Solving a Mystery at the Maryland Historical Society

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Tropea-0215.mp3

February 15, 2013

“Detective room, Police Department,” Hughes Company Photograph Collection, unknown photographer (possibly James W. Scott), ca.1910, MdHS, PP8-585 / Z9.584.PP8. Courtesy Maryland Historical Society.

Last week, the Maryland Historical Society went to the public for help in solving a mystery. They had this mesmerizing photograph (above), and they wanted to know…what on earth was happening in it.

Maryland Historical Society curator of photographs Joe Tropea tells Tom Hall how they solved the mystery.

UPDATE: Here's Joe's rundown of how the Maryland Historical Society solved this mystery.

And here's the "disturbing elephant death" story Joe mentioned.