photo by Kiara Martin
This month and next, we’re sharing all kinds of origin stories.
This month so far, we’ve published origin stories about:
1. Eugène François Vidocq, a French outlaw-turned-entrepreneur who is considered to be the world’s first private investigator.
2. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which presaged the rise of the FBI and Secret Service — and private security firms operating in the ethical borderlands.
3. Brian Willingham’s incredible essay about how he became a highly respected private investigator, after his life plan of baseball stardom did not pan out. [Warning: This story contains baseball metaphors and mentions the fecal emissions of geese, and also the NY Mets.]
There’s more coming, and lots more in the archive. Check this page and our social media feeds for more stories of beginnings.
Here is the briefing. (We hope you like the zany title plugins.)