As a PS to my previous post, here's an article about the incident from Maine
Antiques Digest. There's much more to be found about this on Google,
including something posted by the FBI!
====================
Pritchard and Juno Dropped from Antiques Roadshow
by Clayton Pennington
In the field of television transgressions, it wasn't quite NBC using
incendiary devices to blow up GM trucks, or CNN falsely reporting poison gas
attacks
in Vietnam. It wasn't even Darva and Rick.
An apparently staged appraisal, however, on the popular PBS television show
Antiques Roadshow violated "the basic premise" of the show and was enough for
WGBH officials to sever their ties to militaria appraisers Russ Pritchard
III and George Juno on March 30.
The long-rumored story of a staged appraisal was first confirmed in the April
2000 issue of the Vermont-based Civil War News, in an article by Julio C.
Zangroniz about dealer and <W0I>Antiques Roa appraiser George Juno, who was
seeking an injunction to force the promoters of the prestigious Baltimore
Antique Arms Show to allow him to exhibit. (Juno was denied the injunction.)
The Civil War News reported that Juno admitted in sworn court testimony that
a sword he appraised on the air during a stop in Seattle, Washington, in the
first year of the show was brought in by Stephen Sadtler, a friend of Russ
Pritchard III. At the time, Juno and Pritchard were business partners in the
now-dissolved American Ordnance Preservation Association (AOPA).
According to the Boston Herald, which put the scandal on the front page of
the March 29 edition, the $35,000 sword?called the "watermelon sword" by those
familiar with the incident because Sadtler told Juno during the televised
appraisal that he had once used the sword to cut watermelon?belonged to one of
Juno's clients.
Once the Boston Herald story broke, a spokesman for the Chubb Group of
Insurance Companies, a major underwriter of the show, stated, "If this matter
is
not resolved quickly to our satisfaction, we will reevaluate our support for
the program." The next day, Pritchard and Juno were off the show.
A terse statement from Peter McGhee, WGBH vice president of national
programming, read, "Following up on a report in the <W0I>Boston H, WGBH has
determined an appraisal of a Civil War sword, first broadcast on <W0I>Antiques
Roa in
1997, was staged by appraisers without the knowledge of Antiques Roadshow
and in violation of the basic premise of the program.
"We have taken the immediate step of severing ties with George Juno and Russ
Pritchard, the two appraisers involved.
"WGBH is committed to upholding the reputation of <W0I>Antiques Roa and main
taining the trust of our viewers, public television stations, and program
funders."
A statement to M.A.D. from Pritchard and Juno reads: "It's disappointing to
no longer be a part of the Antiques Roadshow. The past four years have been
fun, and we have had the opportunity to meet lots of wonderful people. The
<W0I>Antiques Roa is an informative and entertaining program on television,
and
a great way to learn about antiques.
"The positive side of what has happened is that now we'll be able to watch
the Antiques Roadshow at home with our families."
Asked to comment on the staged appraisal, Juno and Pritchard wrote: "All the
information about the Civil War sword in this appraisal is true and accurate.
It's an extremely rare Confederate Officer's sword and only a handful are
known to exist. It has a single edged unstopped fullered blade that is white
etched with military motifs, a script CS, and maker marked on the ricasso. The
sword was manufactured by Thomas, Griswold and Co. while in New Orleans,
before its fall to Union forces in 1862 and has a beautiful and unique turned
down cast guard depicting Fort Sumter. This motif was used because of its
recognition and honor as the first Confederate victory of the Civil War. The
sword
has a gold gilted [sic] brass mounted scabbard with two ring mounts. It has
very distinctive New Orleans construction qualities including a split pommel
cap, two piece guard, and a plain and bulbous quillion. We would challenge
anyone to refute this information. This is our area of expertise."
According to WGBH, no replacement militaria appraisers have been named.
Antiques Roadshow is taking steps to disassociate itself from the two.
According to the Boston Herald, viewers who paid $75 for a fund-raising
videotape
in which the staged appraisal appears will be able to return the tape for a
refund. WGBH will also edit out all upcoming appearances by Juno and
Pritchard. By noon on March 30, Juno's and Pritchard's biographies had been
removed
from the WGBH Web site.
This is not the first time that ethics questions have dogged the pair. In
June 1999 Pritchard and the AOPA were found liable in federal civil court of
defrauding George Pickett V over artifacts of his ancestor, the famous general
who made the futile charge at Gettysburg, artifacts that Pritchard purchased
for $87,500 and were later sold for over $850,000.
