Mysteries at the Museum Season 2 Episode 17 Black Dahlia and More

In the sixteenth episode of the second season of "Mysteries at the Museum" titled "Black Dahlia and More," viewers are presented with four intriguing stories from history and the artifacts that are still linked to them.

The first tale involves the 1947 killing of Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia. Despite the subsequent years of investigation and many criminal suspects, the case remains unsolved. The episode delves into Short's life before and after her murder, further fueling speculation about what may have driven her killer to such brutality. Meanwhile, the host visits the Los Angeles Police Museum to examine a package mailed to the police, containing cryptic and taunting messages, that may have come from the culprit.

Next up is a daring heist from the Hungarian Royal Museum of Fine Arts that left the museum without its most prized artwork—a Rubens masterpiece called "The Three Graces." The thief, a soldier and art lover named Ferenc Szalasi, had already amassed a collection of stolen pieces even before he became the leader of the fascist Arrow Cross party. The episode looks at Szalasi's political and criminal career, interviews museum employees who remember the incident, and reveals how the painting was ultimately recovered.

The third segment explores the life of vaudevillian magician Harry Keller, who was a renowned performer during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The host learns about Keller's lucrative career in stage illusions, his friendships with other entertainers, and his pivotal role in shaping escape artist Houdini's public image. However, Keller's greatest trick might have been his mysterious entombment inside California's famed Forest Lawn Memorial Park, where he remains interred within a sealed, puzzle-locked mausoleum. The episode visits the Forest Lawn Museum to see the impressive burial site and try to decipher the creator's cryptic clues.

Lastly, the show introduces the Velveteria, a museum in Portland, Oregon, dedicated entirely to velvet paintings. Its eccentric owners, Carl Baldwin and Caren Anderson, are self-titled "velvangelists" who respect the medium as an often underestimated aspect of popular art history and highlight artists who worked with velvet. The episode covers the pair's love of velvet art, their curatorial choices, and their attempts to chronicle its history, ranging from religious imagery to kitschy pop culture.

Through reenactments, interviews with experts, and on-location visits, each mystery's details are explored, giving viewers a nuanced understanding of the object or events that lie behind the tales we come across. The host also offers insightful commentary on the works' place in history and how they have impacted the world around us today. The episode is a fascinating journey through time that will leave viewers equally informed and entertained.