Photo courtesy Veronica Theodoro
History buffs, home owners, art collectors, and the like descended onto America’s Center in downtown St. Louis this past Saturday, July 8.
Whether they carried in small treasures or rolled in larger items via carts, turning heads along the way, the mission was the same: to share beloved paintings and pottery, porcelain and prints, rugs and textiles, manuscripts and furnishings with the experts from the popular PBS show Antiques Roadshow.
Among the attendees were Melissa and Denzel, both of Farmington, who made the hour-long drive from home that morning with the hopes of learning something—anything—about a matching pair of copper-coated tubs found partially buried in the back yard of Denzel’s home in 1973. The tubs had only two markers—a signature and a date—and had stumped historians and researchers since the early ’80s, when Denzel had them excavated and refurbished.
“We always thought the tubs were the works of an apprentice who was at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair," he said, "but we couldn’t be sure."
“It turns out that what we thought was an ‘E’ or maybe a ‘C’ in the signature is actually a ‘G,’" says Melissa, who owns one of the copper-pressed, dipped-and-coated brass tubs.
A visit with an appraiser on Saturday unearthed some good news: “The artist is Gustav Lind, a German, who exhibited at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair,” recalled Melissa. "It's so nice to know after all this time."
Antiques Roadshow executive producer Marsha Bemko says many of the most intriguing items are those with a compelling story, such as a collection of anti-integration letters from 1963 that were sent to a Woolworth’s employee in Arkansas. The materials, which contain death threats, belong to the daughter of the man to whom they were written. "We know this was a shameful time in our history, and these letters illuminate that," says Bemko.
See also: A conversation with Antiques Roadshow host Mark Walberg
Another bit of history that was brought to light this past weekend is a panoramic photo that until Saturday had been ignored in the depths of a St. Louis basement.
"We love local stories, and this one is about Sportsman's Park," says Bemko.
On July 4, 1941, a baseball game took place at Sportsman's Park between two Negro League teams, the Kansas City Monarchs and the Chicago American Giants. Because of Jim Crow Laws in affect at the time, fans—whether black or white—were prohibited from sitting together at the sport's venue. Unwilling to accept the status quo, Monarchs star pitcher Satchel Paige announced that he would boycott the game if all of the fans couldn't enjoy the game together. For that one day in 1941, Jim Crow laws were suspended, and both black and white baseball fans cheered on their teams side by side inside Sportsman's Park. The photo and accompanying memorabilia was appraised by sports memorabilia expert Jasmani Frances for $5,000 to $7,000.
Retta, a St. Louis interior designer, pushed a shopping cart containing an iron French chair circa 1940 that she bought for $90 at an estate sale, as well as a collection of fashion illustrations and sketches by Mr. Blackwell, which were a gift to her mother. According to the appraisers, on the open market, the chair could sell for $500-$750. The appraisers value the sketches at $300 a piece.
The value of the designer’s cherished collection of Chinese import ware, however, was a surprise to her. “You could get four, maybe five times as much for this in the 80s,” says Retta. “Everyone had to have it!”
Editor's Note: This article has been updated from an earlier version.
