BETHLEHEM, Pa. - It’s part history lesson, part treasure hunt.
“Antiques Roadshow” is one of PBS’s most popular programs. And a Lehigh Valley version of it is being organized this weekend by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites.
From noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, the Lehigh Valley Antique Treasure Show is an “open appraisal” event that will be held at the Moravian Museum at 66 W. Church St.
- Historic Bethlehem is hosting the Lehigh Valley Antique Treasure Show
- Appraisals will be given from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday
- Among the items registered: a brass hanging mantel clock and a doll possibly made of celluloid
Visitors can come watch the appraisal process or bring their own treasures for experts from area auction houses to evaluate. The event is free for members of Historic Bethlehem. There’s a $5 fee for non-members. Spectators are welcome.
Brett Peters, curator of collections and exhibitions for Historic Bethlehem, says there’s a sense of excitement about the show.
“We’re expecting a lot of dolls, a lot of toys,” he said. “A lot of pottery, glass. It’s going to be so much fun.”
From noon to 1:30 p.m., five appraisers from the region will give in-depth appraisals for artifacts already registered. From 1:30 to 3 p.m., anyone who walks up can get an appraisal, Peters said.
Peters said some of the more interesting items registered for appraisal include a brass hanging mantel clock and a doll possibly made of celluloid.
“I know for a fact the appraisers ... they’re so excited to see anything that comes through the door.”Brett Peters, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites
Anything special he might be keeping an eye out for?
“We have a variety of sites, including the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts. Anything that’s decorative-arts related from the Victorian era would be so much fun to see,” Peters said. “I know for a fact the appraisers we have on site, they’re so excited to see anything that comes through the door.”
Organizers expect the event will play to some of the features that make the TV show so appealing, Peters said.
“What’s really fun is these appraisers will be looking at the value of the piece as a whole but also trying to include relevant information that might for some of the owners of these items increase that value monetarily but also to them,” he said.
“For a lot of people, they don’t know the provenance of their individual pieces. Appraisers might not be able to tell you exactly where and when it was made but they can give you an idea, which is why it’s so important if you have your own collection to keep records,” he said.
“That’s what we do at museums and that’s how we’re able to contextualize the history behind these items. But in your own collection you can do the same thing.”
