Paintings can offer a unique glimpse into history - but what happens when the artwork’s identifying elements are unclear? Solving these mysteries often takes extensive detective work, as with a painting of a 17th-century family that has confounded curators for 90 years! Has one of our curators finally cracked the case?

Unpack the ancient stories and rich symbolism weaved into a Chinese silk hand-embroidered tapestry. Crafted with gold-laced thread, this woven textile is a stunning display of figures, flowers, animals, and other symbols representing various Chinese symbolism and mythological themes. 

Learn how recent research has revealed a connection between the port of Liverpool’s Bidston Hill signal station and Norfolk, Virginia in the 18th century.

Able, courageous, and experienced, Franklin Buchanan was perhaps the most aggressive senior officer to join the Confederate Navy. His strategic flair, discipline, and heroic qualities made him respected and admired by all those around him. After being put in command of CSS Virginia, Buchanan led efforts that resulted in the Confederacy’s greatest naval victory before being appointed as the first Admiral in the Confederate Navy and selected to command the naval defenses in Mobile Bay, Alabama. As Admiral, he oversaw the construction of multiple ironclads and was on board CSS Tennesee during its battle against David Glasgow Farragut’s Union Fleet in 1864.