'Antiques Roadshow' films treasures in S.L.

As Leigh Keno ran his hand along the top of the George III chest of drawers, there was a twinge of excitement in his voice as he analyzed the hand-hewn boards, slightly warped with age.

"This is just a treasure hunt in a great warehouse," he said, looking over at his twin brother, Leslie. Then, with only a slight pause to think, he appraised the piece.

Price tag: $2,000. Year made: 1790.

That was just one of over 40,000 antique items he and his brother had the day to view. The twin brothers, who appear as regulars on the hit PBS show "Antiques Roadshow," were in Salt Lake City on Thursday to film at one of the nation's largest antique warehouses: Euro Treasures, owned by Salt Lake dealer Scott Evans.

The footage shot at the warehouse will become part of three one-hour segments being shot Saturday at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The segments will air sometime between January and March next year during the show's 11th season. About 5,000 Utahns are expected to bring items to Saturday's event to be appraised.

Leigh Keno said Thursday that he was surprised to see so many items at Evans' warehouse. He and his brother appraised several furniture items, most ranging from the mid-1800s to the 1950s.

"The whole 'Roadshow' experience is wonderful, and going off-site is fun because you just never know what you're going to find," said Keno, who owns Leigh Keno American Antiques in New York City. "It's just great to see so many things in one place, and it's actually been a great learning experience."

Before picking a piece to appraise, Keno and his brother scoured Evans' shop, looking for furniture items that were unique or had a special story behind them. During shooting, the two brothers carried on a nonstop, unscripted conversation, explaining to Walberg how they determined what a piece was worth, where it came from and whether it was authentic.

Producer Ines Hofmann Kanna said that the shoot was less-scripted than normal, because the crew didn't know what they would find at the warehouse. Usually, the venues for off-site shoots are smaller, she said.

Later this week, the crew will shoot two additional segments, one at the Utah Museum of Natural History and the other at the Utah Olympic Park. The museum segment will focus on rock and mineral collectibles, while the Olympic Park segment will focus on Olympic memorabilia.

Evans, who also owns Salt Lake Antiques on 279 East and 300 South, said Thursday that he was excited to have "Antiques Roadshow" in his warehouse. Antiques, he said, are "a piece of history, a piece of our heritage."

"Not everything here is a treasure," he added, "but it's a treasure to someone who wants to take it home and enjoy it."

For more information about "Antiques Roadshow," log on to: www.pbs.org/antiques. Crews will be shooting "Roadshow" segments in five other cities this summer.

---

E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com