Behind the Scenes at Antiques Roadshow in Birmingham
We are huge Antiques Roadshow fans, so we were thrilled to discover the hugely popular PBS series was returning to Birmingham for the first time in 15 years to tape episodes for their upcoming season. Approximately 15,000 people requested tickets to the show, but only 3,000 pairs of tickets were awarded, and we weren't among them. However, we were lucky enough to get the next best thing--we were recruited as volunteers. After attending a brief training session Friday night, we showed up at the BJCC at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning wearing our official gray Antiques Roadshow polo shirt and Volunteer lanyard and went to work. I noted with irony that the gray shirt matched the gray hair of most of the volunteers, but hey, old folks like antiques!
The center of the Civic Center was a huge circle where all the appraisers examined the treasures and filmed the most interesting items. It was divided into sections: Quad 1 was Furniture, Metalworks, Decorative Arts & Militaria; Quad 2 was Folk Art, Clocks, Pottery & Porcelain, and Jewelry; Quad 3 was Toys, Collectibles, Musical Instruments & Books; Quad 4 was Paintings, Prints, & Ancient Arts. Dwight worked at the head of Quad 1; he wore a headset and relayed information from the appraisers to the producers when they wanted to film someone. Dozens of other workers helped direct people to the correct lines and provide crowd control. The appraisers aren't paid; they pay their own expenses for the chance to be filmed and to place a sign in their business saying "As Seen on Antiques Roadshow."
My job was to work the Feedback Booth, where another volunteer and I obtained signed release forms from anyone who wanted to go on camera and talk about their Roadshow experience. Our booth was a huge draw; everyone wanted their shot at two minutes of fame, whether they found out their antique was valuable or basically worthless.
The scene was exactly what you might imagine, with thousands of people waiting in seemingly endless lines. Imagine a queue line at Disney World on steroids. People
wandered through carrying everything from stained glass lamps, cradles, uniforms, dolls, tables, baskets, figurines, china, and paintings--lots of paintings. And lots of guns. Every gun was thoroughly checked to insure it was safe and free of ammunition, but I still jumped a little when a man came to my table with a rifle with a huge bayonet on top. Policemen roamed the premises all day, offering to escort people to their cars if they brought something very valuable.
People traveled from all over the South as they tried their best to impress
appraisers and producers with their treasures. Almost everyone I talked to was nice, polite, excited to be there and eager to show off what they brought. I saw some very ugly paintings, very pretty jewelry, and very unusual china pieces, and I just smiled and accepted the release form from everyone without comment, as I was instructed. I was most impressed when one woman showed me a half-dozen original signed Andy Warhol sketches of shoes and little fairies. They were appraised at $20,000, and she brought them in a plain manilla folder. "I guess I'll frame them now," she said. You think?
About noon, host Mark Wahlberg appeared, and a set of cameramen followed him as he worked the crowd like a pro, shaking hands, posing for selfies, and signing autographs for the Roadshow groupies, women who actually follow them from city to city. I had a chance to speak with him and he was very friendly; I found out later that he actually lived here for a year, attended Pell City High School, and is a Crimson Tide fan. I also met Pete Prunkl, one of the writers from the Antiques Roadshow Insider, the monthly magazine distributed by the show, and he was very encouraging and even gave me his business card.
The last ticket was stamped at 6 p.m. and by that time my voice was completely gone; I must've talked with over 3,000 people. Volunteers were allowed to have two items appraised at the end of the day, so we finally had our turn at the appraiser's table. Dwight took my grandfather's Meerschaum pipe and silver matchsafe, a tiny case about the size of a lighter that he carried in WWI to keep his matches from getting wet. We were disappointed to learn that smoking memorabilia is taboo and very devalued, so it wasn't appraised very highly. I took my great grandmother's cameo pin and cameo ring, and two sets of beautiful costume jewelry my grandmother wore, and they were all valued for about $100 each. They are worth much more in sentimental value, of course.
Of the 100 or
so participants who get taped at each location, only about ten actually make it
onto an episode, and of the thousands of people who visited the Feedback Booth, only about six make each episode. They will make three episodes from the Birmingham visit to air when the new season begins. We watch Antiques Roadshow almost every Monday night--I can't wait until next January!
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Summer Fun, Museum Style
I have had a variety of jobs over my life in addition to being a writer. When I'm standing in a long line at the bank, I think back to what it was like to be a bank teller on payday Friday. At Christmastime I always feel a pang of sympathy for overworked gift wrappers, because my very first job was a holiday gift wrapper at a men's wear store. June & July bring memories of what it was like to work at the McWane Center, where I survived two very busy summers. The science center is a very popular destination during those months, when thousands of children take advantage of long summer days to visit. My duties included teaching summer day camps, writing McWane's Volunteer Newsletter, and manning the Touch Tank and the High Cycle.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the High Cycle, it is high-wire bicycle attached to a cable stretched across McWane’s grand atrium. Riders must be at least 45” tall and weigh less than 225 lbs. to ride, and there was no age limit—all you need is a willingness to hop on and enjoy the adventure. After you are securely strapped on the bicycle, you pedal backward out of the loading platform until you are suspended 20 feet in mid-air across the lobby. A 210-lb counterweight underneath the bicycle ensures that you always keep your balance; if you want, you can stop in the middle of the cable and slowly shift your weight from side to side causing the bicycle to rock. The swaying is offset by the counterweight, which will straighten you up, bringing you right back to the center.
The High Cycle brought a little bit of an adrenaline rush to everyone.After working that ride for so long, I would try to try to predict who would enjoy the ride and who wouldn’t. Every day I saw surprises. The teenagers loved it, of course, but some of the smallest, youngest children were absolutely determined to ride; I watched those kids stand on their toes and fluff up their hair in an effort to make themselves “big enough” to meet the height requirement.
Kids would run up in big groups, many boasting to their friends about how fast they were going to pedal and how far they were going to sway on the cable. Some were completely confident, pedaling out and back with swift assurance. Other riders were a little timid at first, pedaling very slowly, but eventually a big smile would creep across their faces; they would relax, wave excitedly to their friends, and pose for cell phone pictures.
Of course, the ride wasn’t just for children and teens; adults loved it too. Sometimes it took a little coaxing, but many times after watching their children ride, the mother or father would ask to ride, too. One of my favorite moments happened when a charming gray-haired grandfather, looking dapper in khakis, a sport coat and navy-striped tie, walked up with his three young grandchildren and asked if they could ride. The grandchildren peered down at the lobby below and decided they didn’t want to, but to their complete surprise he said, “I do!” I strapped him in and he pedaled out as his grandchildren watched, open-mouthed. He stopped in the middle of the wire and shifted his weight, swaying from side to side, with his navy tie swinging to and fro. “Be careful Grandpa!” piped up his youngest granddaughter. He grinned broadly and said, “You don’t have anything to worry about--this is great!” When he got off the bicycle, I saw his grandchildren look at him in awe, seeing him in entirely new light.
If you are looking for a fun place to take your children or grandchildren this summer and decide to visit the McWane Center, give the High Cycle a try. It is guaranteed to be an experience you will never forget.
I have had a variety of jobs over my life in addition to being a writer. When I'm standing in a long line at the bank, I think back to what it was like to be a bank teller on payday Friday. At Christmastime I always feel a pang of sympathy for overworked gift wrappers, because my very first job was a holiday gift wrapper at a men's wear store. June & July bring memories of what it was like to work at the McWane Center, where I survived two very busy summers. The science center is a very popular destination during those months, when thousands of children take advantage of long summer days to visit. My duties included teaching summer day camps, writing McWane's Volunteer Newsletter, and manning the Touch Tank and the High Cycle.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the High Cycle, it is high-wire bicycle attached to a cable stretched across McWane’s grand atrium. Riders must be at least 45” tall and weigh less than 225 lbs. to ride, and there was no age limit—all you need is a willingness to hop on and enjoy the adventure. After you are securely strapped on the bicycle, you pedal backward out of the loading platform until you are suspended 20 feet in mid-air across the lobby. A 210-lb counterweight underneath the bicycle ensures that you always keep your balance; if you want, you can stop in the middle of the cable and slowly shift your weight from side to side causing the bicycle to rock. The swaying is offset by the counterweight, which will straighten you up, bringing you right back to the center.
The High Cycle brought a little bit of an adrenaline rush to everyone.After working that ride for so long, I would try to try to predict who would enjoy the ride and who wouldn’t. Every day I saw surprises. The teenagers loved it, of course, but some of the smallest, youngest children were absolutely determined to ride; I watched those kids stand on their toes and fluff up their hair in an effort to make themselves “big enough” to meet the height requirement.
Kids would run up in big groups, many boasting to their friends about how fast they were going to pedal and how far they were going to sway on the cable. Some were completely confident, pedaling out and back with swift assurance. Other riders were a little timid at first, pedaling very slowly, but eventually a big smile would creep across their faces; they would relax, wave excitedly to their friends, and pose for cell phone pictures.
Of course, the ride wasn’t just for children and teens; adults loved it too. Sometimes it took a little coaxing, but many times after watching their children ride, the mother or father would ask to ride, too. One of my favorite moments happened when a charming gray-haired grandfather, looking dapper in khakis, a sport coat and navy-striped tie, walked up with his three young grandchildren and asked if they could ride. The grandchildren peered down at the lobby below and decided they didn’t want to, but to their complete surprise he said, “I do!” I strapped him in and he pedaled out as his grandchildren watched, open-mouthed. He stopped in the middle of the wire and shifted his weight, swaying from side to side, with his navy tie swinging to and fro. “Be careful Grandpa!” piped up his youngest granddaughter. He grinned broadly and said, “You don’t have anything to worry about--this is great!” When he got off the bicycle, I saw his grandchildren look at him in awe, seeing him in entirely new light.
If you are looking for a fun place to take your children or grandchildren this summer and decide to visit the McWane Center, give the High Cycle a try. It is guaranteed to be an experience you will never forget.
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