DETOURS

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.

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!

Controversial items are nothing new to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, but when an artist’s study sketch was brought to the show’s 2007 event in Baltimore, MD it seemed unlikely to be one. However, it was because of the bigger picture – literally –a mural created for the state of Indiana by Thomas Hart Benton and unveiled at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair in which lurks a controversy that continues to this day. Join host Adam Monahan as he traces the story of how one artist challenged the era’s standard view of history and insisted that depicting both the good and the bad were important records and lessons for generations to come.

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.

Gold ingots, retrieved from the ocean floor and appraised on America’s favorite antiques show back in 1999 are now the subject of an international investigation. Apparently, which part of the ocean floor is a pretty big deal… Join host Adam Monahan to find out where these gold bars reside today!

A World War II Navy helmet brought to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, and used for years as a decorative planter, was revealed to be that of the US Naval officer in charge at Utah Beach during the allied landing in Normandy. Appraiser Jeff Shrader carefully inspected the helmet. What did his analysis along with an archived diary and other accounts from museum experts in two countries reveal about the full heroic story of this U.S. Naval Officer? Join host Adam Monahan as he discovers and memorializes the military life of the helmet’s original owner.

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

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

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.

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.