Hidden Treasures- Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture by Leigh Keno and Leslie Keno

Leigh and Leslie Keno are two of the expert appraisers working for Antiques Roadshow on PBS. Both are experts in their field, but how did they get where they are? This book is part biography- tracing their earliest days as collectors and seekers out of old stuff, to their present work as appraisers and buyers of American Furniture.

Born to an unusual family, Leslie and Leigh took an interest in Antiques at an early age, starting with an interest in old pots that led them far afield to dig up old homesites in the hopes of finding something interesting. At the age of 12, they became dealers, buying and selling antiques and writing their finds, acquisitions and sales down in an old notebook, along with their drawings of the items they were selling.

Along with their mother, they would travel to flea markets and antiques shows, looking for hidden bargains and undervalued finds. Along the way, they continued to grow and mature, eventually finding work with two different auction houses- Sotheby's and Christie's. Though Leigh eventually left Christie's to found his own antiques firm, Leigh Keno American Antiques, the two brothers continue to look for and find incredible antiques- not only on Antiques Roadshow, but around the world.

But more than just a biography, this book also serves as a catalogue of some of the incredible and amazing finds the brothers have handled and found over the years. It is the story of their finds, from a pair of John Goddard chairs that were almost literally in pieces, to a lovely George Gibbs desk, to the final piece in the book, a Christopher Townsend secretary. Each piece is covered with the story of how it was found, acquired, (sometimes) restored, and sold. Each brother tells a chapter in an alternating fashion, so that you read stories about finds from each of them.

Not that everyone in antiques is completely above board: two stories in the book illustrate how frauds are perpetrated, and also how they are caught. In the first, Sotheby's bought as real a reproduction- which Leigh discovered on the shipping floor- this served as his real entry into the appraising business as Sotheby's. And again, Leigh uncovered a case of frauds that were nearly auctioned off as the real thing via a known con-man, who had roped two otherwise unsuspected antique dealers into the fraud that he was trying to perpetrate. It's a sobering example of why one should be very skeptical when buying antiques of unknown provenance or from small dealers.

I liked this book. Antiques aren't really my thing- I've watched Antiques Roadshow, but I don't collect them- except for maybe some of my mother and grandmother's costume jewelry and compact cases. but the Keno brothers really make you feel the passion they feel for the beautiful objects that they discover, buy and sell. Their obvious love of what they do and what they find enlivens the book so that it is never dull. This book is more than just about objects, it's about life and art, and I found it utterly compelling and riveting.

The book is filled with many lovely pictures of the furniture that is being talked about, as well as pictures of the brothers themselves, some of which made me laugh (A picture of them in the 70's, with long, Gregg Allman-style hair was the most humorous, but then, the 70's styles were rarely kind to people on reflection), but again, it's the pictures of the antiques that will draw and hold your interest. Each picture lovingly shows the unique finishes, glossy wood and gilding that were popular at the time of a piece's manufacture. In fact, you may end up with something of a love for American furniture yourself after readiing this book.

It's rare for a non-fiction book to be a "Can't put it down" type of book for me, but this one certainly hit that near-impossible goal. Reading the book, you come to understand the passion and drive of collecting beautiful American furniture- even if the prices are impossible to match based on your salary. You can still have the feeling of being in on the sale from reading this book. Highly recommended.