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Summary: Hidden Treasures
Review: If you love antiques this book is full of amazing stories that are facinating as well as educational. You will learn about the history of American furniture as well as some history on the country. The stories are colorful and really pull you into the beauty and detail of the furniture.
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Summary: Frogs, snails, and puppy dog tails
Review: In deliberately alternating voices, twins emerge as two clear and distinct identities as they share their passion, enthusiasm, and expertise in early American furniture: Leslie Keno, the Senior Specialist and Director of Business Development for Americana at Sotheby's, New York, and Leigh Keno, the more sensual and sanguine, independent dealer who owns and operates Leigh Keno American Antiques in New York City. Those who pick up this book and are familiar with the Kenos by way of being "Roadshow groupies" will no doubt receive a satisfying fix. However, be prepared as the brothers turn it up a notch and go well beyond the scope of the celebrity status afforded by their regular participation in the PBS series. Through the writing of Hidden Treasures, the authors have selected an adequate medium which displays and secures for the general public their highly regarded reputation in this esoteric field. Clearly that reputation has already been well established in the world of antique collecting. The amusing anecdotes present chronologically, allowing readers to document and measure the area under the authors' personal and professional learning curve that eventually adds up to their deserved position in the field as scholars and experts. So, too, are the pages lush with historical and technical information, beautifully supported by photographs in color and black and white, that this contribution (however commercially publicized and marketed) becomes a serious and useful reference for those readers with a casual interest in Americana as well as those with a more active bent. Particularly fascinating are the descriptions of what may well be routine, yet painstaking, labor intensive processes to dissect and determine the history and authenticity of the furniture before them. The Kenos are eloquent, yet unashamedly enthusiastic with each piece they appraise; their approach to each table, each armchair, each highboy is with surgical precision, yet youthful excitement. If there is a disturbing development revealed in Hidden Treasures, it is the definite and deepening divide between the haves and the have-nots. Indeed, the situation teeters on the ridiculous and surreal when the authors relive the moment a polo-playing businessman plunks down over half a million dollars for a card table, in part because his supermodel wife shares the same last name with the Boston cabinetmakers responsible for creating the piece. Still, perhaps because that gap is so profoundly etched, we can stand behind our soul brothers and sisters in their ability to appreciate beauty and preserve a heritage manifested in craftsmanship (as long as they don't begrudge us the joy of a recent home furnishings purchase from Target). Unfortunate, too, is the behind-the-scenes look at Antiques Roadshow itself. It is not so much that the onscreen results and reactions are not spontaneous, for they are. The disappointment lies more in the amount of manipulation that occurs with each show's production. The unexpected treasure, however, is revealed in the early pages of the book where the authors allow a glimpse into their own childhood and early love for antiques. Photographs of pages from their shared pre-teen/teen diary document not only their progress to becoming antique dealers but serves as an eerie forecast of the future. The effect is simply charming, yet powerful. That the Kenos are able to recapture those moments of magic found in a child's world of discovery becomes at once a gift of retrospection, introspection, and revelation particularly for anyone in the throes of parenthood. It's not an unfamiliar battle deciding whether to invest in a child's latest interest-Is it a fleeting (sometimes-expensive) fancy or a potential lifelong passion? Whatever and however we respond, this is in fact a calling of parents in life: to either fan or extinguish the burgeoning flame of an interest in our children. It is this subtle component of the Kenos' book that is surprisingly the most compelling. Although possibly written to inspire a trip to the basement or attic, wonderfully, Hidden Treasures has the charm and power to lure readers down another path that may lead to gold if they are able to recognize what truly glitters.
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Summary: Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Fur
Review: Interesting book that is written as an autobiographical account of the Keno twins. Outling their early years, then teen years and into their present careers and positions. They describe how they started their quest for antiques. Covering flea markets in the north-eastern US. Traveling around the countryside on a motorscooter looking for old door hinges to sell. They studied and sold early American pottery. They finally became "Antique Dealers". An interesting account of how they discovered many of the most famous pieces of American furniture that we have all heard about within the past 20 years. Not a book on how to evaluate antiques. Some how you feel closer to them having read the book.A wonderful read.
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Summary: Hidden Treasures Provides Double Pleasure
Review: It isn't often that one describes a book like Hidden Treasures as a "can't put down" type of tome, but that accurately describes the sense one gets while reading this account of how two talented men, twin brothers Leigh Keno and Leslie Keno, achieved their successes in the world of antiques and collectibles. Each twin contributes his own sense of style to an easy-to-read narrative of their humble beginnings, touching on assorted "finds" and friendships that contributed to their present day status as respected authorities in the world of antiques. From the beginning chapter by Leslie Keno, describing events which will lead to the auction sale of a wonderful and extremely rare Townsend secretary, through accounts of assorted searches, penned by Leslie and brother Leigh, to the final chapter, which describes the secretary's fate at auction, the Brothers Keno take us all over America and parts of Europe in their searches for hidden treasures. It doesn't take an antique collector to appreciate good writing and a fascinating subject, especially when it includes a fair number of beautiful photos. Hidden Treasures, by Leigh Keno and Leslie Keno, with Joan Barzilay Freund, is destined to become a favorite page-turner.
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Summary: Excellent Resource & Read!
Review: Leslie & Leigh Keno have produced a book that is an excellent resource for those wishing to learn more about antique identification, that is at the same time a wonderful autobiography and "picture book", while also being a great read! I found myself keeping copious notes (as I am trying to learn more about evaluating/appraising antiques), while simultaneously hating to put the book down to write as the stories were so enjoyable! One gets a "behind-the-scenes" look at what being an antique dealer entails and the processes that the Kenos went through to get where they are today. They relate stories of "finds" that were discovered as children, dealers and finally as participants in the "Antiques Roadshow". This book is one of quality, with great pictures of furniture demonstrating various techniques and styles. It also explains the brief history behind the styles and techniques explained. Truly an excellent book!
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Summary: Easy to read and interesting
Review: Like many, I've become and avid fan of the PBS show, Antiques Roadshow. And I've always enjoyed whenever Leigh or Leslie Keno give their evaluations. They both seem to really enjoy what they do and they are quite knowledgeable. So it was with anticipation that I picked up this book. I'm happy to say I was not disappointed. Leigh and Leslie Keno have wanted to be antique dealers since they were both 12. They interweave their story of growing up in upstate New York along with stories of furniture masterpieces they've uncovered during their careers. At times the stories are almost like detective stories as they chronicle finding "treasures" in out-of-the-way places. Such as a magnificent Newport-school secretary found in a Parisian west-bank apartment. They then take us behind the scenes at Christies, Sothbys, and the prestiguous New York Winter Antiques Show to show how these mega-million dollar pieces are sold to serious collectors. There is also a fine story about how one woman found a table at a yard-sale for $25.00. After bringing it to the Antiques Roadshow where the brothers appraised it she eventually sold it through Sothbys for half a million dollars. Though I'm not really an antiques collector I really enjoyed reading this book. It's written in a breezy style and the photographs are outstanding. I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: Unexpected Great Read
Review: My intention was just to skim this book to get a little background on the Keno's because I enjoy Antiques Roadshow. But I ended up reading the entire book cover to cover. Amazingly, I had no real interest in antique furniture. It proved to be a page turner. I really enjoyed the personal background of the brothers, and chapter by chapter my interest in furniture was heightened. What a delight to be educated in a "surprise" subject. I now want to read more about furniture! And it was so nice to hear of two twins who actually like, and love, each other. Write more . . . . .
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Summary: An obscure topic, but give this book a chance!
Review: OK, I admit it. I was excited to buy this book because I have a raving crush on the very attractive and intelligent Keno twins from Antiques Roadshow (Leslie is my favorite). This is a great source of teasing from my husband. But, you know what? This book is fabulous! I had no real interest in antique American furniture, but I got sucked into the excitement of the discovery and disposition of the treasures...and I learned a lot about American history and the auction industry to boot! This book reads as snappily as a fiction adventure novel but teaches like a college class. Great combination! Also, as a homeschooling parent, I was very touched by the story of Leslie and Leigh's childhood and how their parents encouraged them to follow their passion. Reading about how critical their childhood and teen years were to how these men have reached the heights of their field is a strong lesson to parents about respecting your child's originality and spirit. I would love to shake the hands of the Keno parents. I was warmly pleased to find a hidden parenting lesson... Thanks to "Hidden Treasures", I will now pay much closer attention to things I see in museums. The Keno brothers have taught me to have a greater appreciation for the artistry of furniture. The bottom line: even if you think this book is about something you have no interest in (antique American furniture), browse through it anyway...read a chapter or two and see if you don't get hooked! There's more to this book than inlaid woods and ball and claw feet!
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Summary: Implausible, but true.
Review: Remembering the twins when they were kids selling stoneware at Brimfield and then watching them race at the Vintage car races at Limerock made me want to read their story. I'd also heard some of the stories second-hand about their more notable finds so it was doubly interesting to read about people I knew like Eddie and Morgan and their connections to the stories. A minor quibble: inasmuch as the stories told are anecdotal, it's a little unsettling to find that the writer behind the stories appears to have used the Chicago Manual of Style or some other guide to ensure academic correctness when such correctness wasn't necessary. On the whole, however, the reader can feel the adrenaline rush of the new find, the drama of the saleroom and the anticipation of the doors opening at the Winter Antiques Show.
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Summary: Antiques Freaks Unite!
Review: So you've always been that one freak in a bunch? The one who continually drives their friends off the deep end because of your knee-bending worship to antique toys, stoneware or blanket chests? Well if this is you, take heart! Now, with this book, the Keno twins have finally brought the enthralling world of Americana to a popular audience. They are sure to convert a whole new generation of antiquing freaks with their pulse-quickening stories of adventuring over land and across seas for that perfect piece of American furniture history. No longer will you feel a fool for dragging some uninterested friend or family member to a local museum or flea market only to hear them complain of the heat. Soon they will be joining you with entusiasm, as the dusty world of antiques is bound to take on a new brand of chic with the success of Hidden Treasures. If you're a seasoned professional with hunting stories of your own, you'll feel right at home with the descriptive images of the chase. But beginners are not excluded either, as each chapter is interwoven with priceless tips of the trade and heartening twists that make even a baffled amateur feel empowered to take up the hobby and run with it. Kudos to the Kenos!!!
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