Original subtitles

(narrator) FOUR ARTIFICIAL HUMAN HEADS THAT HOLD THE KEY

TO THE GREATEST PRISON BREAK OF ALL TIME.

THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ROOT FOR THESE GUYS,

THINKING MAYBE THEY DID MAKE IT.

A GROTESQUE MONSTER

WHOSE ORIGINS ARE SHROUDED IN SECRECY.

WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, I HAVE TO ADMIT

I OPENED THE DOOR AND WALKED OUT FOR A MINUTE.

AND A MYSTERIOUS METAL CANISTER

THAT SEALED THE FATE

OF THREE OF AMERICA'S BRAVEST HEROES.

(man) Uh, Houston, we've had a problem.

(static buzzing)

ACROSS THE UNITED STATES,

IN THE NATION'S MOST REVERED INSTITUTIONS

OUR CELEBRATED HISTORY IS ON DISPLAY--

WONDROUS TREASURES FROM THE PAST,

BIZARRE RELICS,

BUT BEHIND EVERY AMAZING ARTIFACT

IS ANOTHER TALE TO BE TOLD

AND A SECRET WAITING TO BE REVEALED.

THESE ARE...

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA--

THE WORLD-FAMOUS CITY BY THE BAY

IS ALSO HOME TO THE MOST INHOSPITABLE MUSEUM

ON THE PLANET,

ALCATRAZ.

ONCE AMERICA'S MOST NOTORIOUS PRISON,

THIS LOOMING FORTRESS SITS ON AN ISLAND

SURROUNDED BY ICY,

PURPORTEDLY SHARK-INFESTED WATERS.

TODAY THE FORMER JAILHOUSE IS A MUSEUM

DOCUMENTING THE HISTORY

OF THIS INFAMOUS ISLAND.

BUT OF ALL THE OBJECTS IN THE ALCATRAZ COLLECTIONS,

ONE SET OF ARTIFACTS

STANDS OUT FROM THE REST--

FOUR MAKESHIFT DUMMY HEADS.

PAINSTAKINGLY CRAFTED

AND TOPPED WITH REAL HUMAN HAIR,

THEY ARE STRANGELY LIFELIKE,

AND THEY ARE THE CENTERPIECE

IN A 50-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY.

DID THESE MASKS HELP DESTROY THE REPUTATION

OF AMERICA'S MOST FORMIDABLE PRISON?

AND WHAT BECAME OF THE MEN WHO MADE THEM?

SPRING, 1961.

ALCATRAZ HAS BEEN AMERICA'S MOST SECURE PRISON

FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.

ESCAPE IS BELIEVED TO BE IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT ONE MAN

THINKS HE'S FOUND A WAY.

ALLEN CLAYTON WEST IS SERVING TIME ON THE ROCK

FOR STEALING CARS.

FOUR YEARS INTO HIS STRETCH,

HE'S LANDED A JOB AS A PRISON JANITOR.

(man) WORKING ON ALCATRAZ WAS A PRIVILEGE.

MR. WEST'S JOB WAS TO, UH, DO MAINTENANCE

INSIDE THE CELLHOUSE.

ONE DAY WHILE MAKING HIS ROUNDS,

WEST MAKES A DISCOVERY

THAT WILL CHANGE THE HISTORY OF ALCATRAZ FOREVER.

ALLEN WEST, WORKING UP ABOVE THE CELL BLOCK,

LOOKING UP AT THE AIR VENT,

REALIZED THIS MAY BE A WAY OUT.

WEST IS SURE THE AIR SHAFT

LEADS DIRECTLY TO THE PRISON'S ROOF.

HE SHARES HIS FIND WITH THREE HARDENED CRIMINALS--

AN ARMED ROBBER NAMED FRANK MORRIS,

AND TWO NOTORIOUS THIEVES, JOHN AND CLARENCE ANGLIN.

TOGETHER, THEY HATCH A PLAN TO DO THE UNTHINKABLE--

ESCAPE.

BUT BEFORE THEY CAN REACH THE AIR SHAFT,

THEY MUST FIND A WAY OUT

OF THEIR 9x5-FOOT CELLS.

BUILT FROM SOLID CEMENT BLOCKS,

THE CELL WALLS ARE IMPENETRABLE,

EXCEPT FOR ONE TINY AIR VENT NEAR THE FLOOR.

THIS IS THE ACTUAL VENT

THAT THEY ESCAPED FROM

AND THEN USED SPOON HANDLES

TO CHIP THROUGH THE CONCRETE

TO WIDEN THIS HOLE LARGE ENOUGH

FOR A MAN TO CLIMB THROUGH.

BUT GETTING OUT OF THE CELL IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

NEXT THEY MUST FIND A WAY

TO GET OFF THE ISLAND.

USING A STOCKPILE OF PRISON-ISSUE RAINCOATS,

THEY DESIGN A RAFT.

THEY NEEDED A FLOATATION DEVICE TO GET THEM TO SAN FRANCISCO.

15 TO 20 RAINCOATS LIKE THIS COAT THAT YOU SEE HERE

WERE TRANSPORTED INTO THE CELLHOUSE.

THEY CUT THESE COATS UP, SEWED THEM TOGETHER,

GLUED THE SEAMS, AND PUMPED THEIR HOMEMADE RAFT UP.

THE PLOTTERS HATCH A PLAN

TO SNEAK OUT OF THEIR CELLS AT NIGHT

AND CONSTRUCT THE RAFT IN A DISUSED PART OF THE PRISON.

BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM.

THERE'S NO WAY THEY CAN LEAVE THEIR CELLS

WITHOUT THEIR ABSENCE BEING NOTICED.

THERE WERE 12 HEAD COUNTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WERE COUNTING THE CONVICTS

EVEN AS THEY SLEPT.

THE SOLUTION THEY COME UP WITH

REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST MASTERFUL ACTS OF DECEPTION

IN HISTORY.

IT, UH, WAS VERY INGENIOUS.

AND THEY WOULD DO IT RIGHT UNDERNEATH

THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS' NOSES.

IN STOLEN MOMENTS BETWEEN INSPECTIONS,

USING SCRAPS OF NEWSPAPER, SOAP, AND CEMENT,

THE FOUR PLOTTERS START TO BUILD FAKE HEADS,

COPYING THEIR OWN FEATURES IN PAINSTAKING DETAIL.

THEY PAINTED FACES ONTO THESE HEADS, UH,

EYELASHES PUT ON THE, UH-- ON THE--ON THEIR FACES.

CLARENCE ANGLIN WORKED IN THE BARBER SHOP

AND HAD ACCESS TO HUMAN HAIR LAYING ON THE FLOOR,

AND IT WAS PERFECT.

AT NIGHT, WHEN THEY CREEP OUT OF THEIR CELLS

TO BUILD THE RAFT,

THEY'D LEAVE THE DUMMY HEADS IN THEIR BEDS

TO MISLEAD THE GUARDS.

AND THEY PULLED IT OFF.

IT FOOLED THE GUARDS.

FOR MONTHS, THE DUMMY HEADS KEEP THE PRISON GUARDS

OFF THE INMATES' SCENT,

ALLOWING THE PLOTTERS TO WORK ON THEIR PLAN.

AND ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 11, 1962,

THE MEN MAKE THEIR BREAK.

THEY SET OUT THEIR DUMMY HEADS

ONE LAST TIME.

IN THE CRAWL SPACE BEHIND THEIR CELLS,

FRANK MORRIS MEETS THE ANGLIN BROTHERS.

BUT THE PLAN'S MASTERMIND,

ALLEN WEST, IS A NO-SHOW.

AND THERE IS SOME SPECULATION THAT ALLEN WEST REALIZED

THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE PADDLE

ACROSS THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

SO HE DECIDED TO STAY BEHIND,

BUT THE OTHERS MADE THEIR BREAK.

AND THIS IS THE ACTUAL VENT THAT THEY CAME THROUGH

INTO THE CORRIDOR

AND THEN CLIMBED UP THE PLUMBING

TO THE ROOFTOP OF THE CELLHOUSE.

CAN YOU IMAGINE THEIR ADRENALINE PUMPING

WHEN THEY GOT UP ON THE ROOF HERE.

THEY'VE GOTTEN OUT OF THE CELLHOUSE,

FREEDOM IN SIGHT.

SO AT THIS POINT, THESE THREE CONVICTS

CLIMB OVER THE SIDE OF THE ROOF,

SLIDE DOWN A SET OF PIPES

40 FEET DOWN TO THE GROUND,

HOP A FEW FENCES,

AND ENTER THE WATER.

THEY TAKE OFF INTO THE NIGHT, NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.

AT 7:15 THE NEXT MORNING,

AN ALCATRAZ GUARD TRIES TO WAKE

WHAT HE THINKS IS A SLEEPING PRISONER,

ONLY TO MAKE A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.

HE, UH, JUMPED BACK ABOUT 5 FEET,

AND, UH, SCARED THE HECK OUT OF HIM.

AND HE KNEW HE HAD A PROBLEM.

THREE CONVICTS HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE--

ESCAPED.

SOON A MASSIVE MANHUNT IS UNDER WAY.

ALLEN WEST IS INTERROGATED

AND REVEALS THE DETAILS OF THE PLOT.

BUT THERE IS ONE QUESTION HE CAN NEVER ANSWER.

DID THE MEN SURVIVE?

THESE MEN WERE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY--

VERY COLD TEMPERATURE.

THE HYPOTHERMIA SHUTS YOUR BODY DOWN.

DAYS LATER, A PADDLE AND THREE HOMEMADE LIFE JACKETS

ARE FOUND FLOATING IN THE 50-DEGREE WATER

OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

THE AUTHORITIES CONCLUDE

THAT THE MEN MUST HAVE DROWNED.

BUT TO THIS DAY, NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE.

WHETHER THEY SURVIVED-- THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE,

I GUESS, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ROOT FOR THESE GUYS,

THINKING MAYBE THEY DID MAKE IT.

AND MAYBE THEY DID.

ALIVE OR NOT,

THEIR DARING EXPLOIT

RUINED ALCATRAZ'S REPUTATION

AS THE TOUGHEST PRISON ON THE PLANET.

ONE YEAR LATER,

THE PRISON IS CLOSED FOR GOOD.

BUT TODAY ON ALCATRAZ ISLAND,

THE FACES OF THESE FOUR MEN REMAIN,

FOREVER FROZEN IN TIME.

FROM BREAKING OUT TO BREAKING CODE--

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY,

AT THE U.S. NAVY MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,

THERE'S AN ENIGMATIC OBJECT WHOSE WORKINGS

WOULD BAFFLE THE FINEST MINDS OF ITS AGE.

HOW DID UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF THIS MACHINE

SPARK THE CREATION OF A COMPUTER

THAT HELPED WIN WORLD WAR II?

FIND OUT

WHEN "MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM" CONTINUES.

WASHINGTON, D.C.,

THE NATION'S CAPITAL, IS HOME TO A MUSEUM

DEDICATED TO AMERICA'S WARTIME HEROES.

THIS IS THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

OF THE U.S. NAVY.

IT HOUSES A VAST COLLECTION

OF GUNS, PLANES, AND CHILLING MACHINES OF WAR.

BUT HIDDEN IN THIS HUGE ARSENAL

SITS AN INNOCUOUS OBJECT

WITH A MOST UNUSUAL NAME.

IT IS THE ENIGMA MACHINE.

AN ENIGMA MACHINE RESEMBLES A TYPEWRITER.

IT HAS KEYS ON THE TOP, AND YOU CAN FLIP OPEN THE LID

TO SEE ALL THESE DIFFERENT ROTORS IN THE BACK.

THE WHEELS, BUTTONS, AND DIALS OF THIS ARCHAIC DEVICE

ARE ALMOST LAUGHABLE

COMPARED TO OUR SLEEK, MODERN LAPTOPS AND SMART PHONES.

BUT LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING.

70 YEARS AGO,

THIS MACHINE WAS A CUTTING-EDGE,

TOP-SECRET WEAPON THAT NAZI COMMANDERS BELIEVED

WOULD LEAD THEM TO VICTORY IN WORLD WAR II.

(man) THE ENIGMA WAS

AN ENTIRELY SECURE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION

THAT WOULD COMMUNICATE

VAST AMOUNTS OF DATA,

UM, BETWEEN FORCES

OVER A LONG DISTANCE.

THE ENIGMA MACHINE SCRAMBLED IMPORTANT MESSAGES

LETTER BY LETTER,

TURNING VITAL NAZI COMMUNICATIONS

INTO A SEEMINGLY RANDOM STREAM OF TEXT.

THESE ENCRYPTED MESSAGES

WOULD THEN BE SENT VIA RADIO TO AN OPERATOR

WHO WOULD TYPE THE ENCODED LETTERS

BACK INTO ANOTHER ENIGMA MACHINE.

IF THE SECOND ENIGMA MACHINE WAS CALIBRATED CORRECTLY,

THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE WOULD REAPPEAR.

WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF AN ENIGMA MACHINE'S SETTINGS,

DECODING AN ENCRYPTED MESSAGE

WAS A NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TASK.

AND THE NAZIS WOULD USE THIS HIGH-TECH TOOL

TO THEIR DEADLY ADVANTAGE.

SUMMER, 1940--

WAR HAS BEEN RAGING IN EUROPE

FOR NEARLY A YEAR.

HITLER'S NAZI ARMIES

OCCUPY VAST STRETCHES OF WESTERN EUROPE.

AND ONLY ONE COUNTRY IS LEFT STANDING

IN THE FACE OF THIS NAZI ONSLAUGHT--

GREAT BRITAIN.

BUT THEIR RESISTANCE IS CRUMBLING.

FOR MONTHS, NAZI SUBMARINES, OR U-BOATS,

HAVE BEEN TARGETING U.S. SUPPLY SHIPS

BRINGING IN FOOD AND PROVISIONS

TO THE ISOLATED ISLAND.

THIS STRATEGIC MOVE IS DESIGNED

TO STARVE GREAT BRITAIN INTO SURRENDER.

THE UNITED STATES WAS SENDING SUPPLIES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.

AND THE PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT

WAS THAT THE GERMAN U-BOATS WERE A CONSTANT THREAT

TO THESE DIFFERENT CONVOYS.

THEY WOULD POP UP OUT OF NOWHERE AND SINK SHIPS.

IT WAS HARD FOR THE ALLIES TO KNOW

WHERE AND WHEN THESE U-BOATS WOULD POP UP.

THAT YEAR, GERMAN U-BOATS

SANK OVER 2 MILLION TONS

OF ALLIED SUPPLIES,

BRINGING BRITAIN EVER CLOSER TO STARVATION.

THE SECRET OF THE NAZIS' SUCCESS--

THE ENIGMA MACHINE.

THIS HIGH-TECH ENCRYPTION DEVICE

ALLOWS THE GERMAN U-BOATS

TO COORDINATE COMPLEX ATTACKS AGAINST THE AMERICANS

IN COMPLETE SECRECY.

EVEN IF THE ALLIES INTERCEPT A U-BOAT COMMAND,

THEY CANNOT DECIPHER IT.

FOR SOME INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

TRYING TO BREAK INTO AN ENIGMA MESSAGE,

THEY WOULD HAVE HAD GREATER LIKELIHOOD

TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

OR TO WIN A JACKPOT IN A LOTTERY

THAN TO WORK THEIR WAY

INTO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE MESSAGE WAS.

THE U.S. SUPPLY SHIPS ARE SITTING DUCKS,

AND GERMANY'S STRANGLEHOLD ON GREAT BRITAIN IS TIGHTENING.

THE FATE OF THE FREE WORLD

RESTS ON SOLVING THE ENIGMA PUZZLE.

AND ONE MAN IS ALREADY FAST AT WORK--

A BRILLIANT MATHEMATICIAN WHO WOULD GO ON TO BECOME

ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

HIS NAME IS ALAN TURING.

ALAN TURING WAS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO DECODING

SOME OF THE ENIGMA CODES.

HE COMPUTATED HOW ONE COULD GO

THROUGH ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CODES

IN THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME POSSIBLE.

IN A TOP-SECRET FACILITY OUTSIDE LONDON,

USING CAPTURED ENIGMA TECHNOLOGY,

TURING AND HIS TEAM

ARE SUCCESSFULLY BREAKING ENIGMA CODES.

BUT THEY FACE A PROBLEM.

THEY CAN'T DO IT FAST ENOUGH.

BY THE TIME A MESSAGE HAS BEEN DECODED,

IT IS OFTEN OBSOLETE.

THE TEAM NEEDS A FASTER WAY

TO DECIPHER ENIGMA MESSAGES.

SO TURING DEVELOPS A BRILLIANT SOLUTION...

ONE OF THE WORLD'S FIRST COMPUTERS.

ALAN TURING WORKS WITH A TEAM

THAT PRODUCES A MACHINE THAT'S SOLE FUNCTION

IS TO WORK OUT WHAT THE SETTINGS WERE

ON A PARTICULAR DAY.

AIDED BY TURING'S MACHINE,

THE ENIGMA CODES ARE BEING DECIPHERED FAST ENOUGH

TO ACT UPON.

THE ALLIES CAN NOW USE INTERCEPTED INTELLIGENCE

TO REROUTE SUPPLY SHIPS TO BRITAIN

AND AVOID GERMAN ATTACKS.

BUT THE ALLIES DON'T STOP THERE.

U.S. NAVY HUNTER-KILLER PATROLS

BEGIN USING INTERCEPTED ENIGMA INTELLIGENCE

TO LOCATE AND DESTROY GERMAN U-BOATS IN THE ATLANTIC.

SUDDENLY A SURFACE SHIP WOULD SHOW UP

AND START DROPPING DEPTH CHARGES ON A U-BOAT.

THE U.S. NAVY SUCCESSFULLY TURNS THE TABLES

ON THE GERMANS IN THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC.

BY 1945, THE GERMANS ARE DEFEATED,

AND THE WAR IS OVER.

THE ALLIES' SUCCESS IS DUE IN LARGE PART

TO THE BRILLIANT MINDS OF THE MEN AND WOMEN

WHO CRACKED THE ENIGMA CODES

AND PUT AN END TO THE GERMAN U-BOAT THREAT,

WHICH IS WHY TODAY

THE ENIGMA MACHINE MAINTAINS A PLACE OF HONOR

AMONG THE VENERATED MONUMENTS

AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. NAVY.

300 MILES NORTH AT THE MEAD ART MUSEUM

IN AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS,

A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF ENIGMA LIES LOCKED AWAY.

IS IT A FREAKISH ABOMINATION OF NATURE

OR AN ELABORATE HOAX?

THE ANSWER IS REVEALED WHEN WE RETURN

TO THE "MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM."

THE MEAD ART MUSEUM

AT AMHERST COLLEGE IN MASSACHUSETTS

HOLDS AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF FINE ARTS

AND WORLD ARTIFACTS.

BUT LOCKED OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW IN THE BASEMENT VAULT

LURKS A GROTESQUE CREATURE.

ITS ORIGINS AND IDENTITY ARE SHROUDED IN MYSTERY.

ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE

HAVE EVER GAZED UPON IT.

ONE OF THE FEW THAT HAS HAD THE DUBIOUS PRIVILEGE

IS THE MEAD'S CURATOR, ELIZABETH BARKER.

WHEN I FIRST TOOK THE JOB AT AMHERST COLLEGE,

I WAS EAGER TO SEE EVERYTHING WE HAD IN THE ART COLLECTION.

THE ROOM I LOOKED IN LAST

WAS A LITTLE BIT SPOOKY.

THE ROOM HAS A REAL AROMA WHEN YOU WALK IN.

YOU CAN SMELL THAT MANY OF THE THINGS

HAVE NATURAL COMPONENTS.

AND IF YOU TURN TO THE SIDE

AND LOOK SUDDENLY ON ONE OF THE SHELVES,

THERE'S AN ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING FIGURE THERE.

WHEN I FIRST SAW IT,

I HAVE TO ADMIT I OPENED THE DOOR

AND WALKED OUT FOR A MINUTE AND ASKED WHAT IT WAS.

PROBABLY THE FIRST THING THAT CAPTURES YOUR ATTENTION

ARE THE NASTY LITTLE CLAWS.

AND THEN YOU NOTICE THE TINY SHARP TEETH

AND THE EXTREMELY DISTURBING DESICCATED SKIN.

BUT ITS MOST UNUSUAL FEATURE

IS ITS SCALED, AQUATIC BODY.

LITTLE IS KNOWN

ABOUT THIS HALF FISH, HALF HUMANOID SPECIMEN,

EXCEPT IT'S ALLURING NAME--

THE FIJI MERMAID.

THIS PARTICULAR SPECIMEN

PREDATES THE MEAD ART MUSEUM AT AMHERST COLLEGE.

WE KNOW THAT THE COLLEGE OWNED IT BY 1890,

AND WE ASSUME THAT IT WAS ACQUIRED AS A SPECIMEN

FOR TEACHING NATURAL HISTORY.

IS IT CONCEIVABLE THAT THIS OBJECT

IS THE REMAINS OF A RARE AQUATIC SPECIES

NATIVE TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC

OR THE BASIS FOR THE MERMAIDS OF MYTH AND LEGEND?

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENTHRALLING,

WHICH IS WHY BARKER IS ON A MISSION

TO FIND OUT WHAT THE MERMAID IS AND WHERE IT CAME FROM.

THE FIRST STEP IN HER INVESTIGATION

IS TO TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THE CURIOUS CREATURE.

IN THIS X-RAY,

YOU CAN SEE PART OF THE SKULL.

WE'RE GUESSING THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY SOME SORT OF MONKEY.

BUT THE CREATURE'S SKULL

HAS CLEARLY BEEN STITCHED ONTO AN ARTIFICIAL BODY.

THERE IS ONE VERY LONG WOODEN STAKE

THAT RUNS THE LENGTH OF THE FIGURE,

FROM THE NECK TO THE END OF THE TAIL.

AND ALL THROUGH THE PIECE,

THESE BRIGHT LINES INDICATE METAL SUPPORTS.

THE X-RAYS PROVE IT.

RATHER THAN MERMAID,

THE ARTIFACT IS MAN-MADE.

SO WHERE DID IT COME FROM?

AND HOW DID IT GET THE PROVOCATIVE

AND MISLEADING NAME "FIJI MERMAID"?

(Fucik's "Entry of the Gladiators" playing)

1842, NEW YORK CITY--

P.T. BARNUM, FOUNDER OF THE FAMOUS CIRCUS,

IS THE MOST INFAMOUS SHOWMAN IN THE COUNTRY.

A MASTER OF SELF-PROMOTION,

HE IS KNOWN FOR HIS COLLECTIONS OF OVER-THE-TOP,

WEIRD, AND WONDERFUL CURIOS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

AND HE HAS MADE A SMALL FORTUNE

SELLING VISITORS THE CHANCE

TO SEE THESE IMPROBABLE ODDITIES FIRSTHAND.

WHEN HE STUMBLES

UPON A BIZARRE ARTIFACT FROM ASIA

WITH THE HEAD OF A MONKEY AND THE TAIL OF A FISH,

HE COMES UP WITH A PLAN TO PROMOTE IT AS A SHOWSTOPPER--

A REAL-LIFE FIJI MERMAID.

BARNUM DEVELOPED A BRILLIANT STRATEGY.

RATHER THAN SIMPLY PRESENT IT HIMSELF,

BARNUM ARRANGED TO INTRODUCE THIS

TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC VERY SUBTLY.

HE GIVES THE ARTIFACT TO A FRIEND

AND HAS HIM POSE AS A VISITING BRITISH SCIENTIST

CLAIMING TO HAVE FOUND A REAL MERMAID.

WHEN THE PRESS CATCHES WIND OF THE STORY,

THEY RUN WILD.

BARNUM PUTS THE MERMAID ON DISPLAY,

SITS BACK, AND WATCHES THE PROFITS PILE UP.

IT WAS ENORMOUSLY POPULAR.

PEOPLE COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE IT.

IN THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF ITS DISPLAY,

IT EARNED THE EQUIVALENT OF $90,000

IN MODERN MONEY.

BUT IN 1865,

THE SHOW COMES TO AN ABRUPT END

WHEN BARNUM'S COLLECTIONS BURN TO THE GROUND.

♪♪♪

BUT WHAT BECAME OF THE FIJI MERMAID?

MANY WONDER IF IT, TOO,

MET THE SAME FIERY FATE.

WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED

TO THE ORIGINAL FIJI MERMAID.

WHAT ELIZABETH BARKER DOES KNOW

IS THAT THE MERMAID IN THE COLLECTION

OF THE MEAD MUSEUM OF ART IN AMHERST

BEARS THE SAME NAME

AS BARNUM'S HEADLINING ATTRACTION.

HOW IT CAME TO BE IN THE MUSEUM

IS STILL A MYSTERY.

WE REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW IT CAME HERE,

BUT SINCE WE'RE NOT NEAR A BODY OF WATER,

WE CAN ASSUME SHE DIDN'T SWIM.

THE TALE OF THE FIJI MERMAID

AND HOW IT CAPTIVATED THE IMAGINATION OF A COUNTRY

IS A TESTAMENT TO THE AUDACITY AND SHOWMANSHIP

OF ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST ENTERTAINERS.

MORE THAN 100 YEARS LATER,

THE NATION WOULD BE GRIPPED BY A VERY DIFFERENT SPECTACLE,

A LIFE-OR-DEATH CRISIS THAT PLAYED OUT

IN THE DARKEST REACHES OF OUTER SPACE.

AT THE CENTER OF THE STORY IS THIS SMALL METAL BOX.

WHAT ROLE DID THIS UNASSUMING GADGET PLAY

IN ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC SPACE RESCUES OF ALL TIME?

(man) Uh, Houston, we've had a problem.

NEXT ON "MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM."

THE SPACE CENTER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS,

IS DEDICATED TO THE HISTORY

OF THE LEGENDARY NASA SPACE PROGRAM.

IT HAS PRESERVED A ONE-OF-A-KIND COLLECTION

OF THE U.S. SPACECRAFT THAT PIONEERED OUR EXPLORATIONS

INTO OUTER SPACE.

BUT THE MOST NOTEWORTHY PIECE IN THIS COLLECTION

ISN'T A ROCKET OR A SPACE SUIT,

AND ITS IMPORTANCE IS NOT IMMEDIATELY APPARENT

TO THE UNTRAINED EYE.

AT FIRST GLANCE, IT'S KIND OF JUST AN UGLY METAL BOX.

THIS SMALL GRAY CANISTER PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE

IN THE STORY OF A NEAR-TRAGIC SPACE MISSION,

A TALE THAT HAS BEEN TOLD AND RETOLD COUNTLESS TIMES.

BUT RELATIVELY FEW HAVE EVER LAID EYES

ON THIS LIFE-SAVING PIECE OF INTERSTELLAR TECHNOLOGY.

WHAT DID THIS UNREMARKABLE SPACECRAFT PART DO

TO EARN ITS PLACE AMONG THE CELEBRATED MONUMENTS

OF THE SPACE AGE?

THE ANSWER LIES

IN AN ILL-FATED VOYAGE

THAT TOOK PLACE 40 YEARS AGO.

APRIL 11, 1970,

ONE YEAR AFTER THE ICONIC MOON LANDING,

NASA LAUNCHES ITS THIRD MISSION TO THE MOON.

THIS BOLD NEW EXPEDITION

WILL SEND A MANNED LUNAR LANDER FROM AN ORBITING SHUTTLE

ONTO THE MOON'S SURFACE

TO EXPLORE ITS MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

THE CREW CONSISTS OF VETERAN ASTRONAUT JIM LOVELL

AND TWO ROOKIES, JACK SWIGERT AND FRED HAISE.

LITTLE DO THEY KNOW THAT THEIR JOURNEY

WILL BECOME A LEGEND FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS.

THE MISSION IS APOLLO 13.

♪♪♪

- (man) How do you look? - (man) Looks good, flight.

- Okay. - It looks fine.

55 HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT,

EVERYTHING IS GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN.

BUT AS THE SPACECRAFT APPROACHES THE MOON,

SOMETHING GOES HORRIBLY WRONG.

THERE WAS A LOUD THUMP, AND THEY SAID IT SOUNDED

LIKE A-A SHOTGUN GOING OFF.

(Jack) Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here.

(man) Say again, please.

(Jim) Uh, Houston, we've had a problem.

THE INCIDENT COMPELS COMMANDER JIM LOVELL

TO UTTER THOSE NOW UNFORGETTABLE WORDS--

"HOUSTON, WE'VE HAD A PROBLEM."

AND THERE WAS NO MISTAKING THEIR MEANING.

SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC HAS JUST HAPPENED.

A LARGE OXYGEN TANK

IN THE SPACECRAFT'S MAIN COMPARTMENT HAS EXPLODED.

BACK ON EARTH,

THE NORMALLY CALM, COLLECTED ENGINEERS

OF MISSION CONTROL ARE STUNNED.

THE EXPLOSION THAT OCCURRED ON "APOLLO 13"

UP TO THAT POINT WAS THE WORST THING

THAT HAD EVER HAPPENED ON A SPACE FLIGHT.

THE BLAST HAS CRIPPLED THE SPACECRAFT.

THE ASTRONAUTS ARE RAPIDLY LOSING POWER.

AND WHAT'S WORSE,

THEIR OXYGEN SUPPLY IS LEAKING INTO SPACE.

(Jim) And it looks to me, looking at the, uh, hatch,

that we are venting something.

We are, uh--we are venting something out, uh,

into the, uh--into space.

(man) Roger, we copy your venting.

THE SITUATION IS DIRE.

IF THE ASTRONAUTS REMAIN IN THE SHIP,

THEY FACE CERTAIN DEATH.

THEY NEEDED SOMEWHERE ELSE TO GO,

SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT HAD A LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEM,

UM, SOMETHING THAT WAS FUNCTIONING.

THEIR ONLY HOPE OF MAKING IT BACK TO EARTH ALIVE

IS TO RETREAT INTO THE LUNAR LANDER,

THE SMALL VEHICLE DESIGNED TO SHUTTLE THEM

TO THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

THEY LOOKED AT THE LUNAR LANDER AS A LIFE BOAT.

THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SURVIVE

THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS THAT IT TOOK

TO GET BACK TO THE EARTH.

BUT CRAMMED INTO THE SMALL CAPSULE,

IT QUICKLY DAWNS ON THE MEN THAT THEY FACE

A NEW AND EVEN GREATER DANGER.

WITH EVERY BREATH OF OXYGEN THAT THEY INHALED,

THEY WERE EXHALING A POISONOUS GAS--CARBON DIOXIDE.

AND THAT WAS BUILDING UP IN THE SPACECRAFT.

THE AIR FILTRATION SYSTEM IN THE LUNAR LANDER

DEPENDS ON SPECIAL CANISTERS

THAT REMOVE THE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE AIR.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE VESSEL

IS ONLY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT TWO PASSENGERS.

THERE AREN'T ENOUGH FILTRATION CANISTERS

IN THE LUNAR LANDER TO KEEP ALL THREE ASTRONAUTS ALIVE

UNTIL THEY GET BACK TO EARTH.

THE ONLY SPARE CANISTERS THEY HAVE

ARE IN THE MAIN CABIN

OF THE CRIPPLED SPACESHIP.

BUT THEY ARE THE WRONG SHAPE.

THE CANISTERS FROM THE COMMAND MODULE

WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE LUNAR LANDER.

THE PROBLEM IS FRUSTRATINGLY SIMPLE.

THE SHIPS CANISTERS ARE SQUARE,

AND THE LUNAR LANDER'S FILTRATION SYSTEM

IS CYLINDRICAL.

THE ASTRONAUTS HAVE LESS THAN 48 HOURS

TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE THE CANISTERS WORK

OR THEY WILL SUFFOCATE.

BACK ON EARTH, ENGINEERS AT MISSION CONTROL

WORK FEVERISHLY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION

- TO SAVE THE CREW. - (man) Let's everybody keep cool,

- see if we can get some more brain power on this thing. - (man) We've got one here.

BUT THEY ARE SEVERELY LIMITED.

USING AN IDENTICAL CANISTER

AND THE ONLY TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE ASTRONAUTS--

A PLASTIC BAG, A TUBE, AND A ROLL OF DUCT TAPE--

NASA ENGINEERS ATTEMPT TO BUILD AN AIRTIGHT SEAL

THAT WILL FORCE AIR THROUGH THE SQUARE CANISTER.

AFTER MORE THAN 30 HOURS OF TENSE TRIAL AND ERROR,

NASA ENGINEERS COME UP WITH A DESIGN.

THEY RELAY THEIR MAKESHIFT REPAIR TO THE ASTRONAUTS,

WHO URGENTLY BEGIN REPLICATING THE FIX.

WITH ONLY HOURS UNTIL THEY RUN OUT OF AIR,

THE ASTRONAUTS WAIT TO SEE IF THE CANISTER WORKS.

AND JUST IN A MATTER OF MINUTES,

THOSE DANGEROUS LEVELS OF THE CARBON DIOXIDE GAS

IMMEDIATELY STARTED COMING DOWN.

THE CANISTER I-IS REALLY WHAT KEPT THE ASTRONAUTS ALIVE.

WITH THEIR AIR SUPPLY RESTORED,

THE CREW OF "APOLLO 13" CAN TURN THEIR ATTENTION

TO THE NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TASK

OF GUIDING THE LUNAR ROVER BACK TO EARTH.

ON APRIL 17, THEY SUCCEED.

"APOLLO 13" ENTERS EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

AND SPLASHES DOWN IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

(cheering)

(man) Odyssey, Houston, we show you on the mains.

It really looks great.

A TRAGEDY IS AVERTED,

AND THE NATION BREATHES A SIGH OF RELIEF.

AND TODAY, THIS SMALL METAL CANISTER

REMAINS SAFELY PRESERVED AT THE SPACE CENTER IN HOUSTON

AS A CONSTANT REMINDER OF THE POWER OF HUMAN TENACITY

IN THE FACE OF IMPOSSIBLE ODDS.

WHILE "APOLLO 13" ROSE TO SPECTACULAR HEIGHTS

AND LANDED SAFELY,

AT MICHIGAN'S HENRY FORD MUSEUM,

THIS FUTURISTIC CREATION,

ONCE POISED TO REVOLUTIONIZE AMERICA,

CRASHED BEFORE IT EVER GOT OFF THE GROUND.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

FIND OUT WHEN "MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM" RETURNS.

JUST OUTSIDE OF DETROIT,

THE WORLD-FAMOUS HENRY FORD MUSEUM

IS AN AWE-INSPIRING REPOSITORY

OF ENGINEERING MARVELS.

AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY THROUGH 9 ACRES

OF AUTOMOTIVE AMERICANA,

TUCKED AWAY IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER

IS AN ARTIFACT THAT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE A MUSTANG

OR A MODEL T.

IN FACT, IT WASN'T DESIGNED

BY HENRY FORD AT ALL.

A ROUND, METALLIC STRUCTURE,

THIS MASSIVE OBJECT COULD EASILY PASS FOR A FLYING SAUCER

OR EVEN AN ALIEN RELIC.

BUT IT'S NOT RIPPED FROM THE PAGES

OF SCIENCE FICTION,

NOR IS IT A FLYING MACHINE.

FIREPROOF, FLOOD-RESISTANT,

AND ABLE TO WITHSTAND EARTHQUAKES,

IT IS ONE MAN'S VISION

OF THE HOME OF THE FUTURE.

IT'S CALLED THE DYMAXION HOUSE.

(man) IT'S SHINY. IT'S CIRCULAR.

IT'S GOT A PEAKED ROOF.

NOTHING ABOUT THE EXTERIOR APPEARANCE OF THE HOUSE

SUGGESTS A HOUSE OTHER THAN WINDOWS, PERHAPS.

CONCEIVED IN THE 1920s

AS AN INEXPENSIVE PREFAB DWELLING,

THE ULTRA-MODERN HOUSE FEATURES INNOVATIONS

THAT WERE WELL AHEAD OF THEIR TIME--

SPACE-SAVING ROTATING SHELVES,

WATERLESS TOILETS THAT WOULD SHRINK-WRAP WASTE

FOR COMPOSTING,

DOWN-DRAFT VENTILATION

THAT NATURALLY FILTERED DUST AND IMPURITIES

FROM THE INTERIOR AIR.

THE DYMAXION HOUSE

IS A PRECURSOR OF MUCH OF THE THINKING WE NOW HAVE

IN THE ARENA OF, UM, ENVIRONMENTALISM.

THIS INVENTION COULD'VE CHANGED THE WAY WE LIVE

AS SIGNIFICANTLY AS THE MOTOR CAR

OR ASSEMBLY LINE, SO WHY DIDN'T IT?

WHY AREN'T WE ALL LIVING

IN ONE OF THESE AMAZING HOMES TODAY?

THE ANSWER LIES IN THE GENIUS

OF THE DYMAXION HOUSE'S DESIGNER,

THE ECCENTRIC INVENTOR NAMED BUCKMINSTER FULLER.

HE HAD INTERESTING WAYS OF LOOKING AT THINGS.

ANY IDEA WAS WORTHY OF SOME KIND OF INVESTIGATION.

SOMETIMES IT'S ARCHITECTURAL. SOMETIMES IT'S TRANSPORTATION.

MANY OF FULLER'S FAR-FETCHED IDEAS

STILL HAVE AN APPEAL.

1945--

BUCKMINSTER FULLER

IS A SELF-MADE INVENTOR AND ARCHITECT

OBSESSED WITH FINDING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

FOR SOCIETY'S NEEDS.

HE WOULD GO ON TO DESIGN THE GEODESIC DOME

AND PEN SEVERAL BOOKS ON SUSTAINABLE LIVING,

POPULARIZING THE PHRASE "SPACESHIP EARTH."

BUT UP UNTIL NOW,

HE'S HAD VERY LITTLE SUCCESS

BRINGING HIS PLANS TO LIFE.

BUT HISTORY IS ABOUT TO HAND HIM A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

TO MAKE HIS NAME IMMORTAL.

AS MILLIONS OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS RETURN

FROM THE BATTLEFIELDS OF WORLD WAR II,

THE COUNTRY FACES A MASSIVE HOUSING SHORTAGE,

AND FULLER HAS A SOLUTION,

A DESIGN HE'S BEEN DEVELOPING

FOR 20 YEARS--

THE DYMAXION HOUSE.

IT'S DESIGNED TO BE READILY TRANSPORTABLE.

IT'S DESIGNED TO BE LIGHTWEIGHT.

BUT IT SITS ON A VERY, VERY SMALL FOUNDATION.

FULLER'S HOUSE IS CHEAP,

EASY TO ASSEMBLE,

AND CAN BE PUT ANYWHERE.

THE DYMAXION HOUSE IS THE RIGHT INVENTION

AT THE RIGHT TIME.

W-WE KNOW THAT THERE WAS

ACTUALLY A VERY, VERY POSITIVE REACTION.

AN AWFUL LOT OF INQUIRIES CAME IN

REGARDING THE--THE COST AND AVAILABILITY AND PREORDERS.

SO WHY DOES THE DYMAXION HOUSE LIVE IN A MUSEUM

AND NOT ON EVERY ONE OF OUR CITY STREETS?

FULLER'S A VISIONARY. THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.

VISIONARIES ARE OFTEN VERY GOOD AT GETTING THINGS STARTED,

BUT NOT NECESSARILY AT SUSTAINING THEM.

FULLER SECURES THE BACKING OF A GROUP OF INVESTORS,

BUT HE CANNOT RESIST TINKERING WITH HIS DESIGN.

THERE'S NO GETTING AROUND THE FACT

HE--HE LIKED PROBLEM-SOLVING.

PEOPLE HID STUFF WHEN THEY SAW HIM COMING INTO THE PLANT,

BECAUSE THEY KNEW THERE'D BE JUST ONE MORE--

ONE MORE ADJUSTMENT.

1946--

AFTER MONTHS OF DELAYS AND FRUSTRATION,

FULLER AND HIS INVESTORS PART WAYS.

PRODUCTION OF THE NEW AMERICAN HOME

GRINDS TO A HALT.

AND INSTEAD, THE COUNTRY BUILDS MILLIONS

OF NEW SQUARE HOMES FOR ITS RETURNING G.I.s.

BUCKMINSTER FULLER'S VISION OF THE FUTURE,

AN AMERICA OF SHINY-DOMED DYMAXION HOMES

IS DESTROYED.

ALL THAT REMAINS IS ONE INTRIGUING EXAMPLE

OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

THIS IS THE SOLE SURVIVING DYMAXION HOUSE.

THIS IS IT. YOU WANT A DYMAXION HOUSE,

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME HERE AND LOOK AROUND THIS ONE.

WHILE THE FORD MUSEUM IN DEARBORN

MAY BE THE ONLY PLACE TO SEE A DYMAXION HOUSE...

IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE "MONA LISA,"

YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL TO PARIS.

YOU CAN SEE THIS MASTERPIECE

RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES

AT THE WALTERS MUSEUM OF ART IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE THE ORIGINAL?

THAT'S COMING UP NEXT ON "MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM."

THE "MONA LISA"--

LEONARDO da VINCI'S MOST ENDURING MASTERPIECE.

FOR CENTURIES SHE HAS ENTICED ART LOVERS

WITH HER MYSTERIOUS SMILE.

I WOULD SAY THAT THE "MONA LISA"

IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS WORKS OF ART.

AND IT'S THE ENIGMATIC EXPRESSION, I THINK,

THAT REALLY DRAWS PEOPLE IN.

IT LEAVES US WONDERING WHO THIS LADY IS.

WHAT IS SHE SMILING ABOUT, IF SHE IS INDEED SMILING?

AND IT'S A MYSTERY.

MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE THE "MONA LISA"

HANGS IN THE LOUVRE IN PARIS.

BUT FOR DECADES, RUMORS ABOUNDED

THAT THE REAL "MONA LISA" ACTUALLY RESTS HERE,

AT THE WALTERS MUSEUM OF ART IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

COULD THIS PAINTING BE THE ORIGINAL?

THE MYSTERY OF THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM'S "MONA LISA"

BEGINS A CENTURY AGO, WHEN THE MUSEUM'S FOUNDER,

HENRY WALTERS, PURCHASED A COPY OF THE "MONA LISA"

IN A LONDON AUCTION.

HENRY WALTERS ACQUIRED THE PAINTING IN 1909

AT AN AUCTION IN LONDON THROUGH AN AGENT.

AND AT THE TIME, IN THE, UH, AUCTION CATALOG,

THE PAINTING IS REFERRED TO

SIMPLY AS "LEONARDO da VINCI PORTRAIT OF MONA LISA."

SO WHY DO SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE

THAT THE ORIGINAL "MONA LISA"

NOW HANGS IN BALTIMORE?

COULD THEY SOMEHOW HAVE BEEN SWAPPED?

THE ANSWER LIES

IN ONE OF THE MOST SHOCKING ART THEFTS IN HISTORY.

PARIS,

AUGUST 21, 1911--

A MAN NAMED VINCENZO PERUGGIA,

AN EX-EMPLOYEE OF THE LOUVRE MUSEUM IN PARIS,

DOES THE UNTHINKABLE.

UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT,

HE STEALS THE "MONA LISA."

HE WAS A MAN WHO BELIEVED

THAT THIS PIECE WAS AN ITALIAN NATIONAL TREASURE.

AND HE SAW IT AS HIS DUTY TO TAKE IT BACK TO ITALY.

FOR TWO WHOLE YEARS,

THE FAMOUS PAINTING IS LOST TO THE WORLD.

AND IT IS DURING THESE DARK DAYS

THAT RUMOR AND MYSTERY SURROUNDING da VINCI'S PAINTING

SPREADS ACROSS THE WORLD.

SOME BELIEVE AN ARGENTINEAN CON MAN

MASTERMINDED THE THEFT

SO THAT HE COULD SELL ILLICIT BUYERS

NEAR-PERFECT FORGERIES.

AT ONE POINT, PABLO PICASSO IS QUESTIONED IN THE THEFT

BECAUSE OF HIS RELATIONSHIP TO AN ALLEGED SUSPECT.

FINALLY IN 1913 IN FLORENCE, ITALY,

VINCENZO PERUGGIA ATTEMPTS TO SELL THE "MONA LISA,"

OR WHAT HE CLAIMS TO BE THE "MONA LISA,"

TO ITALIAN OFFICIALS.

INSTEAD, HE IS PROMPTLY ARRESTED.

THE PAINTING IN HIS POSSESSION

GOES BACK TO THE LOUVRE.

BUT DID THE AUTHORITIES RECOVER

THE RIGHT "MONA LISA"?

IN THIS TUMULTUOUS PERIOD

OF INTERNATIONAL ART DEALING,

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WALTERS'S 1909 COPY,

HELD IN HIS PRIVATE COLLECTION,

WAS SOMEHOW SWITCHED WITH THE STOLEN ORIGINAL?

THE THEORY HAD BEEN PUT FORWARD THAT A--

POSSIBLY A SUBSTITUTION HAD BEEN MADE.

100 YEARS LATER, USING MODERN SCIENCE,

THE CURATORS AT THE WALTERS

HAVE A DEFINITIVE WAY

TO ANSWER THESE FANTASTIC SPECULATIONS.

WHAT THE X-RAYS DO IS SHOW THE INSIDES,

THE WORKINGS OF HOW THE PAINTINGS WERE PUT TOGETHER.

AND THESE X-RAYS SHOW SOMETHING

COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED.

ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING ASPECTS OF THIS PAINTING

IS NOT ON THE SURFACE, BUT WHAT'S UNDERNEATH.

THE IMAGE ON THE X-RAY WAS REALLY REMARKABLE,

BECAUSE IT WAS A COMPLETE OTHER PAINTING.

WE SAW A VERSION OF ST. VERONICA

HOLDING THE VEIL OF CHRIST.

THE PAINTING OF ST. VERONICA IS ATTRIBUTED

TO A FRENCH ARTIST NAMED SIMON VOUET.

MOST IMPORTANTLY,

CURATORS DATE VOUET'S WORK TO THE 1630s,

MORE THAN A CENTURY AFTER da VINCI PAINTED

THE ORIGINAL "MONA LISA."

SO THE ARTIST REUSED THIS PAINTING

TO REPAINT A COPY OF THE "MONA LISA."

WHATEVER DOUBT HAS SWIRLED AROUND THIS "MONA LISA"

HAS BEEN CONCLUSIVELY PUT TO BED.

THE PAINTING AT THE WALTERS IS NOT THE ORIGINAL.

WE WOULD LOVE TO OWN THE "MONA LISA,"

BUT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE DO NOT.

THE ORIGINAL VERSION IS IN THE LOUVRE.

AUTHENTIC OR NOT,

THE SUBTLE EXPRESSION OF THE WOMAN IN THIS PAINTING

IS MASTERFUL ENOUGH TO MAKE MUSEUM-GOERS STOP

AND WONDER WHAT SECRETS LIE

BEHIND HER TIMELESS SMILE.

"MONA LISAS" AND MERMAIDS...

- HEROIC DEEDS... - (cheering)

DARING ESCAPES,

HOMES OF THE FUTURE

AND TREASURES OF THE PAST,

AMAZING OBJECTS,

EACH GUARDING AN INCREDIBLE SECRET--

THESE ARE THE MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM.