Antiques Roadshow guest left stunned by real value of item he bought for £20

An Antiques Roadshow guest’s autographed sign from a “violent” time was given an unexpected price tag.

The PBS series travelled to Charleston where expert Timothy Gordon met with the owner of a “Hollowbrook Drive-In Theatre” sign, autographed by folk singer Pete Seeger.

He explained: “I went to an antique store in Rosendale, New York, not far from Peeksill, on the other side of the river, and I happened to see it in there and didn’t think much of it when I first saw it.

“It wasn’t until a couple of months later, after reading Pete’s book and realising that the Peekskill riots had happened, that I said: ‘Why does that ring a bell? Peekskill Drive-in?’

“And I realised: ‘Oh my gosh, that’s that…’ and I went back to the store and bought it from him.”

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The sign, which set the guest back just £20, was present during the Peekskill Riots 1949, a series of violent attacks against African Americans and Jews attending a civil rights benefit concert.

The concert, which around 20,000 people attended, was performed by Pete Seeger and Black artist Paul Robeson who was well known for his pro-trade union stance and civil rights activism.

As a result of the outbreaks of violence on the day, more than 150 were left injured.

Giving more detail, expert Gordon said: “The white background is leftover glue. Someone at one point in time had taped a sign to it and it says: ‘This is where stones were thrown, September 4, 1949, Pete Seeger.’

“The Hollowbrook Drive-in incident with Pete Seeger and Paul Robeson is kind of an infamous segment in American history.

“The Peekskill Riots of 1949. Paul Robeson, what a Renaissance man, he could sing like no voice of the 20th Century.”

“Both he and Pete Seeger were politically interested and they were for the rights of the unions, rights of freedom in America.

“When he met up with Pete Seeger, he had just done a concert for some Unitarian friends.

“They liked the concert so well, it was a small concert that they asked him to go to Peekskill and go ahead and have a concert there.

“That was held in a drive-in theatre, this drive-in theatre here.”

As Paul and Pete left in separate cars, people began to attack their vehicles with the guest stating: “Every window in his car was busted out by rocks.

“One of the rocks came through the window and missed his [Seeger’s] son’s head by inches.”

Gordon attended that one of the men in the motorcade had “lost an eye”.

He elaborated that following the event, Robeson’s passport was taken away as it was thought that he was “too close to Russia”.

“So I think that’s what got the sentiment going at the concert, is somebody, a man from Washington, a shadowy man from Washington, had said that Paul Robeson loved Russia.

“And during the Cold War, those were fighting words.

“So look at this sign. There’s a condition issue but it’s an icon from American history.

“The value on it, at auction, is $2,000 to $3,000.”

The guest couldn’t help but laugh when he heard how much his sign was worth, exclaiming: “Holy cannoli! Really?”

To which Gordon simply stated: “Good find, good signature.”

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on PBS.