Really Cold Cases: Investigating America’s Most Notorious Unsolved Crimes, 1850-1950

Course Description

Summary

Using films, documentaries, podcasts, historical newspapers, and mixed reality (VR/AR) resources, we will craft narratives of individuals caught up in America’s most notorious unsolved cases, from the mid-nineteenth century to about 1950. For our historically grounded storytelling, we will explore “portraiture,” a unique methodology that “seeks to unveil the universal truths and resonant stories that lie in the specifics and complexity of everyday life.” Focusing on individuals and specific cases will illuminate larger contexts, including changing understandings of “criminality,” modern policing, incarceration policies, forensic investigation, and America’s continuing fascination with “true crime.”