Artifacts
Artifact: Unabomber Bomb Shrapnel
Image of shrapnel from one of Ted Kaczynski’s (the Unabomber) bombs. These pieces stem from a February 1987 bombing in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Artifact: Robert Hanssen
The May 2016 Artifact of the Month is Robert Hanssen's business cards and the chalk and thumbtacks he used to leave messages for his handlers while spying for Russia.
Artifact: Gone With The Wind First Edition
The FBI’s February 2020 Artifact of the Month is a rare first edition of Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind” used to conceal a .32-caliber pistol.
Artifact: Brink’s Robbery Chauffeur’s Cap
The FBI’s January 2020 Artifact of the Month is the chauffeur’s cap left at the crime scene of the January 17, 1950, armed robbery from a Brink’s bank branch in Boston.
Artifact: Microdot Object
The FBI’s March 2020 Artifact of the Month was more than just a toy—this doll was used to smuggle secret photographs to Nazi Germany.
Artifact: Congressional Medal of Honor Fraud
Photo of an unauthorized Medal of Honor (right) next to an authentic one (left). They were part of a 1990s FBI investigation into illegally manufactured Medals of Honor.
Artifact: Alarm Clocks from 2010 Times Square Bombing Attempt
Photo of two damaged, neon-colored alarm clocks. They were part of a bomb that Faisal Shahzad planned to detonate in Times Square in 2010.
Artifact: Polygraph Machine - Jack Ruby
Photo of an old-fashioned polygraph machine used to polygraph Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald.
Artifact: Brick from the Palace Chop House, Dutch Schultz Murder Case
Photo of a brick from the scene of mobster Dutch Schultz's murder in 1935.
Artifact: Graflex Speed Graphic Camera
Photo of an old camera on a table. The FBI used this type of camera for several purposes including crime scene and evidence photos.
Artifact: Hank Sloan-Designed Holster
Photo of a gun next to a worn holster and ammo pouch, created exclusively for the FBI’s S&W Model 10 M&P .38 revolver
Artifact: Polish Folk Artifact Concealment Device
Photo of a concealment device designed to look like a wooden chess piece.
Artifact: Rudolf Abel / Hollow Nickel Case
Photo of a concealment container used by spy Rudolf Ivonovich Abel to hide objects, such as rolls of film.
Artifact: Baby Face Nelson Body Armor
Photo of body armor on a mannequin, used by notorious gangster "Baby Face" Nelson.
Artifact: John Dillinger's Death Mask
Photo of a death mask, made after the death of notorious gangster John Dillinger.
Artifact: Macintosh Plus
The FBI’s November Artifact of the Month is a Macintosh Plus that FBI Laboratory professionals used to create crime scene drawings.
Artifact: Huntington Oil Spill Specimen Jars
The FBI’s Los Angeles Division transferred several items from the investigation of the Huntington Beach oil spill. These samples contain marine life samples—barnacles—from the damaged pipeline preserved in ethyl alcohol.
Artifact: Alvin Statuette
The FBI’s December Artifact of the Month is a statuette of Alvin, a chipmunk in a fictional band called Alvin and the Chipmunks. FBI agents once placed a bug inside this toy during an organized crime case.
Artifact: Fingerprint Box
Wooden index card file boxes like this were used throughout the FBI (and federal government overall) to store various sets of index cards. The set in this box came from the Latent Fingerprint Section of the FBI Laboratory and contained copies of latent fingerprints taken from various bank robbery cases.
Artifact: FBI Tour Desk Sign
This sign was displayed at the 1975 opening of the new FBI tour—at the then-new FBI Headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building—and in use for some time after that.
Artifact: Chagall Oil Painting
1911 painting by Marc Chagall that was stolen in 1988 and returned nearly 30 years ago to its owner.
Artifact: Special Agent Barry Black's Hard Hat
Hard hat worn by FBI Special Agent Black wore while gathering evidence at the scene of the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing.
Artifact: Olympic Torches
Photo of Olympic Torches from both the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Artifact: Harvey's Casino Bomb
Photo of the trial model of Harvey’s Casino Bomb; the actual device was detonated on August 26, 1980, at Harvey’s Resort Hotel and Casino in Stateline, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe.
Artifact: Brian P. Regan Espionage Case
Photo of a copy of a booklet that lists contact information for foreign consulates that Brian P. Regan used to make selections of where to try and sell the classified information he had stolen. The booklet shown was used as an exhibit in Regan’s trial.
Artifact: Flags Hung in New Orleans Field Office During Hurricane Katrina
Photo of U.S. and FBI flags FBI SWAT agents hung in remind them of their mission: protect the lives and property of New Orleans’ residents.
Artifact: John Anthony Walker Jr. Spy Case
Photo of identification documents used by John Anthony Walker, Jr., including a driver’s license, U.S. passport, and military ID. In 1985, Walker was arrested for selling U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union
Artifact: Nagra SNST
Photo of a a Nagra SNST, a miniature reel-to-reel audio recorder. This one dates back to circa 1975.
Artifact: Enron Code of Ethics
Photo of the Enron Code of Ethics from 2000, signed by Enron’s Chairman and CEO Kenneth Lay.
Artifact: Phone Booth from CENTBOMB Investigation
The FBI's July Artifact of the Month is a phone booth from the FBI's investigation into the bombing at Centennial Olympic Park in July 1996.
Artifact: Desk Used at Nazi Saboteur Trial
The FBI's June Artifact of the Month is a desk used during the trial of Nazi saboteurs in the 1940s.
Artifact: 9/11 Responder's Hard Hat
The FBI’s September Artifact of the Month is a black hard hat that a 9/11 responder wore.
Artifact: Mignon 4 Typewriter
The FBI’s August Artifact of the Month is a Mignon 4, a mechanical index typewriter from the early 20th century.
Artifact: USS Cole Galley Tray
The FBI’s October Artifact of the Month is a blue tray recovered from the galley of the USS Cole.
Artifact: Portion of Fuselage from United Airlines Flight 175
Photo of a portion of the fuselage from United Airlines Flight 175, which hit the World Trade Center south tower in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.
Artifact: Edward Lee Howard Dummy
The May 2021 Artifact of the Month is a dummy Edward Lee Howard fashioned to escape FBI surveillance.
Artifact: FBI Diver Helmet
The FBI’s January Artifact of the Month is a Kirby Morgan SuperLite 27—a diving helmet FBI divers used to wear.
Artifact: Limousine Piece from Reagan Assassination Attempt
The FBI’s March Artifact of the Month is a piece of the limousine struck during the assassination attempt.
Artifact: Lindbergh Kidnapping Gas Can
Photo of a gas can found in the garage of Bruno Richard Hauptmann. Gold certificates hidden inside the gas can tied Hauptmann to the Lindbergh kidnapping.
Artifact: Patty Hearst Kidnapping
Photo of a blue coat and long gun used by Patty Hearst, an heiress who was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974. Hearst participated in a bank robbery with the SLA.
Artifact: Barker-Karpis Gang Member Russell Gibson's Notebook
Photo of a leather-type notebook that belonged to gangster Russell Gibson, whose Barker-Karpis Gang thrived in the 1930s. The notebook has a bullet hole from the shootout with law enforcement that led to Gibson's death in 1935.
Artifact: “How to Take Fingerprints” Instruction Book
Photo of a booklet, printed in 1932 in the U.S. Government Printing Office, titled How to Take Fingerprints. It details the best techniques for obtaining a clean, useful set of fingerprints.
Artifact: Richard Reid's Shoes
Photo of the pair of shoes Richard Reid—also known as the shoe bomber—tried to detonate on December 22, 2001.
Artifact: Criminal History of Bank Robber William Sutton
Photo of a document that outlines Ten Most Wanted Fugitive William Francis Sutton's criminal history.
Artifact: FBI Rubber Stamps
Photo of a collection of rubber stamps, formerly used to process FBI paperwork.
Artifact: 9/11 Hijacker's Car
Photo of a blue car with a California license plate, used by a Sept. 11, 2001 hijacker to get to the airport.
Artifact: 9/11 WTC Steel Beam
Photo of a piece of steel found in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.
Artifact: Female Special Agent's Briefcase
Photo of a brown leather briefcase that belonged to the first female FBI special agent.
Artifact: Coors Kidnapping Ransom Note
Photo of a typewritten ransom note delivered to Mary Coors, whose husband was kidnapped and murdered in 1960.
Artifact: D.B. Cooper Plane Ticket
Photo of a plane ticket used by hijacker D.B. Cooper in 1971. Cooper was never found, and the hijacking is one of the oldest cold cases in FBI history.
Artifact: FBI 90th Anniversary Memorabilia
Photo of memorabilia, including two programs and a zippered bag, commemorating the 90th anniversary of the FBI in 1998.
Artifact: Laptop from Operation Ghost Stories
Photo of a laptop computer that Anna Chapman used to communicate with the Russian government while she was spying in the United States. Her case was known as Operation Ghost Stories and inspired the creators of the FX series, "The Americans."
Artifact: Mask of Pretty Boy Floyd's Face
Photo of a face mask made from Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd's face after his death. Floyd was a notorious bank robber who became a known fugitive before his 30th birthday.
Artifact: Earl Pitts' Chair
Photo of the chair FBI Special Agent Earl Edwin Pitts was sitting in at the FBI Academy when he was arrested on espionage charges in 1996.
Artifact: Pen Gun
Photo of two pen guns. Pen guns are dangerous weapons designed to look like ink pens.
Artifact: FBI Academy Gym Seal
Photo of an FBI seal on a wood background. It was embedded on the floor of the original FBI Academy gym.
Artifact: Fingerprint Kit
Photo of an antique box with several small jars and tools. This fingerprint kit dates back to the 1930s.
Artifact: Duty Weapon of First Special Agent Killed in the Line of Duty
Photo of a gun in a frame. The gun belonged to Special Agent Edwin C. Shanahan, who was killed in the line of duty in 1925.
Artifact: Mailmobile
Photo of a 600-pound robot with four slots for mail. It delivered mail to FBI employees in the 1980s and 1990s.
Artifact: Operation Royal Charm Wedding Invitation
Photo of a wedding invitation on a table. The 2005 ruse wedding was used to get suspects in the same place, so they could be arrested.
Artifact: Ross William Ulbricht's Laptop
Photo of a laptop and mouse that belonged to cybercriminal Ross William Ulbricht, who ran the Silk Road darknet market from 2011 to 2013.
