Leigh and Leslie Keno

President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush stand with 2005 National Humanities Medal recipient Leslie Keno on November 10, 2005 in the Oval Office.

Leigh Ronald Keno and Leslie Bernard Keno (twins born March 14, 1957) are American antiquarians, authors, historic car judges, preservationists, and television hosts.[1][2]

The Kenos specialize in stoneware, early American furniture and vintage automobiles. They are widely known as appraisers on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow, for favoring preservation of antiques over restoration, and for their engaging, high-energy personalities.[3]

Background

The Kenos were born identical twin sons to Norma and Ronald Keno who were both themselves antiques dealers in Herkimer County, New York,[4] and grew up in Mohawk, New York. Leigh was born 13 minutes before his brother.[5] Their father collected and restored vintage sports cars, and both their parents specialized in folk art and country furniture.[6] Their mother would take them out of school on Fridays to regional flea markets and antiques shows.[7] The brothers took interest, were earning $200 or $300 a weekend by the time they were in the fourth grade, and by age twelve had entered in their joint diary "We are Antique Dealers."[6][7] While also enjoying more typical boyhood pursuits (football, fly-fishing, playing in a rock band) the twins took a special interest in stoneware.[7] At age fourteen they set the world record for American stoneware, paying $3,500 for an American salt-glazed stoneware jug.[6]

Leigh attended Hamilton College, and Leslie attended Williams College, graduating cum laude in 1979.[4]

Leslie Keno, at the time a senior vice president and the director of American furniture and decorative arts at Sotheby's, married Emily Becnel, an administrator in the English furniture department at Sotheby's in New York in 1995, with whom he has two children, Ashley and Schuyler.[4] Leigh, who had been an appraiser at Christie's, started his own business as a dealer and advisor in fine art and antiques in New York.[7] Leigh and Leslie own a 1938 SS 100 Jaguar 3.5-liter, purchased from their father,[8] which they raced on the track at Lime Rock Park and which they drove on Louis Vuitton Classic China Run,a thousand mile rally from Dalian to Beijing.[8] Leigh and Leslie serve as judges in Pre-War and Post-War Preservation Classes at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. He also has a son, Brandon.[9]

The twins' older brother, Mitchell Keno, is an antiques appraiser who has also appeared on "Antiques Roadshow".[10]

Careers

The brothers have appeared as furniture appraisers on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow since 1997, have hosted the WGBH series Find! together starting in 2003,[11] and were hosts of the internet show Collect This! with the Keno Brothers on MSN's Tech & Gadgets guide site from 2008 to 2010.

In 2000, the twins co-authored a book on antique furniture with Joan Barzilay Freund, Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture. Leigh opened his own antique dealership in New York City in 1986 and Leslie heads the American furniture and decorative arts division at Sotheby's. Both were awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2005.

In 2008, the brothers joined then-First Lady Laura Bush on a History Channel televised tour of the White House.[12][13] It was the first tour of the White House by a first lady since Jackie Kennedy gave hers in 1963.

In 2009 Leigh launched Keno Auctions a full service auction house.

In 2010 they created a lifestyle brand called Keno Bros.[14] that is designed by the Kenos and manufactured by Theodore Alexander. The brand, which embodies contemporary design with clean lines, is sold in retail stores throughout the US and in retail stores in 30 countries around the world. In addition the Keno Bros. brand has a growing presences starting in 2015, in South East Asia and China in the form of stand-alone stores in major cities.

In 2011, the brothers co-hosted a reality show, Buried Treasure, on the Fox network[15] in which they visited people's homes searching for valuable art and antqiues. Their discoveries and the sale of them brought much needed to cash to the families in need.

In 2014, Leigh was invited to serve on the Board of Directors of the Appraiser's Association of America. Founded in 1949, the Appraisers Association of America, Inc. is the oldest, and arguably the most respected non-profit professional association of personal property appraisers.

In early 2014, Leigh and Leslie started a Private Equity Fund, the Historic Motor Car Investment Fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek capital appreciation exclusively through the acquisition, conservation and/or restoration and eventual sale of classic and historic cars. The Fund focuses on acquiring the rarest and most desirable Classic Cars produced by renowned marques such as Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Maserati and Porsche. The Investment Manager believes that Classic Cars with the strongest upside potential are “blue-chip” Classic Cars with international cache produced during the 1950s and later. Particular emphasis will be paid to specific models of limited production built during the 1960s through the 1980’s that the Investment Manager believes are currently undervalued. Leslie and Leigh co-wrote a chapter with contributors including Fred Simeone, Miles Collier, Ed Gilbertson, and Malcolm Collum, "The Stewardship of Historically Important Automobiles" which won the 2013 prestigious International Historic Motoring awards "publication of the year". They not only judge at several Concours Events, but also moderate and/or speak at numerous panels and events including the inaugural symposium at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

References

  1. ↑ PBS Antiques Road Show (21 September 2012). "Appraisers: Leslie Keno". WGBH. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  2. ↑ PBS Antiques Road Show (21 September 2012). "Appraisers:Leigh Keno". WGBH. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
  3. ↑ Dana Stevens (10 December 2003). "Antiques Gone Wild". Slate. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "Emily Becnel and Leslie Keno". The New York Times, Weddings. August 20, 1995.
  5. ↑ Rita Reif (1 March 1985). "Auctions". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Wendy Moonan (December 8, 2000). "Twin Brothers With One Pursuit: Old Treasures". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Mitchell Owens (September 4, 1997). "Antiques Stars Return to the Scene Of First Loves". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  8. 1 2 Jim Motavalli (September 25, 2008). "Leigh Keno and His Jaguar SS". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
  9. ↑ Bruce Frankel (November 27, 2000). "Two for the Roadshow". People. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "Mitchell Keno | Antiques Roadshow | PBS". Antiques Roadshow | PBS. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  11. ↑ Roy Schecter (2004-06-01). "What a Find!". Hamilton College Alumni Review, Spring-Summer 2004. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
  12. ↑ Frazier Moore (November 25, 2008). "Laura Bush is the White House's resident expert". International Business Times. Retrieved January 22, 2009.
  13. ↑ The History Channel (November 25, 2008). "The White House: Behind Closed Doors". History.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Acclaimed Furniture Experts Set to Launch First Collection". Theodore Alexander Press Release. 2010-03-01.
  15. ↑ Fox Broadcasting Company. "Buried Treasure".

External links

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