In this episode, we’re joined by Johanna McBrien who has worked in the field for more than 40 years in the antiques, publishing, and museum fields. From Historic New England to teaching at RISD and Boston Architectural College, Johanna has spent her career digging into the rich stories behind furniture, interiors, and decorative arts. Johanna discusses her love for 18th century Salem, MA furniture (see our related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVB-tb1GOfk ), also she talks about what’s hot (and what’s not) in the antiques market, why you should collect what you love instead of chasing value, and how the loss of historical education is putting our connection to antiques at risk. For Johanna, it’s simple: when antiques lose their stories, they lose their soul. Tune in for a thoughtful, engaging chat about why history matters—and why understanding the past is essential to preserving the beauty and relevance of antiques today. Johanna is the currently t executive director of the Dedham Museum and Archive.

Martin grew up near historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire—a treasure trove of Colonial-era antiques and stories. In the 1980s, he uncovered a set of stunning fire buckets and portraits linked to local artist John S. Blunt. With help from his friend, historian Joe Copley, Martin pieced together their history, leading to a record-breaking $32,500 bid at auction. It’s a story about discovery, passion for history, and the thrill of bringing the past to life—dedicated to Joe, who helped preserve Portsmouth’s legacy. Post script: I forgot to mention, the red pigment on the back of the canvases, was a telltale of John S. Blunt’s work! John S. Blunt, Portsmouth (1798-1835)

Related Blog With Images

The 1919 Molasses Flood was a tragic and significant event in the history of Boston’s North End, reflecting the challenges of a rapidly changing city after World War I. In this episode, Jake Sconyers from the HUB History podcast delves into the disaster, examining the working-class Italian immigrant community it affected, the lasting impact on the neighborhood, and how the Great Molasses Flood has become a piece of Boston’s enduring mythology.

BIO: Jake Sconyers is the founder and cohost of HUB History, a weekly podcast where we share our favorite stories from Boston’s history. Before starting the podcast, Jake founded and ran a walking tour company called Boston Strolls for a couple of seasons. More recently, he has been a lecturer at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, an organizer of History Camp Boston, and a volunteer docent at the Shirley-Eustis House.In addition to Jake’s obsession with Boston history, he takes the photographs that he shares here, and he enjoys running marathons, kayaking, gardening, making jam and jelly, brewing hard cider, and grilling and barbecuing tasty meats. At work, he helps physicians use their EHR. He is a volunteer with a dog rescue called Shultzs Guest House and he gives platelets to the Red Cross.

Jake’s Websites jacobsconyers.com I like to take pictures. I take pictures of Boston, of my adventures, of breaking news, of animals, and flowers, and sunsets. I post the decent ones on this site. You can consider this the canonical site for Jacob Sconyers. https://www.hubhistory.com/ My wife and I host a weekly podcast. It’s our way of sharing our favorite stories from Boston’s history. https://historycamp.org/ History Camp is an unconference for history, founded in the Boston area and expanding beyond. I built and maintain their website, as well as helping to organize monthly history events for History Camp enthusiasts.

First ever monologue discussing how I got into antiques, and the adventure along the way. From digging bottles, a 1964 garage sale, to my dad auctioning for the first time by replacing a drunken auctioneer. Let’s not forget a $300k rug fragment that came from the box lot of things that could not sell at a yard sale. This fragment was from the same home that we were all excited about the Paul Revere silver spoon & and lastly  a story that could have inspMrs Doubtfire! Email: [email protected]

Robert K. Wittman had a remarkable career as an FBI agent for 20 years, from 1988 to 2008. Specializing in art theft and cultural property crime, Robert became the FBI’s go-to expert for these types of cases. His impressive work undercover led to the recovery of over $300 billion worth of stolen art and property across 20 different countries. His extensive undercover operations are detailed in his book, Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures. He has fascinating stories. https://www.robertwittmaninc.com/

In 2008, after 20 years with the FBI, Robert Wittman retired from the Bureau and brought his expertise to the private sector. He sought to create a Security and Recovery Consulting firm that would draw on his unique investigative experience to protect its clients from losses related to theft, fraud or forgery. Since its inception, Robert Wittman Inc. has grown far beyond its original vision, providing protection and recovery services to more than 100 public and private collections worldwide. Robert Wittman Inc. continues to proudly serve a diverse portfolio of institutions, auction houses, collectors, galleries, insurance companies and Nations committed to protecting their cultural assets.

Martin’s mentioning of the Declaration of Independence almost forgotten when Washington was burning: “Pleasonton acquired several coarse linen bags, and filled them with all the Department’s records. This included the still-unpublished secret journals of Congress, the commission and correspondence of George Washington, the Articles of Confederation, the United States Constitutionand all the treaties, laws, and correspondence of the department made since 1789. He had all of this placed in coarse linen sacks and carted to a grist mill two miles beyond Georgetown. Before he left, he noticed the Declaration of Independence had been forgotten and was still hanging in its frame on the wall, and took that as well.”

Robert’s Story on Dolly Madison saving the George Washington Portrait 

2010 interview with HARDCORE HISTORY’S Dan Carlin, a fascinating guest who’s podcast still holds up after 11 years. Dan talks about prep for his shows, the predictable things that happen when you reflect on history and much more.

Founder of Art Guard, Bill Anderson discusses the art theft market, as well as Art Guard’s system which is dedicated to protecting anything that’s valuable and portable. A system that is always on, operating discreetly in the background, managed from anywhere on a mobile device.

Adam discusses the antiques business today in the New York City surroundings, an area of exodus, the merchandise available and how to handle things as a buyer and seller in a COVID restricted environment. Check out his website: Syl-Lee Antiques

Martin Willis interviews longtime friend Stephen Schofield on coins and stamps, and how rare are rare coins? What about collecting stamps? What to do for more information about what dad or grandad may have stashed away. Who to trust and what the importance is of condition and care for these historic pieces passing through our lives. For images and info check out his auction website: http://www.centennialauctions.com/

One of Maine’s noted artists, David Vickery discusses his path on becoming an artist by first looking through a camera lens, what challenges him and what inspires him. Check out his Varieties of Maine Realism at: http://www.dvickery.com/

https://www.dowlingwalsh.com/artists/david-vickery