In a message dated 3/31/2005 2:08:37 PM Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
I wasn't going to jump into this one, but decided to share an interesting (at least I thought it was interesting!) tidbit about "Roadshow." A friend who is quite knowledgeable of British militaria saw an 18th century dragoon helmet being examined on the show. My friend took immediate notice because of the rarity of this helmet, and its excellent condition. In fact, there's only one known! My friend contacted HIS friend - the owner of the helmet - and yes indeed... The "Road Show" actually RENTED the helmet from the collector, and hired an actor to present it on camera as an "attic find." That's showmanship, folks! I have less of a problem with the phoney provenance of an item than I do having an unqualified person discuss/appraise it. ---------------------- I seem to recall an instance a few years ago with an appraiser of Civil War artifacts who did a similar setup. He was found out and severely censured for his unethical grandstanding.... Best regards, Rene Rondeau
