Melanie Albanesi
About Melanie Albanesi
Melanie Albanesi is a digital producer for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW and a frequent content contributor to the series website. She has been a producer with the series since 2019.
Articles by this Author
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See the Rockers in Their Light-up Suits!
Check out these star-studded suits worn by the Bronx-based "psychedelic" rock band, the Blues Magoos, engineered by fashion designer, Diana Dew.
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Read an 1881 Letter That Portrays the Friendship Between Chief Sitting Bull and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Samuel Kirkwood — who was friendly with many Native Americans during his time as Secretary of the Interior — was presented with a presentation Tomahawk by the famous Sioux chief, Sitting Bull.
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The Incident that Shaped Ted Landsmark's Career
“The Soiling of Old Glory," a now iconic image taken by news photographer Stanley Forman, captured an unforgettable moment of tension at the boiling point in front of Boston City Hall in April 1976 — as a white youth lunges at a young black man with an American flag. The image came to symbolize the racial strife that plagued Boston throughout the 1970s. Read how this photo transformed one man from an incidental victim to a fervent activist for the Civil Rights movement.
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See the 1885 Chicago Ball Park Program Up Close!
Get a closer look at the 1885 opening day souvenir baseball program for the Chicago White Stockings!
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Read a Speech by a Native American Activist from the Early 1920s
Read the full speech that activist Ruth Muskrat Bronson addressed to President Coolidge regarding education for all Native Americans in 1923.
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Update: Civil War Letters Find a Permanent Home
After one ROADSHOW guest named Chris got his Civil War letters appraised at the May 2022 Nashville ROADSHOW event, appraiser Tim Prince helped Chris find a permanent home for the letters in the Tennessee State Archive and Library.
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The Battle for Davy Crockett’s Marriage License Reaches an End
At 19 years old, David Crockett was a young frontiersman looking to start a family. Shortly after becoming engaged to a woman named Margaret Elder, his betrothed left him and eloped with another man. Crockett’s unexecuted marriage license remained in the Jefferson County Courthouse archives until the 1930s, when it was deemed worthless and subsequently taken home by a county official named Harry. But when the story surfaced on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW in 2006, a dispute erupted over of who rightfully owns the license.
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Can You Help Find the Missing Mosaic Tile?
In the mid 1970s, one of two mosaic tiles belonging to the University of North Dakota was stolen the night before it was meant to be relocated. Its whereabouts remain unknown.
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C. Peet: Do You Know the Artist's Name?
Even to poster expert Nicho Lowry, the first name of artist "C. Peet" has always been unknown. When a guest brought a poster maquette of Peet's work to ROADSHOW, the question arose once again. Now ROADSHOW wants your help in finding the answer — do you know C. Peet’s first name?
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Jacques Cousteau and the Aqua-Lung Watch
Learn how Jacques Cousteau was involved in popularizing the "Aqua-Lung" — a special type of diving watch one lucky ROADSHOW guest found at a thrift store.
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Do You Have a Photo with This Space Suit?
Several decades ago, one very lucky elementary school class took turns taking polaroid pictures with an Apollo space suit. Today, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW wants to know – do you have a photo with the suit?
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Read a Letter From Frank Sinatra That Illustrates His Thoughts Surrounding the Spectacle of His Son’s 1963 Kidnapping
In December 1963, Frank Sinatra Jr. was abducted at gunpoint from his hotel room by two men seeking a $240,000 ransom. After Sinatra Jr. was released and returned to his family, rumors circulated in the press that the singer’s 19-year-old son fabricated the kidnapping in order to make a name for himself and heighten his career. Having kept silent for some time, Frank Sinatra Sr. finally spoke out about the implications of his son’s kidnapping, and the rumors, in a letter to a priest.
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See the Infamous Corned Beef Sandwich
A few crumbs can go a long way. Learn what happened when one astronaut snuck a popular lunchmeat onto the Gemini III in 1965.
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A Closer Look at Dean Cornwell's Tennessee Murals
In the early 1940s, American artist Dean Cornwell painted two murals that depict two of Tennessee's most celebrated figures, John Sevier and Andrew Jackson.
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The History and Legacy Surrounding "The Well of Loneliness," the First Lesbian Novel to Be Published in the United States and Britain
During the summer of 1928, British author Radclyffe Hall published a semi-autobiographical novel about a lesbian relationship, bringing the subject of homosexuality into the country’s literary culture. While lesbianism was not considered illegal at the time, the book was deemed illegal for violating the Obscene Publications Act of 1857, and was quickly removed from circulation.
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How One Woman’s Heirlooms Are Poignant Reminders of a Tragic Past
On April 26, 1938, the Nazi Party declared that all Jews must surrender their possessions to the German government, and that any item was subject to confiscation for the German economy. Yet, one woman’s grandfather, anticipating ramifications of this decree, created a book detailing family treasures and stories for the generations to come.
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Meet Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan
In 1938, Douglas Corrigan earned the nickname "Wrong Way" for mistakenly making a trip across the Atlantic from New York, when he was headed for California. But was Corrigan's "mistake" really an accident?
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Owning Animal-Derived Objects
More information about the laws and regulations that govern the owning and trading of artifacts derived from animals.
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Update! Learn New Information on the Joseph Henry Sharp Piece from Santa Fe!
A Joseph Henry Sharp oil portrait appraisal in Santa Fe left our producers with several questions that needed to be solved before we could air the item. Learn how ROADSHOW uncovered new information on this extraordinary painting.
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Read the Religious Poem on the Back of a Schoolgirl's Watercolor from the Early 1800s
While at Churchill Downs, ROADSHOW was presented with a painting and poem that illustrated religion and Greek mythology, created by a schoolgirl from the East Coast.
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Read an Excerpt From an Abolitionist's Diary Written During the Post-Civil War Era
While traveling through the South during the post-Civil War period, an abolitionist from Boston recorded his interactions with slaves and slaveowners alike.
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Get a Closer Look at this Original Comic Collection
Take a closer look at one ROADSHOW guest’s original comic collection.
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Franklin D. Roosevelt Archive
An up-close look at an archive of letters and telegrams written by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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See a Nakashima Butterfly Joint
See an example of a real George Nakashima butterfly joint.
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Get a Closer Look at "The Daily Citizen"
During ROADSHOW’s 2019 stop at Desert Botanical Garden, one guest brought in what appraiser Catherine Williams considered “one of the most famous pieces of memorabilia from the Civil War."
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Still Stymied? Updates on this Scottish Golf Club!
Sports Memorabilia appraiser Leila Dunbar left ROADSHOW's 2019 Desert Botanical Garden event with a few questions still circling about one guest's antique Scottish golf club. About a week after the event, she contacted ROADSHOW with news of her latest research.
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The Life and Legacy of Rosa Luxemburg
Marxist theorist, social activist, and anti-war revolutionary.
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Take a Closer Look at Letters by Barack Obama Saved by His College Roommate
What was it like to know Barack Obama in this early twenties? ROADSHOW learned the answer when Obama’s former college roommate, Phil, brought in letters and postcards written to him by the future president, detailing his life and early career in Chicago.
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Taking Apart Your Guitar? Read This First!
Calling all guitar owners! If you're trying to remove the neck of your guitar, it may not be as simple as it seems. Learn why this DIY project can lead to costly consequences.
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Can You Read This Word?
ROADSHOW needs your help! Can you read the inscription on the bottom of this chair?
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Get a Closer Look at the Wharton Letters
Get a closer look at the letters written to and from Confederate General Gabriel Wharton.
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Read the Poem That Won an Elvis Fan the Chance to Meet the King!
Read the poem that won an Elvis Presley fan the opportunity of a lifetime!
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See the Original Roy De Forest Frames!
Check out the original frames that accompanied a ROADSHOW guest's Roy De Forest artwork!
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Ali's "Phantom Punch" Controversy Explained
Was it really a knockout? ... Learn more about Muhammad Ali's so-called "phantom punch" that put Sonny Liston on the mat.
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Resources on Historical Maps, Colonialism and Indigenous People
An overview of informative resources about the political and cultural issues related to historical maps.
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Coco Chanel: Fashion Designer, Nazi Informant
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was a French fashion designer, businesswoman, and pioneer of women’s fashion in the early 20th century. She was also a Nazi sympathizer and informer. In his 2011 biography of Chanel, *Sleeping with the Enemy*, Hal Vaughn explored Chanel’s life prior to World War II, and revealed how the designer's collaborations with Nazi officials unfolded.
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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.
