Press Release: January 16, 2007
Central Plains Region
Confidence Artist Display
Nothing for Something: Oscar Hartzell and the Sir Francis Drake Estate Con
Steve Spence
(816) 268-8016
The National Archives Central Plains Region presents Nothing for Something: Oscar Hartzell and the Sir Francis Drake Estate Con, based upon documents used in the book Drake's Fortune: The Fabulous True Story of the World's Greatest Confidence Artist, written by Richard Rayner and published by Doubleday in 2002.
Rayner researched at the National Archives-Central Plains Region and is quoted as saying: "The National Archives constitutes a fabulous and unsung resource. This, in a word, is where all the stories are - meticulously preserved and organized, waiting for the lucky writer. History as it was, and history waiting to be given the new meaning that each generation requires."
Nothing for Something is the first of a series of exhibits that will be produced by the Central Plains Region as a part of Where the Stories Are: The Hidden Treasures of the National Archives-Central Plains Region. This exhibit series will highlight published materials based upon research at the National Archives-Central Plains Region. This exhibit will run January 16th-April 6th, 2007, Monday-Friday 8am-4pm in the front lobby.
The Central Plains Region is one of 14 facilities nationwide where the public has access to Federal archival records. It is home to more than 43,000 cubic feet of historical records dating from the 1820s to the 1990s created or received by nearly 100 federal agencies. The Central Plains Region houses records from the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The facility is located at 2312 E. Bannister Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131. It is open to the public Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (816) 268-8000 or visit the Central Plains Region web page.
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