Meet the 2026 Antiques at the Gardens Honorees
« Antiques at the GardensBy Wendy Wallace Johnson
This year’s anniversary, celebrating two decades of Antiques at the Gardens, recognizes three honorees whose involvement dates back to its earliest days. Margot Shaw, Richard Keith Langham, and Bart McCorquodale have all left indelible marks on the event, while continuing to contribute to the evolution of the weekend into the buzz-worthy, vibrant, and multi-dimensional occasion that it is today.
Margot Shaw, founder and editor-in-chief of FLOWER magazine, was involved with the show’s precursor as far back as 1991, when she chaired the Junior League of Birmingham Antiques Show’s preview party at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.
“I have been somehow attached ever since,” Margot remarks. “When we moved to the Gardens (in 2006), I thought this was a masterstroke. The Gardens taking on the antiques show was a boon and a blessing. It’s a better fit. It is a gem of a show.”
Margot launched Birmingham-headquartered FLOWER magazine in 2007, which has expanded to a bi-monthly publication available in all 50 states and 17 countries, making her well-positioned to identify valuable partnerships.
In 2008, she suggested inviting Brewton, Alabama native, Manhattan-based Richard Keith Langham to deliver a Friday lecture. His popularity was such that he was invited back the following year.
“It was around that time Margot decided the show needed an Ambassador, so she called me up at my office in New York and anointed me!” says Keith. “In those days, the show was pretty small. It was hard to get big names in our industry to come down to Birmingham, so I was enlisted to woo them.”
A tour de force in the decorating world with two books and countless remarkable rooms installed for A-list clients across the U.S., Keith retains the easy charm and infectious wit from his formative years in the Deep South. His Southern roots still remain at center stage despite decades spent based in New York City, making him a perennial favorite at Antiques at the Gardens. Beyond being the show’s ambassador, many guests to Antiques at the Gardens have knighted him “Alabama’s ambassador.”
The frequent sellout of lectures in recent years speaks to the success of their efforts, along with those of the show chairs and Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
“Once we get our speakers here, our guests are so duly impressed, they are dying to come back,” Keith explains.
Bart McCorquodale, chief executive officer of McCorquodale Transfer, concurs. “We work in different geographies, so when I tell people that I’m from Birmingham, they ask me about the show. If they’re in the design world, it’s on their radar.”
Bart was also present at the first show in 2006. For his company, which specializes in white-glove receiving and moving services for high-end homeowners and designers, involvement in the show was a natural fit.
“We helped with the live auction and all of the moving for the show,” he says. “It was very, very small then, so it’s amazing to bear witness to its evolution. Moving the installation elements and items for our dealers in and out of the building today looks much different than it did 20 years ago.”
Continuing to sponsor the event is important, Bart says. “Not only is the show the biggest fundraiser for the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, but it also has a significant economic impact. The money being spent, not only at the show, but for hotels, shops, restaurants, and bars…it’s meaningful for our communities and businesses.”
Keith also contributes to the event by shopping for himself, saying he buys a “treat” at the show every year. “We have the best vendors, and I want to support them. But what is really nice is for me to have those memories.”
Margot agrees, reminiscing on her favorite purchase made in tandem with her friend, the author, journalist, and socialite Julia Evans Reed, who was speaking at the show.
“It’s a beautiful antique green glass carafe, with a stopper. It had a set of six short glasses with it. Julia and I spotted them at the same time. Rather than fight over them, we agreed to split them. I got the bottle, she got the glasses. That’s the sort of romantic, intrinsic value of a piece…the memory. Now that Julia is no longer with us, it will forever be my favorite purchase.”
Bart has seen first-hand the popularity of sought-after items, with new owners chomping at the bit to bring them home. He offers a friendly warning for attendees, “If you see something you like, don’t wait. That item you fall in love with on Thursday night or Friday likely won’t be there on Sunday.”
While antiques have always been the cornerstone of Antiques at the Gardens, the evolution of the weekend is in large part due to the visionary guidance, creative energy, and continued dedication of this year’s honorees.
“In recent years, I started noticing the increased number of young people at the show and the gala, which is so gratifying, because years ago we identified the need to bring young people in,” says Margot.
“In 2013, I came up with an event we called ‘Tastebuds’ for the under-40 set because I really sensed a lack of younger involvement. FLOWER sponsored this for six or so years, educating the next generation. And we’re seeing this realized now as a multi-generational weekend.”
Keith appreciates this expansion. “It warms my heart to see how the show has blossomed into the fantastic event it is today. The ever-growing roster of talent—and new talent—on our stage is impressive.”
“What has remained constant is an intention to celebrate timeless beauty…in interiors, entertaining, and of course, the natural beauty of the Gardens. We are all pouring this passion back into Birmingham, back into the show, and ultimately through its success, back into the Gardens,” says Margot.