Detectives features Wes Cowan, independent appraiser and auctioneer; Elyse Luray, an independent appraiser and expert in art history; Gwendolyn Wright, professor of architecture, Columbia University; and Tukufu Zuberi, professor of sociology and the director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Executive producers are David Davis, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Nick Catliff, Chris Bryson and Tony Tackaberry, Lion Television. The History Detectives Web site (pbs.org/historydetectives) includes highlights from the televised investigations called "Case Files."
Founded in 1994, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History promotes the study and love of American history. The Institute serves teachers, students, scholars, and the general public. It helps create history-centered schools and academic research centers, organizes seminars and programs for educators, produces print and electronic publications and traveling exhibitions, sponsors lectures by eminent historians, and administers a History Teacher of the Year Award in every state through its partnership with Preserve America. The Institute also conducts awards including the Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and George Washington Book Prizes, and offers fellowships for scholars to work in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and other archives.
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