musuem

G-Men and Journalists

By Joseph Frye

June 2008

Photo: Hoover magazines

On Friday, June 20th, the Newseum launched its first major changing exhibit, G-Men and Journalists. It allows the public to view how the media and the FBI have interacted over the past century. The display is being launched to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and is slated to run through June 2009. Throughout the year there are going to be numerous speakers to accompany the presentation.

The exhibit is divided into fourteen sections, symbolizing the fourteen cases/eras represented.

Upon entering the display one will first encounter a life-like wax form of J. Edgar Hoover, the first FBI director. A replica of his office including his desk is also displayed.

The original FBI Ten Most Wanted list is placed on the wall next to a modern list. The list was started by reporter James Donovan. In 1949, he asked the FBI, “Who are the 10 toughest guys you are looking for?” It became the cover story for the Washington Daily News the next day.

The display shows gangsters of the 1930’s including, “Machine Gun” Kelly, Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, George “Baby Face” Nelson, and Alvin “Creepy” Karpis. John Dillinger, with his hat and cigar he had with him the night of his death, is featured too. His death mask is also on exhibit.

The exhibition includes a vast collection of evidence from other cases including the electric chair used to execute Bruno Hauptmann, the wooden ladder that he constructed and used to kidnap the Lindbergh baby, as well as the Unabomber’s cabin that he built in Montana and used as a hideout. The Godfather, John Gotti, is displayed along one wall, showing his gun that he concealed as a walking cane. There is a section dedicated to the Cold War and the spies that worked in cohorts with the Russians. This display shows hollowed out coins and screws used to transport messages. The ransom note from the Patty Hearst case can also be seen. The Oklahoma Bomber and the Waco Texas standoff are represented as well. Past newspaper headlines tell the stories of the race issues in Mississippi. The exhibition displays more modern cases too, including the DC sniper tragedy. One can see the back end of the Chevrolet Caprice that was used in the courtroom to convict the two individuals.

This display is more extensive than the FBI tour that was popular before it shut down after 9/11. G-Men and Journalists shows everything from ransom notes and guns to hideouts and outfits. On display is not only evidence but also newspapers, pictures, TV clips, and interactive touch screens that help people understand the events and how the media covered them. The FBI and the Newseum brought together an amazing display that shows the history of the bureau and the media. How many of these memorable cases have you seen unfold but never knew the whole story? Now is your chance to find out the facts and get the entire story.

The Newseum is located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., NW and is open daily from 9am till 5pm.