Museum Hoaxes
Beardmore Hoax
Guest: Douglas Hunter, journalist, historian, and author of "Beardmore: The Viking Hoax that Rewrote History"
Uncovering ancient Viking relics in your backyard is highly improbable, especially in central North America. What’s even more unlikely is museum directors, renowned scholars, and the press defending the discovery even when the archaeology doesn’t add up. Author Douglas Hunter joins us to talk about the notorious 20th century scandal of Beardmore, and the schoolteacher and geologist who took on powerful academic institutions in a quest for the truth.
Chasing Cultural Crooks
Guest: Robert K. Wittman, former Senior Investigator and founder, FBI's National Art Crime Team, and author, "Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures"
Art heists aren't always like the movies. In fact, it's the cops who are usually dressed up as the slick, debonaire characters. They've got to think on their feet to trip up criminals and return priceless treasures to the public.
Revealing Art Forgeries
Guest: Thiago Piwowarczyk, Co-Founder, with Jeffrey Taylor, New York Art Forensics
Trained as a chemist, Thiago Piwowarczyk identifies art forgeries in a market surprisingly saturated by them.