Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest struggles to speak after expert revealed the value of his 1795 lap desk (marketrealist.com)
Stunned Silence on Antiques Roadshow as Lap Desk’s Value Revealed
A recent episode of “Antiques Roadshow” featured a guest experiencing the thrill of discovering hidden treasure. Having purchased what he thought was a simple lap desk at an estate sale for under $3,000 sometime between 1981 and 1983, the guest was understandably shocked when appraiser Wes Cowan placed its current value between $30,000 and $50,000.
The guest explained the desk’s provenance, detailing its connection to the Custis family and Mount Vernon. He had acquired it during the liquidation of the Edmund Law Rogers Smith collection, a descendant of the Custis line.
Cowan highlighted the historical significance of the piece. A silver plaque affixed to the desk indicated it was a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette to Eliza Parke Custis, Martha Washington’s step-granddaughter, who then gifted it to her daughter, Eliza Law. Inside, a letter from 1823 corroborated the inscription, adding another layer to the desk’s remarkable history.
Upon opening the desk, Cowan revealed its intricate compartments designed to hold writing implements, including an inkwell, pen holders, and a sander. He praised the guest’s meticulous genealogical research, declaring the desk’s provenance “ironclad.”
The appraisal left the guest speechless, eventually managing a stunned “Wow.” Overwhelmed by the revelation, he confessed to being “aghast” and promised to be “very careful driving home.” The segment served as a dramatic reminder of the potential treasures hiding in plain sight, waiting to be discovered and appreciated.