Latest news with #historicaldocuments
Sky News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Trump administration releases huge trove of documents about Dr Martin Luther King Jr - as President faces revolt over Epstein files
A huge trove of documents relating to the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr has been released by the US government. The disclosure, which was opposed by many of the civil rights hero's family, includes more than 240,000 pages of records that had been under court seal since 1977. Dr King's two living children, Martin III, 67, and Bernice, 62, said their father's killing has been a "captivating public curiosity for decades". But they emphasised the personal nature of their father's death and urged that the files be "viewed within their full historical context". Dr King was shot and killed on 4 April, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, while headed to dinner with friends. The night before the assassination, Dr King delivered his famous "Mountaintop" speech on a stormy night. James Earl Ray was eventually apprehended after a long manhunt and pleaded guilty to the killing, but he later renounced his plea and maintained his innocence until his death in 1998. Members of Dr King's family and others have questioned if Ray acted alone or if he was even involved at all. Keen interest in the files Historians, journalists and the public have been waiting to study the now-unsealed documents to see what else can be learned about Dr King's death. It has long been established that then-FBI Director J Edgar Hoover was intensely interested in Dr King and others he considered radicals. FBI records previously released show how his bureau wiretapped Dr King's telephone lines, bugged his hotel rooms and used informants to gather information, including evidence of Dr King's extramarital affairs. "He was relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by J Edgar Hoover through the Federal Bureau of Investigation," the King children said in their statement. The Kings said they "support transparency and historical accountability" but "object to any attacks on our father's legacy or attempts to weaponise it to spread falsehoods". 0:14 Is it a distraction? The release of the documents comes at a time when President Trump is facing an increasing revolt from the MAGA faithful over what is seen as his reluctance to release files relating to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Following the release of documents relating to her father, Bernice King took to Instagram and posted a a black-and-white photo of Dr King, looking annoyed, with the caption: "Now, do the Epstein files."
Asharq Al-Awsat
09-07-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Dutch Art Sleuth Recovers Stolen Trove of UNESCO-listed Documents
A Dutch art sleuth has recovered a priceless trove of stolen documents from the 15th to the 19th century, including several UNESCO-listed archives from the world's first multinational corporation. Arthur Brand, nicknamed the "Indiana Jones of the Art World" for his high-profile recovery of stolen masterpieces, said the latest discovery was among his most significant. "In my career, I have been able to return fantastic stolen art, from Picassos to a Van Gogh... yet this find is one of the highlights of my career," Brand told AFP. Many of the documents recount the early days of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), whose globetrotting trading and military operations contributed to the Dutch "Golden Age", when the Netherlands was a global superpower. The 17th century VOC documents contain a "fascinating glimpse into the events of that time in places like Europe, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Latin America," said Brand. One document from 1602 recounts the first meeting of the VOC, during which its famous logo -- considered the world's first corporate logo -- was designed. VOC merchants criss-crossed the globe, catapulting the Netherlands to a world trading power but also exploiting and oppressing the colonies it conquered. The company was also a leading diplomatic power and one document relates a visit in 1700 by top VOC officials to the court of the Mughal emperor in India. "Since the Netherlands was one of the most powerful players in the world at that time in terms of military, trade, shipping, and colonies, these documents are part of world history," said Brand. UNESCO agrees, designating the VOC archives as part of its "Memory of the World" documentary heritage collection. "The VOC archives make up the most complete and extensive source on early modern world history anywhere," says UNESCO on its website. The trove also featured early ships logs from one of the world's most famous admirals, Michiel de Ruyter, whose exploits are studied in naval academies even today. De Ruyter gained fame for his daring 1667 raid to attack the English fleet in the River Medway, one of the greatest humiliations in world naval history. The ship's logs, written in his own hand, relate the admiral's first experience of naval warfare, the 1641 Battle of St Vincent against the Spanish fleet. No less enthralling is the "who-dunnit" of how Brand came by the documents. Brand received an email from someone who had stumbled across a box of seemingly ancient manuscripts while clearing out the attic of an incapacitated family member. This family member occasionally lent money to a friend, who would leave something as collateral -- in this case the box of documents. "I received some photos and couldn't believe my eyes. This was indeed an extraordinary treasure," Brand told AFP. Brand investigated with Dutch police and concluded the documents had been stolen in 2015 from the vast National Archives in The Hague. The main suspect -- an employee at the archives who had indeed left the box as collateral but never picked it up -- has since died. Brand compared the theft to a daring heist by a curator at the British Museum, who spirited away some 1,800 objects, selling some of them on eBay. The art detective said he spent many an evening sifting through the documents, transported back in time. "Wars at sea, negotiations at imperial courts, distant journeys to barely explored regions, and knights," he told AFP. "I felt like I had stepped into Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island."
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Dutch art sleuth recovers stolen trove of UNESCO-listed documents
A Dutch art sleuth has recovered a priceless trove of stolen documents from the 15th to the 19th century, including several UNESCO-listed archives from the world's first multinational corporation. Arthur Brand, nicknamed the "Indiana Jones of the Art World" for his high-profile recovery of stolen masterpieces, said the latest discovery was among his most significant. "In my career, I have been able to return fantastic stolen art, from Picassos to a Van Gogh... yet this find is one of the highlights of my career," Brand told AFP. Many of the documents recount the early days of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), whose globetrotting trading and military operations contributed to the Dutch "Golden Age", when the Netherlands was a global superpower. The 17th century VOC documents contain a "fascinating glimpse into the events of that time in places like Europe, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Latin America," said Brand. One document from 1602 recounts the first meeting of the VOC, during which its famous logo -- considered the world's first corporate logo -- was designed. VOC merchants criss-crossed the globe, catapulting the Netherlands to a world trading power but also exploiting and oppressing the colonies it conquered. The company was also a leading diplomatic power and one document relates a visit in 1700 by top VOC officials to the court of the Mughal emperor in India. "Since the Netherlands was one of the most powerful players in the world at that time in terms of military, trade, shipping, and colonies, these documents are part of world history," said Brand. UNESCO agrees, designating the VOC archives as part of its "Memory of the World" documentary heritage collection. "The VOC archives make up the most complete and extensive source on early modern world history anywhere," says UNESCO on its website. The trove also featured early ships logs from one of the world's most famous admirals, Michiel de Ruyter, whose exploits are studied in naval academies even today. De Ruyter gained fame for his daring 1667 raid to attack the English fleet in the River Medway, one of the greatest humiliations in world naval history. The ship's logs, written in his own hand, relate the admiral's first experience of naval warfare, the 1641 Battle of St Vincent against the Spanish fleet. - 'An extraordinary treasure' - No less enthralling is the "who-dunnit" of how Brand came by the documents. Brand received an email from someone who had stumbled across a box of seemingly ancient manuscripts while clearing out the attic of an incapacitated family member. This family member occasionally lent money to a friend, who would leave something as collateral -- in this case the box of documents. "I received some photos and couldn't believe my eyes. This was indeed an extraordinary treasure," Brand told AFP. Brand investigated with Dutch police and concluded the documents had been stolen in 2015 from the vast National Archives in The Hague. The main suspect -- an employee at the archives who had indeed left the box as collateral but never picked it up -- has since died. Brand compared the theft to a daring heist by a curator at the British Museum, who spirited away some 1,800 objects, selling some of them on eBay. The art detective said he spent many an evening sifting through the documents, transported back in time. "Wars at sea, negotiations at imperial courts, distant journeys to barely explored regions, and knights," he told AFP. "I felt like I had stepped into Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island."
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Unique' contract from 1397 returned to Jersey
A family contract dating back to the 14th Century has become one of the earliest records held in Jersey's public archives. The de Gruchy-Pallot family papers were transferred to the archive at the family's request from the University of Alberta in Canada. The collection, which documents the life of Charles and Annie Pallot (née Giffard) and their six children, includes an inheritance contract that has been dated to 1397. Jersey Heritage archivist Jane de Gruchy, who is also a distant relative of the family, said: "We are absolutely delighted that this unique and important family collection has returned home to Jersey after so many years." More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey Jersey Heritage said the collection first came to its attention when Herb Reynolds, a Canadian descendant of the Pallots, contacted the archive last year. His family had emigrated to Canada with a number of documents relating to the Pallot, de Gruchy and Giffard families in Jersey. In the 1970s they were donated to the University of Alberta alongside more recent family material relating to Canada. Other highlights from the collection include the 1502 will of Mathieu de Gruchy of Trinity, records relating to Adèle Haarseth, nee Pallot, from her military nursing career, a biography of the three Pallot brothers' time as pioneer settlers in Canada in the 1900s and correspondence that gives a "vivid sense of the gathering of the clouds before the Second World War and the Occupation". Mr Reynolds said the family was encouraged to return the collection to the island after meeting Jersey historian Guy Dixon, who has researched the de Gruchy family. He said it led his family to understand their history and "ignited our interest in returning the records to Jersey where we feel they will be better cared for and appreciated". Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to New devices provide virtual tour for heritage site Heritage releases historical Jersey records Jersey Heritage
BBC News
05-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Family archive 600 years old returns to Jersey from Canada
A collection of family papers which spans more than six centuries and three continents has been returned to de Gruchy-Pallot family archive, which includes documents dating back to 1397, was transferred from the University of Alberta at the request of the family and is now housed at Jersey archive tells the story of Charles and Annie Pallot (née Giffard) and their six children, whose lives stretched from Jersey to Canada and the highlights is a 14th Century inheritance contract, now one of the oldest documents in the archive, and records of Adèle Haarseth (née Pallot), a decorated military nurse who served in the Anglo-Boer War and World War One. 'Unique and important' The collection is being catalogued by Jersey Heritage archivist Jane de Gruchy, a distant relative of the family. "We are absolutely delighted that this unique and important family collection has returned home to Jersey after so many years," she said. "On a personal note, I count myself very lucky to be working on some of the oldest known documents from my own family."The collection came to light when Canadian descendant Herb Reynolds contacted Jersey Heritage in 2024."A chance online meeting with local historian Guy Dixon helped us understand our Jersey roots," Mr Reynolds said. "We're thrilled the documents are now where they belong and grateful to the team at Jersey Heritage for their dedication." The archive includes:A 1397 inheritance contract involving the de Gruchy familyA 1502 Latin will of Mathieu de GruchyWartime medals and dispatches of Adèle HaarsethLetters from Jersey during the occupationDiaries and biographies of Pallot brothers who emigrated to Canada in the early 1900sThe documents trace the family's rise and fall, from owning the grand Beau Désert estate in St Saviour to financial decline by the mid-20th Century. The sons emigrated to Canada, while the daughters remained in Jersey, contributing to education and de Gruchy-Pallot archive is now available to view at Jersey Archive and online.
