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Secrets of the Dead

Gustave Eiffel’s Credentials

Season 21 Episode 1 | 1m 34s

Gustave Eiffel already had several large projects to his name by the time the 1889 World’s Fair was announced. He had engineered Budapest’s railway station and Porto’s Maria Pia Bridge, and was in the midst of completing both the Garabit viaduct in France’s Massif Central and the Statue of Liberty. For Eiffel, building a thousand-foot tower would be a crowning achievement.

SECRETS OF THE DEAD is made possible, in part, by public television viewers.
Extras
Watch • 0:32
Secrets of the Dead
Preview | Picturing Shakespeare
Could the discovery of a third portrait of William Shakespeare be a genuine article?
Preview: S23 E2 | 0:32
Watch • 2:10
Secrets of the Dead
Family Discovers Possible Shakespeare Portrait Hanging in Their Living Room
The portrait hung above the family TV for 50 years before they realized it might be Shakespeare.
Clip: S23 E2 | 2:10
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Secrets of the Dead
X-Rays Reveal Hidden Clues: Is This the Only Portrait of Shakespeare from Life?
X-ray scans of the Wadlow Shakespeare portrait reveal details beneath several areas of overpaint.
Clip: S23 E2 | 2:02
Watch • 2:45
Secrets of the Dead
Experts Used Tree Rings to Date This Portrait to Shakespeare’s Lifetime
Dendrochronology reveals surprising results about Steven’s portrait of Shakespeare.
Clip: S23 E2 | 2:45
Watch • 1:24
Secrets of the Dead
Facial Recognition Finds 91% Match to Shakespeare
Facial recognition software suggests the portrait may depict William Shakespeare.
Clip: S23 E2 | 1:24
Watch • 0:32
Secrets of the Dead
Preview | China's Bronze Kingdom
The chance discovery of a jade artifact unearths an ancient Chinese city.
Preview: S23 E1 | 0:32
Watch • 3:21
Secrets of the Dead
Could This Be the Black Death’s Earliest Victim?
Ancient gravestones in Kyrgyzstan hint the Black Death began long before it reached Europe.
Clip: S22 E10 | 3:21
Watch • 1:28
Secrets of the Dead
The Pandemic That Killed Half of Europe
The Black Death may have killed nearly 50 percent of the Europe's population.
Clip: S22 E10 | 1:28
Watch • 1:05
Secrets of the Dead
How the Black Death Set Sail for Europe
In 1347, ships reached Sicily with the Black Death. In a year, it spread across Europe to England.
Clip: S22 E10 | 1:05
Watch • 1:57
Secrets of the Dead
The Black Death Journal
The haunting journal of Agnolo di Tura reveals the horrors of the Black Plague.
Clip: S22 E10 | 1:57
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Watch • 55:15
Secrets of the Dead
Picturing Shakespeare
Could the discovery of a third portrait of William Shakespeare be a genuine article?
Episode: S23 E2 | 55:15
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Episode: S23 E1
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Secrets of the Dead
Chasing the Plague
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Episode: S22 E10 | 55:15
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Episode: S22 E9 | 55:15
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Episode: S22 E8 | 55:15
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Episode: S22 E7 | 55:15
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Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the post-war life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.
Episode: S22 E6 | 54:25
Watch • 54:50
Secrets of the Dead
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Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse.
Episode: S22 E5 | 54:50
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Lost Treasures of Angkor – King's Gold
Priceless artifacts in Laos reveal holy sites from the early days of the Khmer Empire.
Episode: S22 E4 | 55:15
Watch • 55:15
Secrets of the Dead
Lost Treasures of Angkor – The Discovery
The discovery of priceless artifacts in Laos sheds light on the ancient Khmer Empire.
Episode: S22 E3 | 55:15