Dennis Gaffney
About Dennis Gaffney
Articles by this Author
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On Track With Railroad Ephemera
Rudy Franchi explains how to get rolling on your own collection.
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Down on the Farm: Collecting Toy Tractors
More on collecting toy tractors—childhood favorites from America's heartland.
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Counting Coup (Counting What?)
More on this traditional battle practice of the Plains Indian warriors.
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What "Patina" Really Means
Understanding the ins and outs of this important antique term.
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All in Good Time
A closer look reveals these antique watch parts are true treasures.
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Tiffany or "Tea Phony"?
Tracking down the truth about the Tiffany tea screen.
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Protecting Your Art from Thieves
Some useful tips to help protect your artwork from theft and recover it if it is stolen.
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Inside "Outsider Art"
In Tucson, appraisers saw three pieces of "Outsider Art"—but what is that?
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Elk Antler ... and a Little Bit of Moose
Come to find out, that peculiar chair in Omaha was made of more than just one kind of antler.
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Buying and Selling Native Artifacts
For collectors interested in Native American artifacts, there are some very important guidelines to bear in mind.
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Collecting Indian Artifacts, Safely and Legally
For new and seasoned collectors alike, a simple primer on the legal and ethical issues that surround Native American collecting.
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Medieval, Renaissance, or a Later Replica?
Is this statue a 15th-century original? The answer to that question could be worth about $100,000.
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Corn Collectibles
Everything you need to know about corn-inspired collectibles
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Early Mormon History Explained
An overview of the foundation of Mormonism.
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Bill Graham: Promoting Rock and Roll
He helped create the whole psychedelic art and music movement.
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Who Were the Circus "Freaks"?
Collectors now buy and sell photographs of former sideshow "freaks" — but who were these people?
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A Cabinet Full of Eggs?
How does a 19th-century egg collection affect the value of an 18th-century spice cabinet?
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The Nazis and Modern Art in Pre-War Germany
Why Lyonel Feininger had to flee Germany for Manhattan in 1937.
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Explainer: School of Mines Pottery
Learn the basics of collecting this enduring art pottery from the University of North Dakota.
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Pietra Dura: "Rock Art"
This stunning work of stone inlay is so intricate, at first the expert mistook it for a painting. More on the history of this impressive technique.
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Tip: Leave the Finish Alone
An expert appraiser reveals what she looks for in antique furniture and discusses tips for keeping it in top condition.
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Next of Kiln: The Overbeck Sisters
The story of a group of sisters who were married to their art.
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Collecting Kachina Dolls
Today, both old and new kachina dolls are among the most desirable collectibles in the Native American crafts market.
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A Lost Little Picasso
Did the owner of a very special misplaced envelope ever find it?
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Finding a One-of-a-Kind Map
Appraiser Christopher Lane knew he'd found a rare map in Tucson, but thorough research revealed it to be rarer still.
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Thomas Hart Benton — A Man and His Mural
A closer look at Thomas Hart Benton's grand but controversial 1933 mural, "Parks, the Circus, the Klan, the Press."
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George Nakashima: Spiritual Woodworker
At the ashram, the architect was given the name "Sundarananda," which means "one who delights in beauty."
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A True Roux?
Was the $50,000 sideboard that Brian Witherell saw in Reno really made by cabinetmaker Alexander Roux?
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What's the Word: Garniture?
Appraiser David Lackey spotted a ceramic "garniture" in Houston—but what is that?
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"American Indian" or "Native American"?
Is one more correct than the other... and why?
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Is This the Real Rudolph?
Ho-Ho-Hold on a minute! Are these the real Rudolph and Santa puppets from the TV Christmas classic?
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A Real Andy Warhol?
Are butterflies hand-drawn on a dinner napkin really the work of Andy Warhol? The verdict is in ...
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Who Painted This Adorable Baby?
Learn more about Mrs. Moses B. Russell, miniature portrait painter extraordinaire.
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The Case of the Missing Perfume
Find out if this fancy French bouteille came with a fragrance—and what that question means for the value of other antique Laliques.
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Who Was "Horny"? Henry Hornbostel, That's Who
George Sotter's unusual dedication was far more respectable than it sounds!
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Hopkins Watercolor: Was the Guest Right?
Paintings appraiser Karen Keane follows up on the origins of a beautiful family portrait.
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Real or Repro Majolica: Collectors' Conundrum
In Rapid City, South Dakota, a guest came to ANTIQUES ROADSHOW with what she thought was a 19th-century English cheese stand and cover that she'd bought at an estate auction for just $40.
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Honestly Abe's Chairs?
Did this set of dining chairs come from the Lincoln White House?
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Mark Twain's "Aquarium"
A closer look at Twain's intriguing "angel-fish" club—a group he formed to raise his spirits while encouraging young women in their artistic interests.
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The Great Deflate
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW appraiser Rudy Franchi gives the inside scoop on the fragile market of political ephemera.
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"So, Is This Painting a Buttersworth?" (Actually, That's Uncertain.)
After further research, a handsome marine painting initially attributed to 19th-century artist James E. Buttersworth is found instead to be the work of Antonio Jacobsen
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Lakota Dictionary
This is thought to have been the first book in Wyoming — but how do we know?
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How to Date an Old Horse...
What's a thermoluminescence test, and how is it used to authenticate ancient pottery?
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What Was the Boxer Rebellion?
Learn more about this traumatic upheaval in the history of modern China.
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WPA: Putting Art to Work
How FDR's New Deal project put artists to work creating millions of posters.
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Antiques: Knowing the Value of Research
A stoneware expert goes to extra lengths in an effort to learn the origins of a newly discovered jug.
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When to Fix Metal Sculptures
Should you fix your broken metal sculptures? It all depends on what you have. Eric Silver explains when to bother, and when to leave well enough alone
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How Much to Buy "Spring"?
Young Zack learns about his family's set of figurines with the help of appraiser Nick Dawes. Now if only Zack can track down Spring...
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Who Is Hiller?
More on the maker of a toy ray gun that turned up in Honolulu.
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Who Were the Prairie Print Makers?
More on this diverse school of artists who prided themselves on making affordable art for ordinary people.
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Ornaments of Christmas Past
Antique and collectible Christmas ornaments can rekindle the feelings of Christmas — at a range of prices.
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The Tafoyas: Legends of Pueblo Pottery
More on this well-known family of potters.
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Want to Meet General Sickles?: A Rapscallion's Résumé
A look at the life of Civil War General Daniel Sickles proves they just don't make a good old-fashioned scoundrel like they used to.
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Navajo Chief's Blankets: Three Phases
An expert explains the evolution of Navajo weaving from the 17th to the 19th century and uncovers the distinctive characteristics of the three phases of Navajo Chief's Blankets.
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The Mystery of the Baseball Cufflink
Tracking down the origins of a lone dated cufflink from an obscure corner of baseball history — and its connection to the sad story of shortstop Ray Chapman.
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To Be, or Not to Be ... Opened
As far as collectibility goes, what you want to do is empty the food.
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Explainer: What Is Photogravure?
Picture this: photography without the darkroom. Step into the light to explore this fascinating photomechanical process.
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Who Were the “Tiffany Girls”?
While Louis Comfort Tiffany was alive, he gave the illusion that he designed everything personally. But recently uncovered letters reveal there were many talented women — known as the "Tiffany girls" — involved in important work behind the scenes at Tiffany Studios.
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The Story of the Dionne Quintuplets
The dolls sure are cute, but the Dionne quints' real-life story is a tragic one.
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Look Out Bellocq!
Just once in a while our experts come across an item that even *they* don't know about. Read about the E.J. Bellocq photos that stumped the specialists at ANTIQUES ROADSHOW's 2001 New Orleans event.
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The Beatles' "Butcher" Cover
Beatle-mania strikes again!
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Geronimo: Beyond the Name
Geronimo's name lives on in the folklore of the West. But who was he really?
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Armed With a Colt Letter...
What does it mean to "letter" a gun? Arms expert Chris Mitchell explains.
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Breaking Down Your Fender (Don't Try This at Home)
Is it really okay to take the neck off your Fender guitar?
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Calling All Elvis Fans! ... Got This Photo?
Do *you* have a photo of The King wearing this sparkly suit? ROADSHOW wants to hear from you!
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The Law of Antiquities
Legal to own? Legal to buy? Legal to sell? But what about the ethics? More on the law governing American antiquities.
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A Shearwater Cat by Walter Anderson?
Appraiser David Rago's hunch about an earthenware cat pays off.
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Avoiding "Faux-bergé" Pitfalls
An Atlanta guest was hoodwinked at auction by a fake Fabergé egg. How can you avoid the same faux-pas?
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Standing Up to the Academy
Why did Dudley Nichols turn down his Oscar in 1936... only to accept it after all?
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What's the Value of Research?
Our experts may know their stuff, but sometimes it takes a long time to fully decipher the story of a piece that airs on the show.
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Jules Chéret: Elevating Ads to an Art Form
More on the "father of modern posters."
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Who Can Authenticate a Warhol?
How can someone tell if the Andy Warhol piece they have in hand is authentic or fake? It's not an academic question: Warhol pieces often sell for tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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Translation, Please...
Ever since she was a girl, the owner of a highly embellished 18th-century pistol wondered what the Arabic engraving on it means.
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A Match Made in Heaven (Or at Least New York)
How subsequent testing told a different story about this monumental "marriage."
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Indigenous Artifacts: Understanding the Law
Many indigenous tribal objects raise important legal and ethical questions — are they appropriate to own, or buy, or sell? Multiple laws make a complicated field.
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Firing Miss Daisy: What Happened at Wedgwood?
Daisy Makeig-Jones, designer of Wedgwood's famed Fairyland Lustre Pottery, was sacked in 1932, because "she got a bit out of hand." But what really happened?
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Alabama Stoneware
The not-so-little brown jug that appeared at the Tulsa, Oklahoma ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, contains some of the history of Alabama stoneware.
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The Spencer-Hitchcock Carver
Who was the "Spencer-Hitchcock carver" who appraiser Bill Guthman believes engraved a powder horn that showed up in 2003 at the Savannah ANTIQUES ROADSHOW? The answer is, nobody really knows.
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Nampeyo: Grande Dame of Hopi Pottery
Was a beautiful $3 pot made by a famous Hopi potter?
