Antiques Roadshow Detours

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!

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.

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!

In the world of rare silver, American Colonial silver is the stuff collectors dream of. So, when a pair of drinking vessels or "canns," complete with intricate engraving by a master Boston craftsman, were discovered during ROADSHOW’s visit to Akron in 2023, expert Nick Dawes examined the cups’ clues to reveal both the silver’s early-American history and extraordinary value. But does Nick’s tale of the tankards hold water? Join host Adam Monahan as he searches for the untarnished truth, picking through the many stories, half-truths, and wishful legends in a quest for what may or may not have been lost to history forever.