
Appraisal: Fred Johnson Circus Banner, ca. 1940
Clip: Season 28 Episode 9 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
Appraisal: Fred Johnson 'Fire Ring Blower' Circus Banner, ca. 1940
In LSU Rural Life Museum, Hour 3, Leigh Keno appraises a Fred Johnson "Fire Ring Blower" circus banner, ca. 1940.
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Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Ancestry and American Cruise Lines. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.

Appraisal: Fred Johnson Circus Banner, ca. 1940
Clip: Season 28 Episode 9 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
In LSU Rural Life Museum, Hour 3, Leigh Keno appraises a Fred Johnson "Fire Ring Blower" circus banner, ca. 1940.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipAPPRAISER: You unrolled this, and I was, I was blown away.
What's the story with this?
GUEST: After high school, I, um, hooked up with a carnival and traveled around for a couple of years.
APPRAISER: Right.
GUEST: And during that time, the owner, Don Moyer... APPRAISER: Right.
GUEST: ...taught me to eat fire.
I added it to my magic show, basically, and then he, then he gave me the banner.
He gave you the banner years later?
Or just at the end of your...
GUEST: No, during the carnival.
APPRAISER: Oh, you were still a kid.
GUEST: I actu, I, I used it.
APPRAISER: Wow.
GUEST: Yeah, so I was still a kid.
The...
So I've had this for 4, over 40 years.
APPRAISER: Is there a secret that...
GUEST: Yeah, well, there's lots of secrets.
I, I really don't share them with too many people, though, 'cause it's kind, it's fairly dangerous.
APPRAISER: I had to ask, but did you ever get burned?
GUEST: (laughs) I did.
APPRAISER: And you were the fire eater, you were...
Wait, you were this guy.
GUEST: Yeah, this was me.
APPRAISER: How old were you then?
GUEST: I was probably, uh, 21.
APPRAISER: The wonderful thing is that, as you, you know part of the story, but you brought in a Fred Johnson circus banner, which is great folk art, first of all.
And it's a great document of our, our country's history of having circuses, traveling circuses.
And here I am with the guy that, that ate the fire, right?
That's so cool.
(laughs) Fred Johnson has been called the Picasso of circus banner art-- that's how major he is.
This is an impressive one.
And the great thing is that it's, it is signed down here in the lower right, "Fred Johnson."
And you have "O. Henry Tent & Awning Company, Chicago, Illinois."
And right there is the date, 1940.
So this is rather early in his career.
He worked with the O. Henry Tent and Awning Company in Chicago, Illinois, from 1934 to '74.
It's wonderful folk art, it's very visual.
I would say, conservatively, you could put a value of $4,000 to $6,000, an auction estimate.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And it's...
But of course, you're never going to sell it, right?
GUEST: No, never.
APPRAISER: You're never going to sell it.
APPRAISER: Now, could you show me, now, now, now that I've done something for you, I've given you the price, can you do the fire eating?
GUEST (laughs): No, I... APPRAISER: You can't, you can't-- ah, okay, okay.
GUEST: No, I cannot, no, I cannot.
APPRAISER: (grumbling) GUEST: (laughing)
Appraisal: 1905 US Navy Recruiting Poster
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S28 Ep9 | 4m 43s | Appraisal: 1905 US Navy Recruiting Poster (4m 43s)
Appraisal: 1921 Clarence Millet Oil on Board
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 2m 29s | Appraisal: 1921 Clarence Millet Oil on Board (2m 29s)
Appraisal: 1938 Nile Kinnick Autograph & Program
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 4m 46s | Appraisal: 1938 Nile Kinnick Autograph & Program (4m 46s)
Appraisal: 1971 Gertrude Morgan 'God's Greatest Hits' Book
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 3m 4s | Appraisal: 1971 Gertrude Morgan 'God's Greatest Hits' Book (3m 4s)
Appraisal:1972 Marvel Comics 'The Defenders' #1 Original Art
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 3m 17s | Appraisal: 1972 Marvel Comics 'The Defenders' #1 Original Art (3m 17s)
Appraisal: 1997 Michael Jordan-signed Air Jordan XII Shoes
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 3m 33s | Appraisal: 1997 Michael Jordan-signed Air Jordan XII Shoes (3m 33s)
Appraisal: Diamond & Platinum Ring, ca. 2000
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 2m 35s | Appraisal: Diamond & Platinum Ring, ca. 2000 (2m 35s)
Appraisal: Elkington & Co. 'Milton Shield' Model, ca. 1868
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 2m 28s | Appraisal: Elkington & Co. 'Milton Shield' Model, ca. 1868 (2m 28s)
Appraisal: German Silver-gilt Travel Cutlery Set, ca. 1800
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S28 Ep9 | 2m 25s | Appraisal: German Silver-gilt Travel Cutlery Set, ca. 1800 (2m 25s)
Appraisal: International Silver Flatware Service, ca. 1900
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 1m 3s | International Silver Flatware Service, ca. 1900 (1m 3s)
Appraisal: Kiowa Beaded & Fringed Dress, ca. 1895
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 3m 16s | Appraisal: Kiowa Beaded & Fringed Dress, ca. 1895 (3m 16s)
Appraisal: Patek Philippe Gołd Wristwatch, ca. 1915
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 2m 12s | Appraisal: Patek Philippe Gołd Wristwatch, ca. 1915 (2m 12s)
Appraisal: Persian Dagger with Scabbard, ca. 1850
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Clip: S28 Ep9 | 2m 39s | Appraisal: Persian Dagger with Scabbard, ca. 1850 (2m 39s)
Appraisal: Clementine Hunter Oil Paintings, ca. 1960
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S28 Ep9 | 3m 5s | Appraisal: Clementine Hunter Oil Paintings, ca. 1960 (3m 5s)
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