Antiques Roadshow Detours

GBH’s Antiques Roadshow made a surprising discovery in Charleston, SC in 2000 – a circa 1850 two-seated chair made for famous conjoined twins Cheng and Eng Bunker. DETOURS host Adam Monahan long believed there must be a second chair lost to history, but a serendipitous phone conversation with humorist Mo Rocca not only solved the mystery of the missing chair, but also revealed Mo’s own historical look at the famous twins captured in an episode of his podcast Mobituaries.  Here for DETOURS listeners is Mobituaries episode “Cheng and Eng: A Messy American Dream “ where Mo travels to Mount Airy, North Carolina - the inspiration for Andy Griffith's Mayberry and the real life home of conjoined Siamese twins, Chang and Eng - to join their many descendants for their annual family reunion.

Photographs of Edgar Allan Poe are incredibly rare. The famed writer sat for portraits only a few times, resulting in eight unique images, known as daguerreotypes. When one appeared on the TV show in Omaha, NE it seemed too good to be true.  Then the FBI called.  It’s a tale never shared before on TV. And but for this podcast may be shared nevermore. Check out the purloined portrait: www.wgbh.org/detours

In 2013, GBH’s Antiques Roadshow appraiser John Buxton met a guest claiming to have an ancient Mayan carving. Buxton’s gut said this was a fake but the guest had paperwork proving otherwise. Is it possible Buxton’s instinct was right all along?  DETOURS host Adam dives into the deceitful  world of forged artifacts, following a story that still eludes appraiser John Buxton, AKA ‘the King of Fakes.’ Judge for yourself. Check out the Mayan Jade and more: www.wgbh.org/detours

In 2015, a guest brought a strange looking pot to the set of GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Spokane, WA, where an expert appraised it as a “19th century grotesque face jug” worth $30,000 - $50,000. After the episode aired, a viewer contacted the series to share information which shocked producers and wound up in the national news. Find out what they learned and what happened next when DETOURS host Adam Monahan sets out to find answers.

A pair of Tiffany lamps go missing years after appearing on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow. Just how far would someone go to get their hands on these lamps? And just how far would someone else go to get them back? DETOURS host Adam Monahan talks to those close to the story including the private investigator who ultimately cracked the case.

There is a cynicism that hangs over the topic of American infrastructure — whether it’s high-speed rail or off-shore wind — it feels like this country can’t build big things anymore. No one project embodies that cynicism quite like Boston’s Big Dig. Infamous for its ever-increasing price tag, this massive highway tunneling effort became a symbol of waste and corruption. Yet the project delivered on its promise to transform the city. So how did the narrative go so horribly wrong? And what lessons can the Big Dig offer for the ambitious projects of today? “The Big Dig,” is a nine-episode series produced by GBH News and hosted by Ian Coss. The entire series is available now wherever you get your podcasts.

GBH’s Antiques Roadshow has a fair share of characters cross its set, but none like the towering, booming-voiced cowboy who attended the 2018 taping in Tulsa, OK.  With a rare red diamond ring, cowboy Jim sought to learn the gem’s value. But would his $35K gamble pay off big? Join host Adam Monahan as he uncovers the mystery behind red diamonds and the improbable end to this story!

A collection of vintage mousetraps appraised on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2016 became eerily relevant as DETOURS host Adam Monahan faced an ongoing war with rats in his own urban backyard. Are these disease-carrying pests or intelligent emotional beings? Join the lively journey tracing back to the earliest forms of traps and efforts to control rat populations along with expert musings from the rat’s point of view on whether there really is a better way to build a mouse trap.

Longtime folk art expert for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, Wes Cowan, has seen so many unusual items that very little surprises him. But a perplexing apothecary bottle filled with colored sand brought to the show in Hot Springs, AR in 2002 led to his discovery of a 19th century artist with an amazing story and no auction records at that time. Join host Adam Monahan as he uncovers the story of the artist who lost his hearing and speech as a result of a childhood illness and later designed remarkable sand art created grain-by-grain, and the two appraisers who would be transfixed by what happened at auction!

Celebrity letters provide a glimpse into what was happening in that person’s life in a particular moment in time, beyond what the newspapers were printing. When a fiery letter written by legendary star Frank Sinatra was appraised on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Tulsa, OK in 2018 that glimpse revealed a raw response to a letter from a prison chaplain, asking forgiveness for the tw

It is the dream scenario on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow: your object is appraised for more than you ever imagined. But when that object is a beloved family treasure, do you keep or sell? This hypothetical becomes a reality for Theresa after she learns that her inherited New Orleans Art Pottery jardinière, which she personally kept safe during Hurricane Katrina, is worth thousands. Theresa joins host Adam Monahan as she shares her post-show journey and reveals her ultimate decision. 

GBH’s Antiques Roadshow is known for mind-blowing valuations, but often the owners and their stories are the true treasures–like Arnold Shapiro, the guest who was responsible for putting Peanuts cartoons on Hallmark greeting cards. Hear more about Arnold’s 12-year relationship with the iconic Charles Schulz and follow the journey of his comic strip collection from six-figure TV appraisal to a permanent home at the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

When humorist Mo Rocca appeared on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, he was eager to find out the true identity of a treasured antique store purchase - a bronze-painted plaster bust he long believed was President Grover Cleveland. Though his TV appraisal yielded no answer, the name of the stranger he’s lived with for years has finally been revealed! Join host Adam Monahan on a hilarious journey - which included the New York Times, New York Police Department and Cleveland’s own grandson - to unravel the mystery behind the mustachioed model.

In 1965, Gale Sayers was the first-round draft pick for the Chicago Bears, kicking off a history-making NFL career. 41 years later, a bloody, torn up jersey worn by Sayers appears on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow after narrowly being saved from a fate as a cleaning rag. What follows is an epic TV appraisal that leads to a surprise at the auction block. Join host Adam Monahan as he follows the story and, with help from sports writer Fred Mitchell, dives deeper into the life of the football legend along the way.

A collection of 1993 "Magic: The Gathering" Beta cards are appraised on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow for up to $100,000 leaving producers wondering when–and why–did these modern collectibles get so valuable? Host Adam Monahan heads straight to the source for answers: with a trip to a Magic tournament, and an interview with Richard Garfield, the creator of “Magic: The Gathering,” himself! 

Photos from Admiral Byrd’s famed Antarctic expedition brought in 2021 to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Sands Point, NY reveal rare glimpses into life at the South Pole almost 100 years ago. Join host Adam Monahan as he discovers how science and PR collide in this tale of one man’s quest for fame and a secured place in history and how that compares to modern influencers today.

Joseph McCarthy grew up on a Wisconsin farm where he learned the value of hard work. After serving in World War II, McCarthy capitalized on his military service to launch a successful Senate campaign. As the Cold War intensifies, McCarthy seizes the opportunity to exploit public fears of communism, framing himself as a defender of American democracy. Discover how his rise coincides with a national climate of paranoia, setting the stage for the demagoguery that would define his career. Explore the ambition, fear, and complexities of power, as McCarthy's story unfolds against the backdrop of a nation grappling with its identity and values.Learn more about American Experience Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads

In 2018 GBH’s Antiques Roadshow visited one of the coolest locations the show has filmed at to-date, the Hotel del Coronado, right on the beach in southern CA. So it was surprising when a guest brought a well-used kitchen table to be appraised and even more surprising when it was revealed to be from the 1959 American National Exhibition’s “kitchen of the future” displayed in Moscow over which an icy debate took place between then Vice President Richard Nixon and Premier of the Soviet Union Nikita Krushchev. Join host Adam Monahan as he traces the history of this Cold War debate and how one viewers’ letter corrected crucial information about the table that witnessed history in the making!

A family photograph, long rumored to feature the wild western outlaw, Billy the Kid, is brought to the set of GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2017 where it is quickly and roundly declared as inauthentic. In fact, there is still only one truly authenticated image of “the Kid” known, although countless more have made the claim—some with more plausibility than others. But why does Billy the Kid’s image remain so sought after and so notoriously rare? Host Adam Monahan digs into the case, and along the way discovers a story about the limits of technology, the value of historical accuracy, and the power of belief.

A coveted 1959 No. 1 Barbie was appraised for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2016 with a value of $3,500-$4,500. But with today’s Barbie mania following the release of the mega-hit movie, has a nice pink glow washed over the market for the stylishly superstar doll? Join host Adam Monahan as he toys with the question, speaking with Barbie historians, market experts and analyzes recent auction activity to reveal whether Barbie collectors will see a boost or a bust!