BBC Antiques Roadshow guest ‘speechless’ as expert slaps £25k+ value on items despite ‘appalling’ condition
Antiques Roadshow expert Clive Farahar left two of his guests speechless when he revealed the staggering value of their mother’s prize possession – despite the “appalling” condition.
In a repeat episode – which originally aired in October 2023 and will be played once again tonight on BBC One – the experts were thrilled to see some hidden gems brought to the roadshow.
Some items included valuable jewellery found at car boot sales and a jacket made by the Ojibwe people in Canada.
However, it was Farahar who was taken by the Beatrix Potter items brought in by two sisters from their mother’s collection.
Taking a look at the items, Farahar asked: “This is an original Peter Rabbit drawing obviously by Beatrix Potter and underneath is a wonderful signature here as well as a little verse.
“Tell me about it, where did they all come from,” to which one of the guests explained: “My mother, when she was about 8, it was in 1941.
“It was obviously in the war, went to stay in a guest house near Soary which is where Beatrix Potter lived.
“She had taken her books with her and the person in the guest house had noticed that she had Beatrix Potter books anyway and so she was taken to see the rabbits in the garden.”
Stunned by the little information he had already been given, Farahar expressed: “What Beatrix Potter’s rabbits?
“That was something you could do in those days, you could pop along to Beatrix Potter and have a look at the rabbits in the garden. How wonderful!”
The second guest added: “But very, fortunately, Beatrix Potter was there and so they talked and then later in the day they took back an autograph book and these books and they were signed by Beatrix Potter.”
Taking a closer look at the items, Farahar noted: “These two pages are from the autograph book! And this one here is lovely. It is a little picture of Peter Rabbit.
“It is a pen on paper and it’s a rather vigorous little picture of Peter Rabbit and don’t forget that at this date, it is dated 1941, Beatrix Potter was in her 70s.
“So, this is an old Beatrix Potter but there is a young Peter Rabbit, still as naughty as ever as you can probably see. I mean it is amazing isn’t it that Beatrix Potter took the time to do this!”
The first guest explained: “Well, my mother was always flattered that Beatrix Potter was in at the time and did that line drawing particularly for her so my mother saw the rabbits and she got a picture.”
Moving onto what he thought the pieces could be worth, Farahar revealed: “I am going to be cautious because I would say that Peter Rabbit is not coloured, not the big fluffy bunny we all know.
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“It is more or less how it would have been in one of her original letters. I am going to put £25,000 on it.”
Both guests were left speechless at the staggering amount before one guest laughed and quipped: “I am speechless. We need it looked after. Don’t rain!”
Moving onto the little books, Farahar added: “And I am afraid I am going to put a couple thousand pounds on these two books.
“They are signed by Beatrix Potter, they are in appalling condition! You give children’s books to children and they use them and they love them and they draw in them.
“And this has all the bits about that as well, they are all drawn in and that is fine. Your mother loved them and Peter Rabbit for the 21st century would love a new frame!”