Antiques Roadshow 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

News that a famous Galileo manuscript at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor was revealed to be a fake raises questions about a similar letter that appeared on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2014. Did the show get it wrong? And how can a fake be so convincing it fools multiple experts? Host Adam Monahan, joined by forgery-sniffing historian Nick Wilding, dig into a world of deception to uncover if the producers are in for a letdown.

Calling all dog lovers and true-crime aficionados! In 2022 Linda brought a chipped, cracked, and stained ceramic plate featuring the portrait of a long-ago dog to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Santa Fe, NM. But why would the story around this unassuming item soon ignite controversy among appraisers as to the plate’s true worth? Join host Adam Monahan as he chases the fantastic story of Skippy, a Belgian Shepherd who in 1952 saved Linda from the arms of a kidnapper and was subsequently honored as Dog of the Year.

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. 

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.

An early-American desk and bookcase set was appraised in 2006 at GBH’s Antiques Roadshow for a whopping $250,000. But was this coveted circa 1775 two-piece secretary a match made in heaven? Join host Adam Monahan as he discovers how a shocking secret revealed after the show making the piece even more rare, along with a powerful new market trend combine to dramatically change the value.

In the early 1800s securing a letter with a hot wax seal was akin to sending an encrypted email today – it protected the contents from prying eyes and created a mysterious and important air around the sender. So when the purported personal seal of President James Madison was discovered at ANTIQUES ROADSHOW in 2016 and aired on national TV, the previously unknown relic created a stir in the Madison research community. Join host Adam Monahan as he unseals history around the man known as the “Father of the Constitution,” his mentorship of a young politician from whom he asks a peculiar favor, and uncovers the written revelation that a second Madison seal with a soaring value is still missing and yet to be discovered!

Known to ANTIQUES ROADSHOW fans for her expertise in Tiffany Studios glass, Arlie Sulka is also known to ROADSHOW appraisers and crew as “The Black Widow” for her killer instincts during friendly yet competitive post-production poker games. But will gambler’s luck hold when she bets big on the purchase of 52 rare Tiffany mosaics, previously discovered in 2024 at ROADSHOW in Las Vegas? Join host Adam Monahan as he shuffles through the history of a once glamorous Detroit building that had fallen into ruin, how the rare relics were rescued, and whether Arlie will cash in big or be left holding a weak hand!

When a shocking and dramatic illustration depicting a fist-clenched cowboy punching a woman in the face appeared at ROADSHOW in 2014, the artwork created a controversy around whether to film such a startling image. Originally created as a 1938 magazine cover, this provocative, boundary-pushing genre known as pulp is now hotter than ever on the market. Join host Adam Monahan as he fights to answer the question of why such an image was created, learns the intriguing story of the creator whose legacy is largely forgotten, and uncovers the true intent behind the canvas.

In the summer of 1975 one cinematic masterpiece took a giant bite at the box office. The classic tale that drove people screaming from the water, Jaws became the first summer blockbuster and lives on in the minds of movie goers today.  As the film celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, a wave of movie treasures hit the auction block, including a rare, shark-toothed clapperboard discovered on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW in 2021 and at the time appraised for a whopping $25,000 to $35,000. Join host Adam Monahan as he dips his toes back into the auction pool to find out if the clapperboard would have financial teeth at auction, or if the imagined “ROADSHOW jinx” would claim another victim!