BBC Antiques Roadshow guest admits ‘I thought it’d be a fraction’ as telescope fetches staggering 5-figure value
BBC Antiques Roadshow star Mark Allum left one guest lost for words and proud of his family heritage after he evaluated the price of a William Lascelles telescope.
During the repeat episode, which will air once more on Sunday, Fiona Bruce and the team of experts presented from the largest green space in Glasgow, Pollok Country Park.
Ronnie Archer Morgan found a small but impactful piece of sculpture, while Hilary Kay was intrigued by sporting memorabilia with a link to the Hibernian football club.
Mark Smith was also moved by a serviceman’s photographs of the aftermath of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in the Second World War.
However, it was Allum who left one guest lost for words when he revealed the staggering value of his family heirloom.
Taking a look at the box, Allum noted: “I really love a big pine transit case, and what’s better than a big pine transit case but a really big and brilliant telescope inside it?
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“And look at this, this is wonderful. This is a 19th-century telescope. It comes from a really interesting person doesn’t it?”
The guest explained: “It belonged to William Lascelles, made by William Lascelles we think, who was an astronomer born in 1799. He is my great-grandfather’s great-grandfather.
“He made a lot of money as a brewer in Liverpool, and then, spent all that money on his hobby, which was astronomy.”
Allum added: “He’s an incredible character, and he made some really amazing discoveries. He was particularly famed for his ability to produce flawless mirrors.
“One of the most important things in creating a good reflecting telescope. I know that he made a 24-inch reflector – that is a two-foot hand-polished mirror that he did.
“He also had a four-foot reflector as well. Everyone was racing to actually kind of make a new discovery. And he discovered several moons – I think Triton, for instance, didn’t he? Two moons of Uranus.”
Agreeing with Allum’s knowledge, the guest added: “He did, that’s right. The Triton discovery was about two days before a German competitor also observed it. So, it was quite a tight race some of the time.”
Allum added: “Yeah, fascinating. The mere fact that these belonged to such a famous astronomer – and let’s face it, he’s got so many letters after his name…
“He wrote so many papers and, of course, was very big in the Royal Astronomical Society, as well. So I’ve got to try and put a value on it. I think your items here are worth… £20,000 .”
The guest was left at a loss for words and eventually expressed: “Oh, wow. I’m really surprised about that. I always thought it would be an absolute fraction of that.”
Smiling at the delight on the guest’s face, Allum continued: “It’s just, it builds up into this beautiful story about a brewer who made incredible discoveries, and he made a place for himself in astronomical history.”
Speaking to the camera after finding out the value, the guest said: “Thank you for all the help. I am very surprised, but I suppose it’s the collection, it’s the story, rather than the items.
“As much as anything else, and I’m proud of that family association, going back all that time and, it’s come down through the family.
“And it’s been sitting on top of a cabinet in my father’s sitting room for decades, and never really thought much about it.”