Tracing the authenticity of old photographs is tricky work, as Timothy Phelps no doubt knows by now. Phelps, who lives in Corpus Christi, Texas, has spent more than 15 years trying to prove that he found never-seen photographers of the notorious outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. His odyssey began when he discovered a photo album while helping a friend clear out his late father's garage. "I knew in my heart it was them," he told Corpus Christies television station WIII. Finding experts to confirm his belief proved difficult, until he met forensic artist Lois Gibson. Still, questions about the images remain.

When the utopian ideals of the American Arts and Crafts movement began to splinter against the hard realities of a growing post-war industrial society, a fascinating cultural initiative was initiated by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Disheartened by the machine age but still yearning for a lasting connection to the handmade, she brought together a group of makers who redirected their focus toward a pastoral view of America’s colonial past. By 1926, Val-Kill Industries—a bold p...