Treasure from the Trash Heap

Is it true that one person’s junk could actually be a treasure? If you’re an ANTIQUES ROADSHOW fan you might know our Junk in the Trunk specials – loving tributes to the left-over appraisals from the cities we visit each year. But what happened when an odd-looking pen was discovered during ROADSHOW’s 2023 visit to Akron, OH? Join host Adam Monahan as he picks through the junkpile of history to rediscover a forgotten invention by Thomas Edison and rescued an appraisal from the cutting room floor to fulfill the TV dreams of the guest who owns it.

For an appraiser, keeping a keen eye out for forgeries is part of the job. But just how complicated can that task become and to what lengths will forgers go to pass their work off as authentic? Join host Adam Monahan as he explores the story of famed 20th century Louisiana folk artist Clementine Hunter, a prolific painter whose work regularly appears at ANTIQUES ROADSHOW events, and uncovers how an astute student of her work noticed oddities in the marketplace which led to the FBI cracking the biggest Hunter forgery case ever!

Are you in danger of being poisoned by an antique book? The Victorian era ushered in new bright vivid dye formulas that produced brilliant yellows, reds, blues, purples, and greens. Although an antidote to the pervasive soot and grime of the day, these new dyes were laced with poisonous heavy metals – the worst being Emerald Green containing arsenic. Join host Adam Monahan who questions if over 29 seasons of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW a poisonous book has ever come before the hit series’ cameras? Follow the search through the show’s appraisal archive, the discovery of a curiously bright green book filmed in Hartford, CT in 2008, and a visit to The Poison Book Project for the shocking answer.

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW DETOURS kicks off Season 6 with a TV fact checker’s worst nightmare - an error pointed out by a keen ROADSHOW viewer. When the date of a painting depicting a quintessential Chicago scene of the activity on Michigan Avenue is called into question, host Adam Monahan begins a hunt for the truth and sets off a cascade of coincidences and corrections. What follows is a captivating journey of twists and turns, building to a thrilling auction finale…but are the mysteries of the painting ever solved?

Ever wondered what happens to the treasures featured on America’s beloved ANTIQUES ROADSHOW after the cameras leave town? A new season of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW DETOURS tracks down the juicy afterlives of your favorite finds from PBS’s hit series. Hosted by longtime ROADSHOW producer Adam Monahan, this podcast dives deep into mysteries, secrets, and surprises as each episode takes a thrilling “detour” into a single ROADSHOW object, astonishing and amusing listeners with every turn. From GBH and PRX.

When GBH’s Antiques Roadshow visited Sacramento, CA in 2019 a red-covered two-volume book set was brought to the show by a guest eager to learn about a selection from her grandfather’s book collection. “The Narrative of a Japanese” by Joseph Heco was recognized immediately by appraiser Martin Gammon for its historical importance, but how would this 1895 publication make a modern-day connection 150 years later? Join host Adam Monahan as he examines how an email received by the series after the episode aired led to an incredible connection between the book’s owner and a TV viewer who recognized something in the appraisal missed by both the guest and the expert!

The mob once controlled America's gambling empire. Until the government saw the money flowing and decided: they wanted a piece of the action. What happened next was more than a turf war. It was a battle between street corner bookies and bureaucrats in suits. And at the center of it all: one state lottery that would change gambling forever by inventing something we all know: the scratch ticket. Introducing “Scratch & Win” – the true story of how the government got into the gambling business. The new 8-part series is made by the Peabody Award-winning team behind “The Big Dig” and produced by GBH News.This is Part 1: The Instant Ticket. It’s 1974, illegal bookies are everywhere and the brand new state lottery is struggling to compete. But a simple piece of paper is about to change the game forever: the nation’s first scratch ticket. New episodes drop every Wednesday. ---------------------------Credits:Host and scriptwriter: Ian CossExecutive Producer: Devin Maverick RobinsProducers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian CossStory Editor: Lacy RobertsEditorial Advisor: Jen McKimFact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel HibbardScoring and Music Supervision: Ian CossGraphic Design: Bill MillerProject Manager: Meiqian He

In 1977, while preparing a move to New York to make it big as an artist, a young Keith Haring gifted a lithograph titled “Bean Salad” as a goodbye present to his friend Mike. Mike couldn’t bear to display the gift, but also couldn’t part with it, and after 45 years he took the lithograph to the Santa Fe recording of GBH’s Antiques Roadshow where it was appraised for $100,000-$200,000. But what was the unspoken history between the former friends? Join host Adam Monahan as he checks in with the guest to fill in the missing pieces and speaks with Haring’s sister to learn more about the life and work of the famous pop artist’s impactful and tragically short life.

An astonishing maritime painting depicting a 19th century yacht race was brought to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Tampa, FL in 2005.  Although unsigned, the extraordinary depiction of billowing sails and light-reflected sea spray clearly pointed to the work of artist James Buttersworth and was valued at $250,000 to $500,000 – the caveat being that more research would be needed to definitively prove the artist’s identity. Join host Adam Monahan as he speaks with art experts, museum curators and learns what public opinion revealed about the artist’s true identity and whether the mystery has finally been resolved.

Until 2023, zero paintings created by the beloved PBS artist Bob Ross had ever been brought to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow. That all changed at the show’s recent stop in Anchorage, Alaska when a whopping six made their way in front of the lights and cameras. Paintings by Ross almost never show up in the open market – so how did so many appear that day and why? Join host Adam Monahan as he learns the colorful backstory of how Ross’ happy little trees and puffy clouds became art therapy for many, the artist’s surprising tie to Alaska, and if the market for his work is the stuff dreams are made of.