Los Angeles’ 1936 ‘Bum Blockade’ Targeted American Migrants Fleeing Poverty and Drought During the Great Depression
The two-month patrol stopped supposedly “suspicious” individuals from crossing into California from other states. But its execution was uneven, and the initiative proved controversial
This Woman Didn’t Want to Return a Stolen 16th-Century Painting. Then She Changed Her Mind
Despite her legal claim to ownership, Barbara de Dozsa has decided to return an artwork by Italian artist Antonio Solario that vanished more than 50 years ago
Man Arrested for Trying to Break the Glass Protecting the Stone of Destiny in Scotland
The symbolic artifact, which has been used for centuries during the coronations of Scottish and English monarchs, is on display at the Perth Museum
Archaeologists Find 300-Year-Old Shipwreck in What Used to Be ‘One of the Baddest Pirate Lairs on Earth’
Pirates attacked the Portuguese warship, named the “Nossa Senhora do Cabo,” and made off with many of the treasures the ship was transporting from India to Portugal
Ancient Erotic Mosaic Stolen From Pompeii During World War II Finally Returns Home
A Nazi captain gave artwork, which depicts an intimate Roman romance, to a civilian. When he died, his heirs decided to return the piece to Italy
Have Eagle-Eyed Experts Found This 316-Year-Old Stradivarius Violin That Was Looted During World War II?
Eight decades after the 1709 violin known as the “Small Mendelssohn” disappeared, experts think they’ve located it in Japan
The Largest Section of the Beloved Sycamore Gap Tree Is Going on Display in England
The iconic tree was illegally chopped down in September 2023, but its memory will live on in the form of a new art installation that invites visitors to touch—and even embrace—a piece of its trunk
Stolen Historic Documents Surface in Attic—Ten Years After an Employee Used Them as Collateral to Borrow Money
The thief likely took the trove when he worked for the Dutch National Archives in 2015. Recently, someone found them in storage and contacted art detective Arthur Brand
How a Deadly Circus Fire on the ‘Day the Clowns Cried’ Traumatized a Community—and Led to Lasting Safety Reforms
On July 6, 1944, a blaze broke out at a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey show in Hartford, Connecticut. At least 167 people died, and hundreds were injured
America Deported Her for Publishing a Book Titled ‘Lesbian Love.’ Years Later, She Was Murdered by the Nazis for Being Jewish
Eve Adams, an immigrant and the proprietor of a 1920s lesbian tearoom, was imprisoned for disorderly conduct and obscenity, then sent back to Europe, where she became a target of the Holocaust
Climate Activist Throws Bright Pink Paint on Glass Covering Picasso Painting in Montreal
The stunt is part of an environmental organization’s efforts to draw attention to the dangerous wildfires spreading through Canada
The World’s ‘Most Trafficked Mammal’ Might Soon Be Protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act
The Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing seven species of pangolin, often poached for their scales and meat, as endangered
Stolen Paintings Linked to Retired Couple Who Supposedly Moonlighted as Art Thieves Returned to New Mexico Museum After 40 Years
Victor Higgins’ “Aspens” and Joseph Henry Sharp’s “Oklahoma Cheyenne” had been missing since March 1985, when they were snatched in broad daylight
Sea Horse Smuggling Is a Big Problem, Despite Global Efforts to Protect These Beloved Aquatic Creatures
Between 2010 and 2021, authorities seized around five million individual sea horses worth more than $21 million
This 300-Pound Bust Was Stolen From Jim Morrison’s Grave in 1988. French Police Just Recovered It
Created for the tenth anniversary of the Doors frontman’s death in 1971, the bust stood on his grave in the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris for only seven years
The Smithsonian Transfers Rare 2,300-Year-Old Silk Manuscripts to China
The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts were smuggled into the United States in the 1940s. Scholars say they provide remarkable insights into ancient Chinese philosophy and religion
Photographer Who Scales Buildings to Get the Perfect Shot Arrested at Opening Night of His First Solo Exhibition
Isaac Wright was detained for climbing the Empire State Building’s spire in 2024. The photo he took during the climb was on display at the show in New York City
Two Men Convicted of Chopping Down England’s Beloved Sycamore Gap Tree in an Act of ‘Mindless Thuggery’
After five hours of deliberation, jurors found Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham guilty of criminal damage for felling the iconic tree that stood near Hadrian’s Wall
Recently Rediscovered Book Bound in Human Skin Goes on Display in England
Curators think the volume’s corners and spine are bound in the skin of William Corder, an infamous criminal who was convicted of murder in the late 1820s
Hundreds of Looted Ancient Artifacts Confiscated From the Black Market Are Now on Display in Naples
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is showcasing 600 recovered objects, which date to between the Archaic period and the Middle Ages
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