"Mysteries at the Museum" Hidden Histories: Mysteries at the Museum Special

1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,630 A red-hot theory behind the sinking of the Titanic. 2 00:00:04,730 --> 00:00:07,200 SNYDER: He may have just discovered 3 00:00:07,300 --> 00:00:10,040 a hundred-year-old secret that could rewrite history. 4 00:00:10,140 --> 00:00:13,240 Beethoven's incredible need for speed. 5 00:00:13,310 --> 00:00:15,710 LEVINE: Beethoven was writing a pace 6 00:00:15,780 --> 00:00:18,750 that modern musicians can't keep up with. 7 00:00:18,810 --> 00:00:22,120 And an iconic landmark on the brink of destruction. 8 00:00:22,180 --> 00:00:26,050 RUBENHOLD: Eiffel was not gonna sit there silently 9 00:00:26,060 --> 00:00:29,190 while his greatest creation disappeared. 10 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,190 These are the mysteries at the museum. 11 00:00:38,330 --> 00:00:40,170 Paris, France -- 12 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:42,740 the Arc de Triomphe, 13 00:00:42,740 --> 00:00:46,540 cathedral of Notre Dame, and the Louvre Pyramid 14 00:00:46,580 --> 00:00:48,340 are among the most famous structures 15 00:00:48,340 --> 00:00:50,540 in the City of Light, 16 00:00:50,610 --> 00:00:54,310 and tracing the history of these iconic landmarks and more 17 00:00:54,380 --> 00:00:56,980 is the Museum of Heritage and Architecture. 18 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,090 The institution holds an unparalleled collection 19 00:01:03,230 --> 00:01:07,290 of mock-ups and scale models of France's finest edifices 20 00:01:07,300 --> 00:01:11,830 that range from the Middle Ages to the present day. 21 00:01:11,900 --> 00:01:14,330 But among these impressive displays 22 00:01:14,470 --> 00:01:17,770 is one item that could be easily overlooked. 23 00:01:17,810 --> 00:01:20,810 RUBENHOLD: This object is about an inch and a half in diameter. 24 00:01:20,940 --> 00:01:22,510 It's made of bronze, 25 00:01:22,580 --> 00:01:25,850 and it's dented around the edges, 26 00:01:25,850 --> 00:01:28,720 and it's over a century old. 27 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,380 WILDMAN: This coin recalls one man's attempt 28 00:01:31,450 --> 00:01:34,250 to rescue the most iconic symbol of France 29 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:35,720 from the scrap heap. 30 00:01:35,830 --> 00:01:37,860 This is the story of one man's journey 31 00:01:37,930 --> 00:01:40,130 to save a national treasure. 32 00:01:43,270 --> 00:01:46,330 WILDMAN: It's 1889 in Paris. 33 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,400 A huge celebration is under way. 34 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,810 The Exposition Universelle, 35 00:01:51,870 --> 00:01:54,010 otherwise known as the World's Fair, 36 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,080 has drawn millions of visitors to the French capital. 37 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,010 The festival features world-renowned operas, 38 00:02:00,150 --> 00:02:03,680 the latest in steam-train technology, 39 00:02:03,790 --> 00:02:05,690 and even a performance from the famous 40 00:02:05,820 --> 00:02:08,360 American sharpshooter Annie Oakley, 41 00:02:08,420 --> 00:02:10,960 but the star attraction is the event's 42 00:02:11,090 --> 00:02:14,630 soaring centerpiece -- the Eiffel Tower. 43 00:02:14,630 --> 00:02:18,060 Built by engineer Gustave Eiffel, 44 00:02:18,100 --> 00:02:20,570 it's made of more than 2 million rivets 45 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,700 and 18,000 pieces of iron. 46 00:02:23,740 --> 00:02:26,310 Standing 984 feet high, 47 00:02:26,380 --> 00:02:29,910 the tower is the tallest structure in the world. 48 00:02:29,980 --> 00:02:32,450 It could be seen from all over Paris. 49 00:02:32,580 --> 00:02:34,450 It was basically created 50 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,390 to show people what was great about France. 51 00:02:40,590 --> 00:02:42,720 WILDMAN: But although international fairgoers 52 00:02:42,790 --> 00:02:44,860 marvel at this feat of engineering, 53 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,790 Parisians have a very different opinion. 54 00:02:47,860 --> 00:02:49,930 Many of them consider the tower 55 00:02:49,930 --> 00:02:51,800 to be a terrible eyesore. 56 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,470 RUBENHOLD: They thought it contrasted too much 57 00:02:54,540 --> 00:03:00,670 with the classical, very well laid-out French capital. 58 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,110 Artists were even saying that it looked like 59 00:03:03,110 --> 00:03:08,150 a big, metallic, hideous giraffe in the middle of Paris. 60 00:03:10,550 --> 00:03:12,950 WILDMAN: So, Parisians lobby 61 00:03:12,990 --> 00:03:15,420 for the tower to be torn down, 62 00:03:15,420 --> 00:03:18,120 and as public pressure against the monument mounts, 63 00:03:18,190 --> 00:03:19,990 the government gives in. 64 00:03:20,130 --> 00:03:22,700 It's deemed that when Gustave Eiffel's land permit 65 00:03:22,830 --> 00:03:25,070 expires in 1909, 66 00:03:25,070 --> 00:03:26,900 the tower will be demolished. 67 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,440 For the proud engineer, this is a crushing blow. 68 00:03:30,470 --> 00:03:34,710 Eiffel was heartbroken that after putting all of this effort 69 00:03:34,740 --> 00:03:37,580 into building this momentous structure 70 00:03:37,650 --> 00:03:39,650 they were just going to rip it apart. 71 00:03:41,950 --> 00:03:44,820 WILDMAN: Eiffel believes the tower should remain standing 72 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,790 as a triumphant symbol of French ingenuity, 73 00:03:47,890 --> 00:03:51,220 so he launches his own campaign to save it. 74 00:03:53,430 --> 00:03:55,060 To win over the critics, 75 00:03:55,130 --> 00:03:57,130 Eiffel tries to encourage more people 76 00:03:57,170 --> 00:04:00,470 to take in the tower's breathtaking views. 77 00:04:00,570 --> 00:04:03,800 He offers anyone who dares to take the stairs to the top 78 00:04:03,870 --> 00:04:06,970 a commemorative coin, one of which is now on display 79 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,210 at the Museum of Heritage and Architecture. 80 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,010 But to Eiffel's dismay, 81 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,280 the people of Paris are not impressed. 82 00:04:16,390 --> 00:04:20,120 Unfortunately, this attempt, no matter how inviting it was, 83 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,260 didn't really sway the French at all. 84 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:25,690 WILDMAN: So, Eiffel reasons 85 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,160 that if he can't make an aesthetic case, 86 00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:30,500 he'll have to make a scientific one. 87 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,500 He explains that the height of the tower 88 00:04:32,570 --> 00:04:33,830 makes it the perfect place 89 00:04:33,940 --> 00:04:37,500 to study the fledgling field of aerodynamics. 90 00:04:37,610 --> 00:04:39,910 Eiffel conducts a series of experiments 91 00:04:40,010 --> 00:04:41,710 to measure air resistance 92 00:04:41,780 --> 00:04:45,310 and drops an array of objects from the top. 93 00:04:45,310 --> 00:04:47,710 But even these dramatic demonstrations 94 00:04:47,820 --> 00:04:49,920 fail to win over the French. 95 00:04:49,950 --> 00:04:52,390 The government still turned around and said, 96 00:04:52,420 --> 00:04:54,050 "Well, thank you very much, 97 00:04:54,060 --> 00:04:58,390 but we're going to still take it down." 98 00:04:58,530 --> 00:05:00,130 WILDMAN: By 1898, 99 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,800 after years of trying to save his eponymous edifice, 100 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,670 it seems Eiffel's efforts have been in vain. 101 00:05:07,740 --> 00:05:10,270 The tower is doomed. 102 00:05:10,410 --> 00:05:12,270 But one day, Eiffel hears 103 00:05:12,340 --> 00:05:14,540 about a revolutionary new technology 104 00:05:14,580 --> 00:05:18,080 that might finally help his case -- radio. 105 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,950 Radio could really revolutionize everything 106 00:05:20,980 --> 00:05:23,420 because it transmitted messages. 107 00:05:23,490 --> 00:05:25,420 But at the turn of the century, 108 00:05:25,550 --> 00:05:30,090 it was still very much in its infancy. 109 00:05:30,090 --> 00:05:32,160 WILDMAN: Early radio signals were often blocked 110 00:05:32,190 --> 00:05:34,960 by mountains, hills, or even buildings. 111 00:05:35,030 --> 00:05:38,160 So, Eiffel announces that he will solve this problem 112 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,500 by installing a radio transmitter 113 00:05:40,500 --> 00:05:43,700 on top of his reviled tower. 114 00:05:43,770 --> 00:05:45,770 RUBENHOLD: The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure 115 00:05:45,810 --> 00:05:48,640 in the world, let alone in France. 116 00:05:48,710 --> 00:05:52,380 There were no obstructions at all. 117 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,080 WILDMAN: To demonstrate how successful his tower is 118 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:56,920 at transmitting radio signals, 119 00:05:56,990 --> 00:06:00,020 he sends the first radio broadcast from France, 120 00:06:00,020 --> 00:06:04,890 across the English Channel, to Great Britain. 121 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,930 Soon after, word of the revolutionary experiment 122 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,460 attracts the attention of the French military. 123 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,530 The French military were very, very impressed. 124 00:06:13,670 --> 00:06:15,470 This had fantastic implications 125 00:06:15,470 --> 00:06:18,740 for all sorts of technological advancements, 126 00:06:18,810 --> 00:06:22,280 and they were very pleased with him. 127 00:06:22,380 --> 00:06:25,180 WILDMAN: With the military's endorsement, 128 00:06:25,250 --> 00:06:27,410 the French government changes its mind 129 00:06:27,550 --> 00:06:31,850 and agrees to keep Eiffel's beloved building. 130 00:06:31,850 --> 00:06:33,820 And in the years that follow, 131 00:06:33,860 --> 00:06:35,820 the tower sends wireless signals 132 00:06:35,860 --> 00:06:39,430 as far away as Berlin, Morocco, and North America. 133 00:06:39,530 --> 00:06:42,460 RUBENHOLD: This certainly gave France the edge 134 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,530 on this type of radio transmission 135 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,700 because nobody else had a structure of this size 136 00:06:47,740 --> 00:06:50,040 from which to send a transmission. 137 00:06:50,140 --> 00:06:51,670 WILDMAN: During the first World War, 138 00:06:51,740 --> 00:06:54,370 the French military even uses it to listen in 139 00:06:54,510 --> 00:06:57,310 on German radio communications. 140 00:06:57,310 --> 00:06:59,380 Eventually, Parisians come around 141 00:06:59,380 --> 00:07:02,780 and embrace the aesthetics of the colossal structure, 142 00:07:02,780 --> 00:07:04,850 and the tower becomes the enduring symbol 143 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:06,190 of the French nation. 144 00:07:06,260 --> 00:07:09,860 The Eiffel Tower goes on to be a national landmark 145 00:07:09,990 --> 00:07:13,660 and probably one of the most famous structures in the world. 146 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:20,270 WILDMAN: Today, this commemorative coin from the 1889 World's Fair 147 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,140 is on display at the Museum of Heritage and Architecture 148 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:24,810 in Paris. 149 00:07:24,940 --> 00:07:27,840 It's a small reminder of a determined engineer 150 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:29,810 and the steps he took to preserve 151 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:31,710 his towering achievement. 152 00:07:36,850 --> 00:07:41,150 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania boasts more than 400 river crossings, 153 00:07:41,220 --> 00:07:44,090 earning it the nickname "The City of Bridges." 154 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,730 And not far from the waterfront is an institution 155 00:07:46,830 --> 00:07:49,700 that's overflowing with masterpieces: 156 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,270 The Carnegie Museum of Art. 157 00:07:54,740 --> 00:07:58,970 Its collection features a 4,000-square-foot mural, 158 00:07:59,110 --> 00:08:00,170 a plaster facade 159 00:08:00,180 --> 00:08:03,180 of a 12th century French cathedral 160 00:08:03,250 --> 00:08:04,980 and Monet's "Water Lilies" 161 00:08:04,980 --> 00:08:10,420 painted on a nearly 20-foot-wide canvas. 162 00:08:10,450 --> 00:08:12,650 But amid these enormous works 163 00:08:12,650 --> 00:08:16,360 is a much smaller but equally significant piece. 164 00:08:16,430 --> 00:08:19,130 WOMAN: It is an amazing array 165 00:08:19,230 --> 00:08:23,560 of undulating beautiful colors, greens 166 00:08:23,700 --> 00:08:25,330 and blues and pinks. 167 00:08:25,330 --> 00:08:28,330 And it was painted by Vincent van Gogh. 168 00:08:28,370 --> 00:08:30,770 WILDMAN: The Dutch painter is one of the greatest artists 169 00:08:30,910 --> 00:08:32,770 to ever live. 170 00:08:32,910 --> 00:08:35,040 But the circumstances of Van Gogh's death 171 00:08:35,110 --> 00:08:37,240 are mired in controversy. 172 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,280 STEWART: This painting is really a window 173 00:08:39,410 --> 00:08:42,180 into one of the greatest mysteries of the art world. 174 00:08:46,150 --> 00:08:50,820 WILDMAN: July 27, 1890 -- Auvers, France. 175 00:08:50,830 --> 00:08:54,460 Innkeeper Gustave Ravoux is taking care of his patrons 176 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:57,160 when suddenly one of his guests stumbles 177 00:08:57,230 --> 00:08:59,430 in the front door. 178 00:08:59,570 --> 00:09:04,240 The man is 37 year-old painter Vincent van Gogh. 179 00:09:04,270 --> 00:09:07,640 He is doubled over in pain and clutching his stomach. 180 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:09,840 STEWART: Van Gogh didn't say a word to anybody. 181 00:09:09,980 --> 00:09:12,050 He went straight for the stairs. 182 00:09:12,050 --> 00:09:14,650 WILDMAN: The innkeeper is deeply concerned. 183 00:09:14,780 --> 00:09:16,920 And when he checks on Van Gogh in his room, 184 00:09:17,020 --> 00:09:20,390 he finds a gruesome sight. 185 00:09:20,420 --> 00:09:24,760 STEWART: Van Gogh showed him a small bullet hole 186 00:09:24,790 --> 00:09:27,930 in his abdomen. 187 00:09:27,930 --> 00:09:30,660 WILDMAN: A doctor is called to the artist's bedside. 188 00:09:30,730 --> 00:09:34,000 He carefully tends to the bullet wound, 189 00:09:34,070 --> 00:09:36,070 but it's no use. 190 00:09:38,340 --> 00:09:42,140 On July 29th, Van Gogh draws his final breath 191 00:09:42,140 --> 00:09:44,210 and takes the curious circumstances 192 00:09:44,250 --> 00:09:46,280 of his death to his grave. 193 00:09:46,350 --> 00:09:50,420 STEWART: He never exactly said what happened. 194 00:09:50,490 --> 00:09:54,990 WILDMAN: Authorities investigate the artist's mysterious demise. 195 00:09:55,060 --> 00:09:56,920 When they interviewed townspeople, 196 00:09:56,990 --> 00:09:59,060 they discover some troubling details 197 00:09:59,090 --> 00:10:00,630 about the painter's past. 198 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:02,090 STEWART: Van Gogh had been 199 00:10:02,100 --> 00:10:04,030 in and out of several mental hospitals. 200 00:10:04,070 --> 00:10:05,100 It was also rumored 201 00:10:05,170 --> 00:10:06,970 that he had sliced off parts of his ear 202 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,300 in one of his fits of depression. 203 00:10:09,370 --> 00:10:11,470 WILDMAN: In fact, Van Gogh's erratic behavior 204 00:10:11,570 --> 00:10:12,940 was so well known 205 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:14,870 that he had become an easy target 206 00:10:14,980 --> 00:10:16,380 of neighborhood bullies. 207 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:19,250 STEWART: He would get into arguments with local teenagers. 208 00:10:19,350 --> 00:10:22,250 And some of the boys had actually teased him. 209 00:10:22,250 --> 00:10:23,980 WILDMAN: Given the evidence, authorities 210 00:10:24,050 --> 00:10:26,450 come to a heartbreaking conclusion. 211 00:10:26,490 --> 00:10:28,120 STEWART: The police assumed that, 212 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:30,060 because of his mental health, 213 00:10:30,190 --> 00:10:31,930 it must be a suicide. 214 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,730 WILDMAN: Over the following 100 years, 215 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,730 Van Gogh's paintings become some of the most 216 00:10:40,770 --> 00:10:43,800 critically acclaimed works of art in the world. 217 00:10:43,940 --> 00:10:45,840 And the story of his tortured life 218 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:50,080 and shocking suicide only adds to the enigmatic painter's fame 219 00:10:50,210 --> 00:10:52,080 and mystique. 220 00:10:52,210 --> 00:10:53,950 But some believe the history books 221 00:10:53,980 --> 00:10:56,880 got his tragic tale very wrong. 222 00:10:59,550 --> 00:11:02,590 2001 -- Amsterdam. 223 00:11:02,620 --> 00:11:05,890 American authors Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith 224 00:11:05,890 --> 00:11:09,700 are writing a biography of Vincent van Gogh. 225 00:11:09,730 --> 00:11:11,830 As they research the artist's death, 226 00:11:11,900 --> 00:11:13,630 they realize there's one detail 227 00:11:13,740 --> 00:11:15,270 that doesn't quite make sense: 228 00:11:15,340 --> 00:11:21,070 the precise location of Van Gogh's gunshot wound. 229 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,240 STEWART: Naifeh and Smith found it odd that someone 230 00:11:23,310 --> 00:11:24,680 who wanted to kill themselves 231 00:11:24,750 --> 00:11:26,210 would shoot themselves in the abdomen 232 00:11:26,250 --> 00:11:30,580 because that would lead to a long and painful death. 233 00:11:30,590 --> 00:11:33,490 WILDMAN: Intrigued, the authors searched through documents 234 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:35,990 from the initial investigation. 235 00:11:36,020 --> 00:11:38,690 They find the details of the doctor's report 236 00:11:38,690 --> 00:11:43,100 and hire a forensic expert to analyze the evidence. 237 00:11:43,100 --> 00:11:47,030 The results are incredible. 238 00:11:47,100 --> 00:11:49,740 Based on the trajectory of the bullet, the shot 239 00:11:49,870 --> 00:11:52,000 that killed Van Gogh must have been taken 240 00:11:52,070 --> 00:11:55,610 at a great distance from his body. 241 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:57,980 What's more, no gun powder residue 242 00:11:57,980 --> 00:12:00,880 was found on the artist's hands, 243 00:12:00,950 --> 00:12:05,150 leading Naifeh and Smith to an amazing revelation. 244 00:12:05,220 --> 00:12:07,550 STEWART: The authors believe that 245 00:12:07,620 --> 00:12:09,620 Van Gogh did not shoot himself. 246 00:12:09,690 --> 00:12:11,620 WILDMAN: But if Van Gogh didn't kill himself, 247 00:12:11,730 --> 00:12:13,390 who was responsible? 248 00:12:17,620 --> 00:12:19,520 For over a century, the world has believed 249 00:12:19,650 --> 00:12:21,720 that the famous painter, Vincent Van Gogh, 250 00:12:21,790 --> 00:12:24,120 died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 251 00:12:24,190 --> 00:12:27,160 But in 2001, two American authors 252 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,930 come forward with a shocking new theory. 253 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,430 They believe the artist was murdered. 254 00:12:32,460 --> 00:12:34,400 So is this the real story behind 255 00:12:34,430 --> 00:12:37,130 Van Gogh's unfortunate fate? 256 00:12:37,170 --> 00:12:39,940 Determined to uncover the truth, Naifeh and Smith 257 00:12:39,970 --> 00:12:42,210 comb through original eyewitness accounts 258 00:12:42,270 --> 00:12:44,410 from townspeople in Auvers. 259 00:12:44,540 --> 00:12:48,280 And there's one detail that stands out. 260 00:12:48,350 --> 00:12:50,880 The conflict that Van Gogh was known to have had 261 00:12:50,950 --> 00:12:53,620 with local teenage gangs. 262 00:12:53,690 --> 00:12:56,620 On the day he was shot, 263 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:58,860 Van Gogh was seen stumbling away 264 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,760 from the home of one of the ring leaders -- 265 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,490 a 16 year-old boy named Rene Secretan. 266 00:13:05,530 --> 00:13:07,300 The authors suspect 267 00:13:07,430 --> 00:13:11,700 that the teenager did more than just ridicule the artist. 268 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,040 In fact, Secretan 269 00:13:13,100 --> 00:13:16,640 was known around town for a very particular habit. 270 00:13:16,710 --> 00:13:19,140 Secretan always carried a gun. 271 00:13:23,450 --> 00:13:25,750 WILDMAN: Based on the evidence, Naifeh and Smith 272 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:30,550 piece together a picture of the artist's final day. 273 00:13:30,620 --> 00:13:32,990 They believe that Secretan and Van Gogh 274 00:13:33,060 --> 00:13:37,390 got into a heated exchange that culminated in violence. 275 00:13:37,500 --> 00:13:39,600 A gun went off, 276 00:13:39,660 --> 00:13:41,660 either intentionally or accidentally, 277 00:13:41,670 --> 00:13:44,430 fatally wounding Van Gogh. 278 00:13:44,500 --> 00:13:47,970 WILDMAN: These discoveries offer a groundbreaking new take 279 00:13:48,070 --> 00:13:50,970 on the artist's tragic demise. 280 00:13:51,110 --> 00:13:54,210 This theory opens up the conversation for the art world 281 00:13:54,210 --> 00:13:56,210 to think differently about Van Gogh's life. 282 00:13:59,150 --> 00:14:02,220 WILDMAN: Today, this painting of the wheat fields in Auvers, 283 00:14:02,290 --> 00:14:04,490 where Van Gogh spent his final days, 284 00:14:04,560 --> 00:14:06,990 hangs in the Carnegie Museum of Art. 285 00:14:07,030 --> 00:14:09,360 It recalls the mysterious circumstances 286 00:14:09,390 --> 00:14:10,930 surrounding the death 287 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,330 of one of history's most famous figures. 288 00:14:18,700 --> 00:14:23,810 Wild nightlife, over-the-top shows, and glittering casinos 289 00:14:23,910 --> 00:14:26,980 attract more than 40 million visitors each year 290 00:14:27,010 --> 00:14:29,850 to Las Vegas, Nevada. 291 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,120 And located along the famous strip 292 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,250 is a world-class institution -- 293 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,150 Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. 294 00:14:39,260 --> 00:14:42,190 This collection of more than 250 objects 295 00:14:42,330 --> 00:14:44,930 salvaged from the ill-fated vessel 296 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:50,530 includes a nickel-clad saucepan from the ship's galley, 297 00:14:50,540 --> 00:14:53,740 a clarinet used by the band, 298 00:14:53,740 --> 00:14:55,940 and an unopened bottle of champagne 299 00:14:56,070 --> 00:14:57,870 recovered from the ocean depths. 300 00:15:00,610 --> 00:15:04,750 But one hulking structure looms over these smaller relics. 301 00:15:04,820 --> 00:15:09,790 This artifact is 26 feet wide and 12 feet tall. 302 00:15:09,790 --> 00:15:12,360 It weighs almost 15 tons. 303 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,690 It is adorned with hundreds of small rivets 304 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:16,890 and four portholes. 305 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:19,300 And the surface is discolored and corroded. 306 00:15:22,770 --> 00:15:25,900 WILDMAN: This section of the Titanic's hull could alter everything 307 00:15:25,970 --> 00:15:29,040 that's known about this epic tragedy. 308 00:15:29,170 --> 00:15:31,810 SNYDER: This is a story of a glamorous ship, 309 00:15:31,810 --> 00:15:34,680 its untimely demise, 310 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,780 and new evidence that might have led to its sinking. 311 00:15:43,660 --> 00:15:46,360 WILDMAN: April 15, 1912. 312 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,360 The world wakes up to astounding news -- 313 00:15:49,430 --> 00:15:52,730 the Titanic -- a luxurious ocean liner 314 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:56,670 bound from Southampton, England, to New York -- has sunk. 315 00:16:00,170 --> 00:16:03,470 Newspapers report that four days into her maiden voyage, 316 00:16:03,510 --> 00:16:06,910 the Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. 317 00:16:09,310 --> 00:16:14,550 The iceberg ripped a 300-foot gash across her hull, 318 00:16:14,620 --> 00:16:19,190 and 2 hours and 40 minutes later, the mighty ship sank. 319 00:16:19,260 --> 00:16:23,960 In all, more than 1,500 people died. 320 00:16:24,060 --> 00:16:28,100 It's the greatest disaster in the history of ocean travel. 321 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,630 SNYDER: It was a hard pill to swallow. 322 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:35,300 How could this amazing vessel sink so easily 323 00:16:35,370 --> 00:16:37,770 just after bumping into an iceberg? 324 00:16:39,780 --> 00:16:41,180 WILDMAN: In the years that follow, 325 00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:45,510 historians pore over every detail of the tragedy, 326 00:16:45,550 --> 00:16:49,990 and eventually, in 2012, a new piece of evidence emerges 327 00:16:50,060 --> 00:16:52,320 that turns the story of the famous shipwreck 328 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:53,560 on its head. 329 00:16:55,930 --> 00:16:57,860 Wiltshire, England. 330 00:16:57,900 --> 00:17:00,600 49-year-old historian Senan Molony 331 00:17:00,670 --> 00:17:03,670 is researching the Titanic for an upcoming book, 332 00:17:03,740 --> 00:17:06,600 when something catches his attention. 333 00:17:06,740 --> 00:17:10,210 It's a photograph of the ship taken when it was still in port 334 00:17:10,340 --> 00:17:11,670 in Southampton, England, 335 00:17:11,780 --> 00:17:15,540 before it set off on its fateful voyage. 336 00:17:15,580 --> 00:17:19,520 When Molony looks closer, he spots something unusual. 337 00:17:19,550 --> 00:17:22,290 There appears to be a 30-foot-long black mark 338 00:17:22,290 --> 00:17:24,550 across the hull. 339 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,360 The streak is located in the exact same spot 340 00:17:27,430 --> 00:17:31,060 where the Titanic would later be pierced by the iceberg. 341 00:17:33,770 --> 00:17:37,370 Molony suspects that the strange mark in the photograph 342 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,600 might be connected to the sinking of the Titanic. 343 00:17:40,670 --> 00:17:43,810 Molony had to rush off and get to the experts immediately. 344 00:17:45,980 --> 00:17:48,110 WILDMAN: Molony shares the photographs 345 00:17:48,150 --> 00:17:50,510 with engineers from The Royal College of London 346 00:17:50,550 --> 00:17:53,220 for professional analysis. 347 00:17:53,220 --> 00:17:55,650 They determine that the black mark lines up 348 00:17:55,720 --> 00:18:00,290 with an area in the Titanic called a coal bunker. 349 00:18:00,420 --> 00:18:02,460 This three-story-tall room 350 00:18:02,490 --> 00:18:05,130 was used to store coal for the ship's engines. 351 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,330 SNYDER: The Titanic was a steamship, which meant that, basically, 352 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:10,700 this coal was used to fuel the ship. 353 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:14,940 They had over 6 tons of coal on board the ship. 354 00:18:18,780 --> 00:18:21,180 WILDMAN: Intrigued, Molony digs into the history 355 00:18:21,210 --> 00:18:23,750 of the Titanic's coal bunker, 356 00:18:23,820 --> 00:18:26,480 and what he discovers is incredible. 357 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:27,750 He finds a report 358 00:18:27,820 --> 00:18:30,490 in which several surviving crew members claim 359 00:18:30,490 --> 00:18:34,560 that a fire had broken out in the coal bunker of the Titanic 360 00:18:34,660 --> 00:18:38,460 before the ship set sail for America. 361 00:18:38,460 --> 00:18:41,160 The report goes on to claim that the ship's crew 362 00:18:41,230 --> 00:18:44,370 was unable to extinguish the blaze, 363 00:18:44,500 --> 00:18:46,240 but to keep the voyage on schedule, 364 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,640 the ship's owners covered it up, 365 00:18:48,710 --> 00:18:51,370 and the liner set off as planned. 366 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:53,510 SNYDER: Molony was shocked and appalled at the fact 367 00:18:53,610 --> 00:18:55,580 that they would set sail with a fire 368 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,450 that is continuing to burn. 369 00:18:58,550 --> 00:19:02,450 WILDMAN: Based on this information, Molony formulates a new theory 370 00:19:02,590 --> 00:19:04,950 about the infamous disaster. 371 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:09,360 The heat from the raging inferno weakened a specific section 372 00:19:09,390 --> 00:19:11,930 of the Titanic's steel hull -- 373 00:19:12,030 --> 00:19:16,470 the same section that was hit and ripped open by the iceberg. 374 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,140 Molony argues that if not for the fire, 375 00:19:19,270 --> 00:19:22,870 the Titanic might have withstood the fateful impact. 376 00:19:22,940 --> 00:19:26,340 Molony may have just discovered a 100-year-old secret 377 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:28,280 that could rewrite history. 378 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,370 It's 2012 in England. 379 00:19:36,470 --> 00:19:38,840 Historian Senan Molony has come up with 380 00:19:38,970 --> 00:19:41,970 an extraordinary theory about the sinking of the Titanic . 381 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,980 He claims that a fire broke out on board 382 00:19:45,110 --> 00:19:47,950 before the vessel set sail, and this played a key role 383 00:19:48,020 --> 00:19:50,220 in the ship's demise. 384 00:19:50,290 --> 00:19:52,390 But does this theory hold water? 385 00:19:55,120 --> 00:20:00,360 On December 31, 2016, Molony reports his story 386 00:20:00,430 --> 00:20:03,360 to the British newspaper The Times. 387 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,560 It makes headlines across the world. 388 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:09,840 Many experts back up Molony's theory. 389 00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:13,310 But not everyone is convinced. 390 00:20:13,370 --> 00:20:16,510 Critics maintain that the force of the immense iceberg 391 00:20:16,610 --> 00:20:19,610 was too much for any ship to resist. 392 00:20:19,710 --> 00:20:21,380 They point to evidence that suggests 393 00:20:21,450 --> 00:20:25,150 the Titanic's rivets were made of weak wrought iron, 394 00:20:25,150 --> 00:20:28,490 causing them to become extremely brittle in cold water. 395 00:20:28,620 --> 00:20:31,090 But until more proof comes to light, 396 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:33,660 historians will remain divided. 397 00:20:37,300 --> 00:20:40,170 SNYDER: We may never know for sure if this coal fire 398 00:20:40,170 --> 00:20:42,800 had anything to do with Titanic's sinking, 399 00:20:42,940 --> 00:20:45,970 but Senan Molony's research shed new light 400 00:20:46,010 --> 00:20:48,140 on an age-old tale of a disaster at sea. 401 00:20:51,850 --> 00:20:55,050 WILDMAN: In the meantime, this piece of the historic ship's hull 402 00:20:55,050 --> 00:20:58,780 is on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition 403 00:20:58,820 --> 00:21:00,990 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 404 00:21:01,090 --> 00:21:03,560 It recalls the incendiary new theory 405 00:21:03,630 --> 00:21:06,630 that might just be the tip of the iceberg. 406 00:21:09,730 --> 00:21:13,730 Saint Paul, Minnesota, is a town with an eclectic past. 407 00:21:13,870 --> 00:21:15,130 During Prohibition, 408 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,340 this capital city was known as a hotbed for gangsters. 409 00:21:19,470 --> 00:21:22,270 Today, it famously boasts the longest stretch 410 00:21:22,410 --> 00:21:26,140 of Victorian houses in the United States. 411 00:21:26,180 --> 00:21:27,750 And one institution here 412 00:21:27,850 --> 00:21:30,780 chronicles the region's colorful heritage -- 413 00:21:30,850 --> 00:21:32,990 the Minnesota History Center. 414 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:38,490 Its collection features a 1930s soda fountain, 415 00:21:38,490 --> 00:21:40,530 a vintage accordion 416 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,160 and the first pair of water skis, 417 00:21:43,300 --> 00:21:46,270 invented by a Minnesotan in 1922. 418 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:49,770 And it was another former resident 419 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:54,310 who created perhaps the museum's most celebrated item. 420 00:21:54,340 --> 00:21:56,780 MANNING: It's 3-1/2 by 5-1/2-inches. 421 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:58,910 It's about a quarter of an inch think. 422 00:21:59,050 --> 00:22:00,480 It's forest green 423 00:22:00,610 --> 00:22:03,250 and in yellow letters it says 424 00:22:03,250 --> 00:22:05,650 "The Great Gatsby." 425 00:22:05,750 --> 00:22:07,990 WILDMAN: This classic novel wasn't always 426 00:22:08,060 --> 00:22:10,060 held in such high regard. 427 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:11,790 MANNING: Everyone knows "The Great Gatsby." 428 00:22:11,930 --> 00:22:14,460 But few people know the surprising twist 429 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,230 that it took to make it a great American masterpiece. 430 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,970 WILDMAN: 1924 -- New York City. 431 00:22:24,970 --> 00:22:27,940 27-year-old Francis Scott Fitzgerald 432 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,540 is one of America's most promising young writers. 433 00:22:31,550 --> 00:22:32,610 His first book, 434 00:22:32,750 --> 00:22:37,750 "This Side of Paradise," was an instant hit. 435 00:22:37,750 --> 00:22:41,150 MANNING: "This Side of Paradise" was very well received. 436 00:22:41,220 --> 00:22:44,160 And it really put F. Scott Fitzgerald on the map. 437 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:48,190 WILDMAN: But for Fitzgerald, his debut success is not enough. 438 00:22:50,230 --> 00:22:53,870 The ambitious author wants to be one of the greats. 439 00:22:53,900 --> 00:22:57,570 MANNING: F. Scott Fitzgerald was motivated to be remembered. 440 00:22:57,610 --> 00:23:00,710 He wanted to do something big with his life. 441 00:23:00,780 --> 00:23:02,510 WILDMAN: The writer has been slaving away 442 00:23:02,610 --> 00:23:06,050 on what he believes will be his masterwork. 443 00:23:06,050 --> 00:23:08,250 Called "The Great Gatsby," the novel 444 00:23:08,380 --> 00:23:11,580 tells a cautionary tale of adultery and excess 445 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,190 during America's Jazz Age. 446 00:23:14,190 --> 00:23:15,850 MANNING: Fitzgerald thought that "The Great Gatsby" 447 00:23:15,890 --> 00:23:18,190 was going to be extraordinary. 448 00:23:18,260 --> 00:23:21,990 He thought that critics would love this books. 449 00:23:22,060 --> 00:23:25,060 WILDMAN: "Gatsby" hits the shelves in 1925. 450 00:23:25,170 --> 00:23:30,470 But the response is far from what Fitzgerald had hoped. 451 00:23:30,540 --> 00:23:34,940 The market is awash with books that are set in the Jazz Age. 452 00:23:34,980 --> 00:23:37,410 And critics dismiss Fitzgerald's story 453 00:23:37,510 --> 00:23:40,710 as merely another nostalgic period piece 454 00:23:40,780 --> 00:23:44,020 and hardly a worthy successor to his previous hit. 455 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:46,490 MANNING: One headline read that it was a dud. 456 00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:48,650 Another critic said that it was an inferior work. 457 00:23:51,290 --> 00:23:53,090 WILDMAN: With such damning reviews, 458 00:23:53,130 --> 00:23:56,230 sales of the novel are dismal. 459 00:23:56,300 --> 00:23:59,230 And just one year after its release, "Gatsby" 460 00:23:59,370 --> 00:24:02,170 is considered a flop. 461 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:04,240 Fitzgerald felt like a failure. 462 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:07,470 And he just couldn't quite understand what had gone wrong. 463 00:24:11,850 --> 00:24:13,510 WILDMAN: Over the next two decades, 464 00:24:13,610 --> 00:24:17,980 "The Great Gatsby" fades into obscurity. 465 00:24:18,050 --> 00:24:20,650 And in 1940, F. Scott Fitzgerald 466 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:24,760 dies of a heart attack at just 44 years old. 467 00:24:24,830 --> 00:24:26,790 Fitzgerald's obituary basically 468 00:24:26,860 --> 00:24:29,460 said that he was a promising writer 469 00:24:29,530 --> 00:24:32,000 who never reached his full potential. 470 00:24:32,070 --> 00:24:34,330 WILDMAN: So how does "The Great Gatsby" later 471 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:38,000 become known as a literary classic? 472 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,340 When "The Great Gatsby" is published in 1925, 473 00:24:45,350 --> 00:24:47,310 the book fails to take off. 474 00:24:47,350 --> 00:24:50,250 And critics denounce it as a flop. 475 00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:53,050 Its author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, is devastated, 476 00:24:53,090 --> 00:24:55,590 and later dies with his greatest work 477 00:24:55,590 --> 00:24:57,990 languishing in obscurity. 478 00:24:58,060 --> 00:24:59,990 So what will it take for "Gatsby" 479 00:25:00,060 --> 00:25:02,260 to finally become great? 480 00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:06,200 In 1941, the United States 481 00:25:06,330 --> 00:25:09,640 officially enters World War II. 482 00:25:09,740 --> 00:25:11,670 In an effort to entertain troops 483 00:25:11,810 --> 00:25:14,270 during their long overseas deployments, 484 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:15,710 concerned American citizens 485 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:20,550 create an organization called The Council on Books in Wartime. 486 00:25:20,550 --> 00:25:23,280 MANNING: The Council on Books in Wartime was a group of publishers. 487 00:25:23,420 --> 00:25:28,290 And they wanted to provide books to troops for morale. 488 00:25:28,390 --> 00:25:30,960 WILDMAN: Every month, the group publishes and ships 489 00:25:31,030 --> 00:25:36,500 thousands of copies of the era's most popular works. 490 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,100 But they soon encounter a problem. 491 00:25:39,100 --> 00:25:42,570 As the war drags on, the troops need more books, 492 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:44,770 and the council starts to run out. 493 00:25:44,770 --> 00:25:45,840 MANNING: Month after month, 494 00:25:45,940 --> 00:25:47,940 they had to come up with brand-new titles. 495 00:25:47,980 --> 00:25:49,780 And there just weren't enough best-sellers 496 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:53,750 and new books coming out to satisfy that quota. 497 00:25:53,810 --> 00:25:55,980 So to keep up with demand, 498 00:25:56,020 --> 00:26:00,920 the group is forced to select older and lesser-known works. 499 00:26:00,990 --> 00:26:02,890 MANNING: One of the titles that the publishers 500 00:26:03,020 --> 00:26:05,560 approved was... 501 00:26:05,630 --> 00:26:08,790 "The Great Gatsby." 502 00:26:08,900 --> 00:26:10,060 WILDMAN: The council prints 503 00:26:10,130 --> 00:26:14,300 150,000 paperback copies of Fitzgerald's novel 504 00:26:14,370 --> 00:26:18,540 and distributes them to troops stationed overseas. 505 00:26:18,670 --> 00:26:22,270 The book's glamorous characters and sumptuous New York setting 506 00:26:22,380 --> 00:26:25,950 make it a welcome diversion for war-weary G.I.s. 507 00:26:26,050 --> 00:26:29,410 MANNING: For a little while, there weren't in a foxhole. 508 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:30,950 They were at Gatsby's house. 509 00:26:30,990 --> 00:26:33,450 And it was a wonderful escape and distraction for them. 510 00:26:36,890 --> 00:26:39,960 WILDMAN: Soon, American servicemen rave about the book 511 00:26:39,990 --> 00:26:43,560 in letters they send to family and friends back home. 512 00:26:43,660 --> 00:26:49,230 And this renewed buzz gives Fitzgerald's flop a second life. 513 00:26:49,300 --> 00:26:50,440 MANNING: "Gatsby's" success 514 00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:53,440 ended up spilling over from the battlefield. 515 00:26:53,510 --> 00:26:56,380 Sales begin to pick up at the home front. 516 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,080 And it ended up being a huge commercial success. 517 00:27:00,210 --> 00:27:01,980 WILDMAN: With the novel's revival, 518 00:27:02,050 --> 00:27:05,520 a new generation of critics takes a fresh look at the story 519 00:27:05,650 --> 00:27:09,650 and hails it as a brilliant critique of the American dream. 520 00:27:09,690 --> 00:27:11,990 "The Great Gatsby" is now considered one 521 00:27:12,090 --> 00:27:15,530 of the most important books of the 20th century. 522 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,300 F. Scott Fitzgerald would have been very gratified to see 523 00:27:18,300 --> 00:27:20,830 that he's gone down in history as an amazing writer. 524 00:27:24,470 --> 00:27:27,270 WILDMAN: And today, this copy at the Minnesota History Center 525 00:27:27,410 --> 00:27:30,340 serves as a page-turning reminder 526 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:34,410 of a talented American author and the surprising twist 527 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,120 that made his novel truly great. 528 00:27:41,420 --> 00:27:43,590 This city of Bruges, Belgium, 529 00:27:43,660 --> 00:27:46,290 boasts some of the most spectacular 530 00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:48,590 medieval architecture in the world. 531 00:27:48,630 --> 00:27:53,030 Visitors can marvel at a 272-foot-high belfry, 532 00:27:53,130 --> 00:27:57,000 the ornately-carved spires of city hall, 533 00:27:57,140 --> 00:28:00,610 and the quaint stone houses along the Dijver Canal. 534 00:28:00,710 --> 00:28:03,610 And perhaps the most striking building here 535 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:06,440 is a towering Gothic cathedral... 536 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:08,950 the Church of Our Lady. 537 00:28:11,790 --> 00:28:15,150 Built out of brick and completed in the 15th century, 538 00:28:15,220 --> 00:28:18,690 it houses some of the finest paintings and sculptures 539 00:28:18,830 --> 00:28:20,630 in Europe. 540 00:28:23,460 --> 00:28:27,370 But none catches the eye quite like this beautiful statue. 541 00:28:27,500 --> 00:28:31,440 It's made of smooth carved white Carrara marble. 542 00:28:31,510 --> 00:28:33,610 It stands four feet tall. 543 00:28:33,610 --> 00:28:35,940 The chisel marks are almost invisible. 544 00:28:35,940 --> 00:28:38,740 It depicts a robed female figure 545 00:28:38,750 --> 00:28:41,150 who's gazing forlornly in the distance 546 00:28:41,220 --> 00:28:43,550 while a child leans against her knee. 547 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,350 WILDMAN: This elegant sculpture was carved 548 00:28:46,420 --> 00:28:49,120 by one of history's most famous artists. 549 00:28:50,820 --> 00:28:55,030 But few know the tale of greed, deception, and blackmail 550 00:28:55,130 --> 00:28:57,030 that surrounds its creation. 551 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,930 This is a story of a dark of the art world. 552 00:29:04,670 --> 00:29:07,570 WILDMAN: It's 1496 in Florence, Italy. 553 00:29:07,710 --> 00:29:09,910 Riding the crest of a cultural wave, 554 00:29:10,010 --> 00:29:12,610 the city is a magnet for young artists 555 00:29:12,650 --> 00:29:15,810 who come to hone their craft and build a reputation. 556 00:29:17,650 --> 00:29:20,520 Among them is a struggling 21-year-old sculptor 557 00:29:20,620 --> 00:29:22,920 named Michelangelo Buonarroti. 558 00:29:22,990 --> 00:29:26,090 Michelangelo was a newcomer to the art scene in Florence. 559 00:29:26,190 --> 00:29:29,160 Now, he knew he had talent, but he had a big problem -- 560 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,430 he did not have a way to bankroll his career. 561 00:29:32,730 --> 00:29:36,400 WILDMAN: Typically, Florentine artists are supported by patrons 562 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,710 who provide everything from supplies to room and board. 563 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,610 But Michelangelo's patron has died, 564 00:29:42,610 --> 00:29:45,310 leaving him in need of an infusion of cash. 565 00:29:45,410 --> 00:29:48,010 At that time in Florence, 566 00:29:48,150 --> 00:29:51,280 wealthy collectors valued ancient Roman sculptures 567 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,490 far more than contemporary creations. 568 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,260 So Michelangelo concocts a plan 569 00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:00,060 to create a fake Roman sculpture, 570 00:30:00,060 --> 00:30:01,730 pass it off as he real thing, 571 00:30:01,860 --> 00:30:04,560 and sell it to an unsuspecting buyer. 572 00:30:04,570 --> 00:30:06,970 In order to make it, he was gonna have to fake it. 573 00:30:09,970 --> 00:30:12,700 WILDMAN: Michelangelo carves a Roman-style cherub 574 00:30:12,770 --> 00:30:15,110 out of a block of marble. 575 00:30:15,140 --> 00:30:18,380 Then to make it look over 1,000 years old, 576 00:30:18,410 --> 00:30:21,580 he puts it through an elaborate aging process. 577 00:30:21,650 --> 00:30:23,880 Michelangelo had to bury it in a garden, 578 00:30:23,950 --> 00:30:26,920 intentionally damage it, dig it up, 579 00:30:26,950 --> 00:30:30,760 and make it look as if it had been in the soil for centuries. 580 00:30:33,830 --> 00:30:37,330 WILDMAN: Finally, after months of work, the piece is ready. 581 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:41,200 Michelangelo names his sculpture "The Sleeping Eros." 582 00:30:41,270 --> 00:30:43,770 CHARNEY: Michelangelo was confident that it was good enough 583 00:30:43,900 --> 00:30:47,470 to pass off as an ancient Roman original. 584 00:30:47,540 --> 00:30:50,940 WILDMAN: But if he's caught, his reputation will be ruined. 585 00:30:51,050 --> 00:30:53,680 If his sculpture was either not good enough 586 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,850 to be considered an ancient Roman one 587 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:57,880 or if it was discovered to be false, 588 00:30:57,950 --> 00:31:00,490 then his career would be over before it even began. 589 00:31:04,330 --> 00:31:06,760 WILDMAN: Michelangelo presents the fake sculpture 590 00:31:06,830 --> 00:31:09,590 to one of the city's most venerable art dealers. 591 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:13,130 The art dealer saw the sculpture and was amazed by it. 592 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,670 WILDMAN: So Michelangelo beings him in on the plan 593 00:31:15,700 --> 00:31:18,100 to sell it to an unsuspecting buyer. 594 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,240 The art dealer realized immediately 595 00:31:20,270 --> 00:31:22,440 that the plan could work. 596 00:31:24,450 --> 00:31:26,580 WILDMAN: Together, the pair shows the piece 597 00:31:26,650 --> 00:31:28,950 to Cardinal Raffaele Riario, 598 00:31:29,020 --> 00:31:31,450 one of the wealthiest art collectors in Rome. 599 00:31:31,550 --> 00:31:34,390 The cleric is so taken by the sculpture 600 00:31:34,390 --> 00:31:36,790 that he agrees to pay a handsome price. 601 00:31:36,860 --> 00:31:38,260 It had worked. 602 00:31:38,330 --> 00:31:40,390 Cardinal Riario had fallen for the scheme 603 00:31:40,460 --> 00:31:41,990 and bought the sculpture, 604 00:31:42,030 --> 00:31:44,860 thinking it was a beautiful ancient Roman original. 605 00:31:47,770 --> 00:31:49,670 WILDMAN: For two years, 606 00:31:49,670 --> 00:31:51,800 Michelangelo uses the money he earned 607 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,540 to create remarkable paintings and sculptures 608 00:31:54,610 --> 00:31:58,540 under his own name -- every one a striking original. 609 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,750 But just as the artist's star begins to rise, 610 00:32:04,790 --> 00:32:06,550 he receives an alarming letter. 611 00:32:06,590 --> 00:32:09,150 Cardinal Riario has been tipped off 612 00:32:09,190 --> 00:32:14,030 that Michelangelo's so-called Roman antique is actually... 613 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:15,790 fake. 614 00:32:18,270 --> 00:32:21,170 The clergyman threatens to expose the young artist 615 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:23,170 as a fraud. 616 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:25,570 This was Michelangelo's nightmare come true. 617 00:32:31,710 --> 00:32:34,710 It's 1496 in Florence, Italy. 618 00:32:34,820 --> 00:32:37,450 Burgeoning artist, Michelangelo Buonarroti, 619 00:32:37,450 --> 00:32:40,450 has just forged a fake ancient Roman statue 620 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:43,460 and passed it off to a wealthy collector, 621 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,460 but when the con is discovered, 622 00:32:45,460 --> 00:32:47,990 his budding career faces ruin. 623 00:32:48,060 --> 00:32:51,200 So how will this brilliant sculptor carve his way 624 00:32:51,270 --> 00:32:53,600 into the history books? 625 00:32:53,670 --> 00:32:55,930 Michelangelo's only hope to save his career 626 00:32:56,070 --> 00:32:58,570 is to win over Cardinal Riario. 627 00:32:58,610 --> 00:33:01,610 So he arranges a private meeting with the cardinal. 628 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:04,610 CHARNEY: Michelangelo had to persuade the cardinal 629 00:33:04,650 --> 00:33:07,150 that he was an artist worthy of a second chance. 630 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:11,220 WILDMAN: To prove his skill, 631 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,020 the artist performs an incredible stunt. 632 00:33:14,090 --> 00:33:16,820 CHARNEY: Michelangelo was primarily left-handed. 633 00:33:16,860 --> 00:33:20,160 And he decided to show off his artistic ability 634 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,860 by making a drawing of his left hand 635 00:33:22,900 --> 00:33:24,600 with his nondominant right. 636 00:33:27,700 --> 00:33:31,300 WILDMAN: As the cardinal looks on, Michelangelo starts drawing. 637 00:33:31,370 --> 00:33:34,640 His sketch is so detailed and so precise 638 00:33:34,710 --> 00:33:36,840 that Riario is stunned. 639 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,980 Amazingly, this little trick worked. 640 00:33:41,050 --> 00:33:44,580 WILDMAN: The cardinal not only forgives Michelangelo's forgery, 641 00:33:44,650 --> 00:33:47,520 he presents the artist with the opportunity of a lifetime. 642 00:33:47,590 --> 00:33:50,720 He offers to become Michelangelo's first patron 643 00:33:50,790 --> 00:33:52,790 in Rome. 644 00:33:52,830 --> 00:33:55,660 In the months and years that follow, 645 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:57,800 Riario introduces Michelangelo 646 00:33:57,830 --> 00:34:00,570 to wealthy collectors around the city, 647 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:04,770 and Michelangelo becomes the most celebrated artist in Italy. 648 00:34:04,770 --> 00:34:07,010 CHARNEY: Rome was central to Michelangelo's career. 649 00:34:07,070 --> 00:34:09,010 Many of his most important works, 650 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,880 like the Pieta, like the Sistine Chapel 651 00:34:12,010 --> 00:34:13,410 were made in Rome, 652 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:15,380 and his connections through the cardinal 653 00:34:15,420 --> 00:34:17,420 are what introduced him to the city 654 00:34:17,420 --> 00:34:20,220 and to the papacy as his major patrons. 655 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,430 WILDMAN: Today, one such Roman masterpiece by Michelangelo 656 00:34:27,460 --> 00:34:30,360 can be found in Bruges' Church of Our Lady. 657 00:34:30,460 --> 00:34:33,100 It's a reminder of the murky origins 658 00:34:33,230 --> 00:34:35,230 behind one of the greatest artists 659 00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:37,440 the world has ever known. 660 00:34:40,570 --> 00:34:43,340 Baden, Austria. 661 00:34:43,410 --> 00:34:45,810 During the 18th and 19th centuries, 662 00:34:45,910 --> 00:34:48,050 the town's therapeutic hot springs 663 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:51,650 were a favorite destination for composers Johann Strauss, 664 00:34:51,790 --> 00:34:55,720 Franz Schubert, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 665 00:34:55,790 --> 00:34:57,120 And in the heart of town 666 00:34:57,260 --> 00:35:00,930 stands a museum dedicated to perhaps the greatest musician 667 00:35:01,030 --> 00:35:02,530 of them all -- 668 00:35:02,660 --> 00:35:05,130 Ludwig van Beethoven. 669 00:35:05,130 --> 00:35:08,170 It was here at the Beethoven House 670 00:35:08,270 --> 00:35:12,470 that the composer penned his masterpiece "Ode to Joy." 671 00:35:12,540 --> 00:35:17,480 Today, its collection includes his manuscripts, his piano, 672 00:35:17,580 --> 00:35:20,750 and even a lock of the maestro's hair. 673 00:35:22,820 --> 00:35:25,150 But kept in a glass case is a device 674 00:35:25,190 --> 00:35:29,150 that served as the heartbeat of Beethoven's work. 675 00:35:29,190 --> 00:35:31,420 LEVINE: It's in the shape of pyramid. 676 00:35:31,490 --> 00:35:34,090 It's almost 9 inches high. 677 00:35:34,130 --> 00:35:37,430 It's about 4 inches wide and deep. 678 00:35:37,460 --> 00:35:38,960 It's made of wood. 679 00:35:39,070 --> 00:35:40,570 And perhaps most importantly, 680 00:35:40,630 --> 00:35:44,100 there's a metal strip that moves backwards and forwards, 681 00:35:44,170 --> 00:35:46,970 and it's a kind of pendulum. 682 00:35:47,070 --> 00:35:51,380 WILDMAN: This seemingly innocuous object set the tempo 683 00:35:51,380 --> 00:35:54,850 for one of the music world's biggest controversies. 684 00:35:54,950 --> 00:35:58,450 It represents a mystery of the greatest composer 685 00:35:58,490 --> 00:35:59,920 of all time. 686 00:36:05,190 --> 00:36:08,730 WILDMAN: 1967 -- Reading, England. 687 00:36:08,730 --> 00:36:12,900 Musicologist Peter Stadlen is a Beethoven fanatic. 688 00:36:12,930 --> 00:36:15,530 The professor spends countless hours 689 00:36:15,540 --> 00:36:18,270 poring over the composer's sheet music 690 00:36:18,310 --> 00:36:23,010 and listening to recordings of his most famous pieces. 691 00:36:23,140 --> 00:36:25,740 But there's one aspect of Beethoven's work 692 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:28,210 that has always perplexed him -- 693 00:36:28,220 --> 00:36:29,510 the tempo. 694 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:33,450 The tempos, Beethoven wrote down very, very quick. 695 00:36:33,550 --> 00:36:35,890 WILDMAN: In fact, many are so fast 696 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:40,460 that even the best orchestras simply cannot keep up. 697 00:36:40,490 --> 00:36:43,530 This has forced many modern conductors to ignore 698 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,560 the instructions Beethoven wrote on his sheet music 699 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,770 and play his works at a far slower pace. 700 00:36:49,900 --> 00:36:51,170 When people play his music, 701 00:36:51,300 --> 00:36:55,240 his tempos simply are not considered. 702 00:36:55,380 --> 00:37:00,250 So why would Beethoven have set tempos so fast that no orchestra 703 00:37:00,250 --> 00:37:02,850 could play his compositions? 704 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:04,520 The question has long been 705 00:37:04,590 --> 00:37:07,790 one of the music world's greatest mysteries. 706 00:37:07,820 --> 00:37:12,590 But Professor Stadlen is determined to answer it. 707 00:37:12,630 --> 00:37:15,860 Stadlen believes the phenomenon may have something to do 708 00:37:15,930 --> 00:37:19,330 with the cruel fate that famously befell the composer 709 00:37:19,470 --> 00:37:22,130 around his 30th birthday. 710 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,140 Beethoven was going deaf. 711 00:37:25,140 --> 00:37:26,670 According to Stadlen, 712 00:37:26,670 --> 00:37:30,640 without the ability to hear as he worked on new compositions, 713 00:37:30,710 --> 00:37:34,550 the maestro had to rely on a metronome, 714 00:37:34,620 --> 00:37:39,750 just like the one on display at the Beethoven House. 715 00:37:39,850 --> 00:37:43,590 Its swinging pendulum would've provided a visual cue 716 00:37:43,660 --> 00:37:46,190 to help Beethoven judge the beat. 717 00:37:46,290 --> 00:37:48,890 LEVINE: He needed a way to actually mark out time 718 00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:50,560 without being able to hear it. 719 00:37:50,630 --> 00:37:54,400 And this way, he could actually observe time. 720 00:37:54,470 --> 00:37:57,440 WILDMAN: Metronomes, even ones from the 18th century, 721 00:37:57,500 --> 00:37:59,900 are famously accurate. 722 00:37:59,910 --> 00:38:02,310 But Stadlen has a theory. 723 00:38:02,380 --> 00:38:05,910 Perhaps his metronome wasn't working properly. 724 00:38:05,980 --> 00:38:10,050 WILDMAN: Beethoven was known to have violent temper tantrums. 725 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:12,650 According to historians, he would often throw 726 00:38:12,750 --> 00:38:15,850 whatever was nearby to the ground. 727 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:17,860 If his metronome was damaged during 728 00:38:17,990 --> 00:38:21,060 one of these fits of rage, 729 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:25,400 it might explain his unusually fast tempos. 730 00:38:27,730 --> 00:38:29,500 So Stadlen heads to Austria 731 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:33,070 on a quest to track down Beethoven's metronome. 732 00:38:33,110 --> 00:38:37,410 He decides that Beethoven's metronome is the key to the pace 733 00:38:37,410 --> 00:38:41,210 that Beethoven intended his music to be played. 734 00:38:41,350 --> 00:38:43,750 WILDMAN: So what will Stadlen discover? 735 00:38:43,780 --> 00:38:46,880 Was the master composer's equipment faulty? 736 00:38:46,950 --> 00:38:50,060 Or did Beethoven have a need for speed? 737 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:58,310 It's 1967. 738 00:38:58,350 --> 00:39:00,480 Musicologist Peter Stadlen 739 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:03,020 is investigating a centuries-old mystery 740 00:39:03,050 --> 00:39:06,090 about his idol, the composer Ludwig van Beethoven. 741 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:07,990 Many of Beethoven's scores 742 00:39:07,990 --> 00:39:10,760 indicate that they're to be played at breakneck tempos, 743 00:39:10,830 --> 00:39:12,660 but they're so impossibly fast 744 00:39:12,730 --> 00:39:15,730 that some think their markings are a mistake. 745 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:18,470 But Stadlen believes there's much more to the story, 746 00:39:18,570 --> 00:39:21,140 and he's on his way to Austria to prove it. 747 00:39:23,470 --> 00:39:25,740 Stadlen tracks Beethoven's metronome 748 00:39:25,780 --> 00:39:28,280 to a collection in Baden. 749 00:39:28,410 --> 00:39:30,410 But once he holds it in his hands, 750 00:39:30,550 --> 00:39:33,620 he realizes he's right back to square one. 751 00:39:33,720 --> 00:39:36,120 The trouble is the weight isn't attached anymore. 752 00:39:36,150 --> 00:39:38,290 So it -- it effectively doesn't work. 753 00:39:40,660 --> 00:39:43,190 WILDMAN: The missing component prevents Stadlen 754 00:39:43,190 --> 00:39:46,530 from determining how it functioned in Beethoven's day. 755 00:39:46,530 --> 00:39:50,660 It looks like his quest is at an end. 756 00:39:50,700 --> 00:39:56,300 But just when all seems lost, he makes a stunning realization. 757 00:39:56,340 --> 00:40:00,210 Letters in Beethoven's private collection reveal the composer 758 00:40:00,340 --> 00:40:05,710 had his metronome repaired on at least two separate occasions, 759 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:07,580 making it highly unlikely 760 00:40:07,580 --> 00:40:11,420 that he would've been thrown off by imprecise equipment. 761 00:40:11,460 --> 00:40:14,360 This shows that Beethoven knew when it was working 762 00:40:14,490 --> 00:40:17,290 and knew when it wasn't working. 763 00:40:17,290 --> 00:40:20,290 And so he had a perfectly good working metronome. 764 00:40:24,370 --> 00:40:26,030 WILDMAN: With this discovery, 765 00:40:26,140 --> 00:40:29,170 Stadlen can only come to one conclusion -- 766 00:40:29,240 --> 00:40:32,710 Beethoven's fast tempos were no accident. 767 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:35,310 But why would he purposely compose something 768 00:40:35,450 --> 00:40:38,650 that seems virtually impossible to play? 769 00:40:44,020 --> 00:40:47,120 The answer may lie in a key difference between how 770 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:50,530 Beethoven's music was performed in the early 19th century 771 00:40:50,590 --> 00:40:53,460 and how it is typically presented today. 772 00:40:53,530 --> 00:40:55,600 LEVINE: The fact is, strange as it seems, 773 00:40:55,730 --> 00:40:58,870 Beethoven was writing a pace 774 00:40:58,870 --> 00:41:02,470 that modern musicians can't keep up with. 775 00:41:02,570 --> 00:41:04,870 WILDMAN: A modern philharmonic features 776 00:41:04,940 --> 00:41:06,210 at least 90 musicians 777 00:41:06,210 --> 00:41:09,140 with a broad array of instruments filling the stage 778 00:41:09,150 --> 00:41:11,350 of a giant music hall. 779 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:13,680 But performances in Beethoven's day 780 00:41:13,750 --> 00:41:17,050 would've been mostly undertaken by small chamber groups 781 00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:18,950 in more intimate settings. 782 00:41:18,990 --> 00:41:22,620 LEVINE: When smaller ensembles play these pieces, 783 00:41:22,690 --> 00:41:26,130 they can achieve the pace that Beethoven always intended. 784 00:41:30,500 --> 00:41:32,370 WILDMAN: And this metronome on display 785 00:41:32,370 --> 00:41:35,840 at the Beethoven House in Baden, Austria, 786 00:41:35,910 --> 00:41:39,640 recalls a maestro's tempestuous talents 787 00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:42,480 and a fast-paced musical mystery. 788 00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:48,220 From the sinking of the Titanic 789 00:41:48,220 --> 00:41:50,520 to Beethoven's need for speed. 790 00:41:50,590 --> 00:41:53,250 "Great Gatsby's" amazing plot twist 791 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:55,820 to the death of Vincent Van Gogh. 792 00:41:55,890 --> 00:41:57,990 I'm Don Wildman, and these are 793 00:41:58,090 --> 00:41:59,760 the mysteries at the museum.