The content of this site was generated automatically using Claude Code and Mnemotron-R, based on OCR data from Spectator (1947–2025) and other college archival materials hosted at the Internet Archive. It it intended as a proof of concept for the Mnemotron-R project, and has not been reviewed for completeness or accuracy by a human reviewer.
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Overview
Leigh Keno and Leslie Keno are twin brothers (born 1957) who graduated from Hamilton College in the Class of 1979 and went on to become renowned antique furniture specialists, best known to the public through their appearances on PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow.” Leigh in particular was a highly visible and energetic presence on campus during his senior year, combining a deep passion for American decorative arts with an entrepreneurial drive to recover, preserve, and exhibit Hamilton’s own neglected art and artifact collections.
At Hamilton, Leigh was an Art History major specializing in American Decorative Arts. He single-handedly discovered and began rehabilitating the College’s forgotten portrait collection — found in a deteriorating state in the attic of Buttrick Hall — and uncovered a long-unknown set of Carnegie Foundation etchings in the basement of Burke Library. He organized a major Winter Study exhibition, “Hamilton College: Out of the Attic,” at the Root Art Center in January 1979, and produced a printed catalogue through the on-campus Alexander Hamilton Press.
Relevance to Research
Leigh Keno’s student projects are a significant episode in Hamilton’s art and collections history, representing a student-driven effort to document, restore, and exhibit the College’s own material heritage. His work helped establish a restoration fund, recover class monument stones for the college cemetery, and bring scholarly attention to portrait paintings that had been stored without care for decades. Together, the Keno brothers’ subsequent national careers as antique specialists are a notable example of Hamilton alumni achievement in the arts and material culture.
Notes
- Leigh Keno ‘79 and Leslie Keno ‘79 are twin brothers; Art History major (Leigh) with specialty in American Decorative Arts
- Leigh discovered Hamilton’s portrait collection in the attic of Buttrick Hall in spring 1978; conditions were described as appalling — extreme temperature swings, cracked paint, holes, missing frames
- Found Carnegie Foundation etchings in a tin box in the basement of Burke Library during October 1978 break
- Organized the exhibition “Hamilton College: Out of the Attic” at Root Art Center (January 1979 Winter Study project)
- Exhibition catalogue printed by David Hayes ‘81 on the Alexander Hamilton Press
- Also restored nine 19th-century class monument stones to the path leading to the Hamilton College Cemetery
- Secured a $200/year restoration fund commitment from the administration through persistent advocacy
- Keno’s work in identifying and preserving the Samuel Kirkland chair is specifically documented — his research revealed that the manuscript holder was a later addition
- Co-organized the “Bad Things” exhibition in 1979 with John Suplee and others, a satirical art show at Milbank
- Catalogue for an exhibition of “Early American Paintings and Furniture” was printed by the Alexander Hamilton Press
Related Sources
- spec-1978-09-22 — Leigh Keno restores nine class monument stones to cemetery path
- spec-1978-10-20 — Leigh Keno listed in campus context
- spec-1978-11-03 — feature on Keno’s discovery of portrait collection and Carnegie etchings; restoration fund
- spec-1979-02-16 — review of “Hamilton College: Out of the Attic” exhibition and catalogue
- spec-1979-03-02 — Leigh Keno co-organizes “Bad Things” exhibition
- spec-1979-05-11 — catalogue “Early American Paintings and Furniture” printed by Alexander Hamilton Press
Related Topics
- campus-buildings-and-physical-plant — discovery of collections in Buttrick attic and Burke Library basement
- early-campus-and-buildings-pre-1922 — historical portraits and objects recovered
- kennedy-arts-center-and-performing-arts — Root Art Center exhibition