We often hear about the negatives of social media, but sometimes it leads to incredible discoveries! Take the story of Adam Busiakiewicz, a fine art researcher who recently stumbled upon a long-lost portrait of King Henry VIII while browsing X (formerly Twitter).
Earlier this month, Adam was scrolling through his feed when a post from a representative of the British Crown in Warwickshire, England, caught his eye. In the background of the photo, he noticed a painting with a distinctive arched top. It reminded him of a series of portraits commissioned in the 1590s by a local politician and tapestry maker. These paintings were later sold at auction and vanished from public record.
Intrigued, Adam shared his theory and took a closer look at the painting in person at Warwick’s Shire Hall. He confirmed to CNN that there was “no doubt” it was the missing Henry VIII portrait. Adam remarked, “Social media is a crazy thing because some people use it to watch cat videos and follow what’s going on in the world, and then people like me just look at what people have hanging on their walls.”
This story is a perfect reminder of the unexpected ways social media can bring history back to life.
Happy scrolling and maybe you’ll stumble upon something amazing too!
