0:00:02 > 0:00:05Flog It has been on your screens for over ten years now
0:00:05 > 0:00:10and during that time we've helped you sell your unwanted antiques and collectables.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14- APPLAUSE - Sue!- £600.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16- Yes!- Yeah!
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And hopefully, you've taken home a lot of information, too.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21This series is all about giving you more.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Welcome to Flog It! Trade Secrets.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55On today's show, we'll be meeting a few famous names in British antique history.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59And we'll be finding out that even though they're popular,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02there's always more to learn about these Flog It! favourites.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08And who better to learn from than Flog It's dedicated team of experts
0:01:08 > 0:01:11whose passion is the world of antiques and collectables?
0:01:12 > 0:01:17In today's show, we look at some of the items that turn up all the time
0:01:17 > 0:01:19at our Flog It valuation tables.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Stunning Clarice Cliff!
0:01:21 > 0:01:24- Do you like it?- Not a lot, no.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26And see what alternatives you should be looking for.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Charlotte Rhead, I think, is undervalued.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34What insider tips can our experts offer the budding collector or dealer?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Everybody always equates best to the most valuable,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and that isn't necessarily the case.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40You pick an object up
0:01:40 > 0:01:43and the hairs on the back of your neck go up
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and you get excited.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49I think that's when you know you've got something good.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55I've learned over the years that British ceramics
0:01:55 > 0:01:59play a very important part of our antique history.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Many of those creations were ground-breaking in their day,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04as were the people who created them.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08And I'm always saying Flog It! wouldn't be Flog It! without Clarice Cliff on the show.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12But who were the other women making a splash in the Potteries?
0:02:12 > 0:02:16On Flog It, we're very familiar with the Potteries' most famous daughter.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19But her work is not to everyone's taste.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Bleurgh! I hated it when I saw it, I hated it when I sold it,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26and in truth, I still don't like it too much now. But it was Clarice Cliff.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29I can't stand Clarice Cliff.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31- Do you like it?- Not a lot, no. - Dreadful, isn't it?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Why do people buy this?
0:02:33 > 0:02:36My husband bought it because he thought it was a good investment.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40- He bought it for his pension fund. - How much did he pay for it? £8.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44A lot of people tend to collect what they think they should collect,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46what the newspapers, what the magazines,
0:02:46 > 0:02:51dare I say it, what the television programmes tell them they should collect.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54I'm of the school that I think you should go and buy and collect
0:02:54 > 0:02:57what you have a real passion for, what really turns you on, what does it for you.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02Clarice Cliff worked at the Newport Pottery, a factory set up in 1928.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06And I would think this dates to around about 1930.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- There are some inherent problems with it.- Yes.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Apart from the fact that it's horrible, you've got a chip there.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17- This coffee pot is really quite badly crazed.- Mm.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20When I saw it at the valuation day, it was the condition,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25it was really in poor order, but I was mindful of the fact that if it was a rare thing,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27it could've made its money.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Now, you'd normally see this in reds and greens.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35And I wonder whether this is perhaps an early blue design that they failed with.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40It's a rich era, really, I think, the '30s, for ladies
0:03:40 > 0:03:44in that the First World War had come and gone,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47we were building up to the Second World War.
0:03:47 > 0:03:54I also think that ladies, in a way, might be a little bit more creative than chaps.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57But I guess the one real reason might be
0:03:57 > 0:04:02that they probably charge less, or their pay rate was less than a man's.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07- I think we've got to put £200 to £300 as an estimate on it.- Yeah.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10We'll put a fixed reserve on it of £150.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14The one thing I would say to you is I've never seen this in this blue colour before.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- Really?- Yeah. If that is that rare
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and the Clarice collectors really leap into it,
0:04:20 > 0:04:25you know, they could... the damage might become an irrelevance
0:04:25 > 0:04:29- simply because of its rarity. - I see, yeah.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35We've got the Clarice Cliff blue firs pattern coffee set.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39The minute you hear the auctioneer go, "I've got commission bids and three phone lines,"
0:04:39 > 0:04:41you sort of know you're on a winner.
0:04:41 > 0:04:441,300, my bid. 1,350.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47On the phone, 1,350.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49'But the opening bid took us all by surprise.'
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- 2,300.- Gosh, this is rare!
0:04:52 > 0:04:54They know something we don't know, Philip.
0:04:54 > 0:04:592,600. Are we all done at £2,700, then?
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Hammer's gone down. What a wonderful moment.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- £2,700!- Oh, dear.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06How do I explain Clarice Cliff's appeal?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Well, I'm not sure I can. You're talking to the wrong bloke.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12'So far, so Clarice Cliff.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15'But who were the other women whose designs have stood the test of time?'
0:05:15 > 0:05:17The Charlotte Rhead bowl in Edinburgh,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20a real good piece of Art Deco pottery
0:05:20 > 0:05:25with those stylised trees, very typical of the 1930s style of decoration.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27It dates from the 1930s
0:05:27 > 0:05:32and it's a piece by one of the most well-known ceramic designers of the 20th century called Charlotte Rhead,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35who worked in the Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent
0:05:35 > 0:05:38at a similar time to Clarice Cliff, who everybody's heard of.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Poor Charlotte Rhead has lived in Clarice Cliff's shadow
0:05:42 > 0:05:44probably ever since the 1930s.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Clarice Cliff with her bold and jazzy, colourful designs.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52Charlotte Rhead was rather more muted, I suppose, in style.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55And most of her things were vases and bowls
0:05:55 > 0:06:00and big trays and chargers with various designs.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05But this is quite an unusual design for her, cos they're mainly stylised flowers and foliage
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- and here you've got more trees really, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Charlotte Rhead is an unsung hero of the Potteries.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17Her technique was rather than hand-painting, she was a tube-liner,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20so she piped out these tube-line designs,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23similar to the Moorcroft pottery of the period.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26The most desirable are the ones that are signed on the bottom.
0:06:26 > 0:06:32- Mm-hm.- And luckily, yours is one of those that's signed on the bottom. - Oh, I see.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34I suppose it's all about fashion and name.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Everyone's heard of Clarice Cliff, most people have heard of Susie Cooper.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Charlotte Rhead, perhaps not so much.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45When you see sometimes huge prices paid for Clarice Cliff and the likes,
0:06:45 > 0:06:50- and this is probably going to make £40, something like that. - That's fine. That's fine.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- We could put an estimate of £30 to £50.- OK.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Charlotte Rhead, I think, is undervalued.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00She was a great exponent of pottery of the period.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Start at £30. 30 bid. 30 bid.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07'Did Adam's valuation reflect Charlotte Rhead's limited appeal?'
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- 5. 70. £70 on commission. - What did we say?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Any advance on 70?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- At £70.- Spot on. - THEY LAUGH
0:07:16 > 0:07:21'Not a bad price. But what did Isla plan to do with the money?'
0:07:21 > 0:07:24When I did a search on Charlotte Rhead,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28I discovered that she had breast cancer
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and subsequently died from it,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and because I'm in remission from breast cancer,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37if there's any money, that's where it's going, to cancer care.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42- What more appropriate way of spending the proceeds?- 'Here, here!
0:07:43 > 0:07:47'And now to another Potteries contemporary of Charlotte Rhead and Clarice Cliff.'
0:07:47 > 0:07:51- It's by Susie Cooper, as I'm sure you know.- Yes.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56- How long have you owned it? - Er, 54 years. It was a wedding present.- Really?- Yes.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Susie Cooper was born in 1902, the youngest of seven daughters,
0:08:00 > 0:08:05and she started working for Gray's, a very influential potter in the Potteries,
0:08:05 > 0:08:10at the age of 20, so she got going very early.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Susie Cooper was an important designer
0:08:13 > 0:08:18and quite rare, because there weren't many lady designers working in industry.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23And she became governor of her own firm. The company became known as Susie Cooper.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27She specialised in tablewares.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29You don't get so much decorative pottery by her.
0:08:29 > 0:08:35This shape is known as the falcon shape, for obvious reasons.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39If you look at the spout, it in profile look rather like a falcon
0:08:39 > 0:08:44- with its bill taking the form of the spout.- Yes.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48I think women came to the forefront, in terms of design
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and in terms of decorating for a number of reasons, really.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55It was a relatively liberated time.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Society was more responsive, I think, to young women than it had been before.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02There were fewer men about. Let's not forget that.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06There were a great number of men in their teens and early 20s
0:09:06 > 0:09:10who were killed in the First World War. They might have gone on to be decorators.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13It's in perfect condition. A slight crackle.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16A sort of crazing, which you do get.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19I suspect it's just age which has caused the glaze to shrink, really.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Susie Cooper is definitely, and in my view quite rightly,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25overshadowed by Clarice Cliff.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Clarice Cliff was avant garde.
0:09:27 > 0:09:33She introduced bold shapes, bold designs. But she had a sort of freedom.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36She was given her own studio and allowed to get on with it.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- It was bought in 1955...- Yes.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43..which I think tells us that the pattern, the decoration, is actually a bit later.
0:09:43 > 0:09:49So we have a 1930s shape decorated in the mid-1950s.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I think things should speak of their period.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Something that was made in the 1930s
0:09:54 > 0:09:56should look as if it was made in the 1930s.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59'That's why Clarice Cliff is so collectable.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02'She absolutely reflects that time.'
0:10:02 > 0:10:09- I think this is going to make somewhere between £40 and £60.- Right.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11- How about a reserve of £30? - That sounds reasonable.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15It's a nice little set, this.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20At £55. At 55. Is there 60? At 55. I'm not going to dwell on it.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- At 55.- He's going to sell.- At 55.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24- All done?- Yes!
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Susie Cooper is not as highly regarded
0:10:27 > 0:10:32and I think the owner was indeed disappointed in my valuation.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34But that's just the way the market is, really.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38'Very true. The market is a fickle beast,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42'and you never know, Susie Cooper may yet rise in value.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45'So if you've got some of her work, keep hold of it.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50'Around the time that Brenda's mother acquired her Susie Cooper tea service,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53'another woman was making a splash in the world of ceramics.'
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I was delighted to see this Midwinter service, or part of it,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59they only brought part to the valuation day
0:10:59 > 0:11:02with a promise that they had a service for six at home.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06It's made by the Midwinter factory and they were in operation between 1910,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09when it was established by William Midwinter,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13and it operated right through to about 1987.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15The amazing thing was, it came out looking as fresh
0:11:15 > 0:11:17and as wonderful
0:11:17 > 0:11:21as probably the first day they were presented as a wedding present.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26During the mid part of the 20th century, Jessie Tait was commissioned by William Midwinter
0:11:26 > 0:11:29to create this rounded square shape.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Jessie Tait was an amazing lady. She's actually, since the programme was filmed,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36she has actually died. She died in the early part of 2010.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39She was a very influential lady throughout the 20th century,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43and from the 1940s to the 1980s,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48carried forward the female role, as it were,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51in terms of cutting-edge design within the Potteries.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54I think you and I agree that it's very much of the period
0:11:54 > 0:11:59- but actually it looks very much now, as well.- Yes, both.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03She was very clever in terms of fusing
0:12:03 > 0:12:07the modern taste and modern capabilities of production
0:12:07 > 0:12:09with obviously what she's learnt from tradition
0:12:09 > 0:12:12and taking the two things forward together.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I mean, to see one or two pieces now and then is something we might expect,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19but to see so much is really quite exciting.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24I think realistically anywhere between £350 and £550
0:12:24 > 0:12:28- would be a fair bracket of value. - Yes.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31She's probably one of the leading lights, or is the leading light,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35in terms of her chosen career, definitely.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Lot 56, the Midwinter dinner, tea and coffee service.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Selling at £380. Bid's at the back of the room.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- All done at £380? - We're going to take that, aren't we?
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Dinnerwares, tablewares,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49tea services are not selling particularly well
0:12:49 > 0:12:52because people have too busy a life,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54they perhaps don't sit down to a full laden table
0:12:54 > 0:12:56with all the matching crockery.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59If they do, it then needs to be really dishwasher proof
0:12:59 > 0:13:03if they're going to enjoy it to its full and relax about using it.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07So such a service is really bucking current trends
0:13:07 > 0:13:10for lots of reasons. And it was just wonderful, yes.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15'Often you can snap up a set for less than the individual pieces.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20'And Jessie Tait's work may prove a canny investment in the future.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24'There's one more established Flog It favourite
0:13:24 > 0:13:27'which is the magical work of another of Stoke's visionary women.'
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Doncaster valuation day, I remember it well.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33It was a dream valuation day
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and I remember this lady pulling out this Fairyland Lustre bowl.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39I saw her from the other side of the room. I was straight there.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- What a wonderful piece you've got here.- It is beautiful.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- As soon as I saw it, I ran over, didn't I?- Yes.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It's beautiful. It's by Wedgwood
0:13:47 > 0:13:49and we've got the Wedgwood mark on the bottom there.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54And it's Fairyland Lustre. That's what it's known as.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59And it was designed by a very interesting lady called Daisy Makeig-Jones,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01who was at Wedgwood for many years.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Daisy Makeig-Jones was a genius designer, really.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09I believe she had a dispute with Wedgwood and left under a cloud
0:14:09 > 0:14:15and smashed loads of pots, which all helps add to the mystique and the rarity of Fairyland Lustre.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17And the castle often features
0:14:17 > 0:14:21and the fairies always feature.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23And you can see the exquisite decoration all round.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27If you have a look at that, the decoration is absolutely magnificent.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30No offence to Charlotte Rhead and Clarice Cliff
0:14:30 > 0:14:33with their simple painted and tube-lined designs,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36but this is an absolute masterpiece of pottery.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41It's smothered in decoration, in gilding, there's a huge amount of effort and man hours
0:14:41 > 0:14:44that goes into the creation of Fairyland Lustre.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- I think we could put a reserve of 800.- Do you really?
0:14:47 > 0:14:49So it doesn't go for any less.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- Fine.- No leeway at all. I shall tell him myself.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58The Daisy Makeig-Jones Fairyland Lustre bowl,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02discovered by Adam Partridge, and I remember her saying,
0:15:02 > 0:15:08"Ooh, I don't really want to sell it, but if it makes 800 or 900, I'm prepared to let it go."
0:15:08 > 0:15:11We have five telephones.
0:15:11 > 0:15:17- Yes.- I'll start it on the commission bid of £800.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20But whenever you get something good, you have that feeling
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and you know something's going to happen.
0:15:22 > 0:15:251,500. 1,500.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27And 50. 1,550.
0:15:27 > 0:15:291,600.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33You know, if Adam had put 2,000 to 2,500 on that bowl,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35I don't think we'd have sold it.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I don't think there would've been very much interest at all,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41because the majority of people would've gone, "Oh, it's too much."
0:15:41 > 0:15:46But put a low estimate and it builds and it builds.
0:15:46 > 0:15:502,200. 2,300. All sure at 2,300?
0:15:50 > 0:15:55- HAMMER BANGS - Yes! That's a sell. £2,300.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59The name Daisy Makeig-Jones to some people was like,
0:15:59 > 0:16:04"Who's that, then?" until you say Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and she's the person that has made that famous.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11'Another name to add to the list of innovative women in ceramics.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15'Her work is highly sought-after and commands high prices.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18'So look for smaller pieces of Fairyland Lustre
0:16:18 > 0:16:20'or the less ornate examples.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24'Since her death, Jessie Tait is definitely one to watch.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28'And remember, there may be more value for money in buying a service
0:16:28 > 0:16:30'than in individual pieces.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34'Many feel that Charlotte Rhead and Susie Cooper are underrated,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38'but as such, they could represent a sensible investment.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42'When it comes to Clarice Cliff, the market is very complex
0:16:42 > 0:16:47'with different ranges and colourways attracting vastly different prices.
0:16:48 > 0:16:54'Pieces from the long-running crocus range can be picked up for £30 to £50,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56'but rare combinations of shape and pattern
0:16:56 > 0:16:59'command exceptionally high prices.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03'The world record, set at the height of the market in 2004,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06'was £39,500
0:17:06 > 0:17:10'for an 18-inch charger in the May Avenue pattern.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19'Clarice Cliff's work has gone from being thought avant garde
0:17:19 > 0:17:22'to being regarded as iconic of its time.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27'The same is true of many great names in the world of antiques and collectables
0:17:27 > 0:17:32'and a clever collector will look ahead and buy when things are new or unfashionable.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35'That was certainly true of two Welsh women
0:17:35 > 0:17:38'whose eye for a bargain resulted in a collection
0:17:38 > 0:17:41'that's now considered priceless.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45'In the early 20th century, two spinster sisters,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49'Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, began collecting art.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53'Today their collection is seen as one of the largest and most important
0:17:53 > 0:17:58'of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works in the world.'
0:17:59 > 0:18:05The 260 works of art were bequeathed to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff
0:18:05 > 0:18:09and I've come here to talk to Dr Ann Sumner, head of fine art,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11to take a look at this incredible collection
0:18:11 > 0:18:15but also find out a little bit more about these remarkable women
0:18:15 > 0:18:18and the role they played in Welsh history.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24'And the star of their collection is undoubtedly La Parisienne by Renoir,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28'one of the most famous Impressionist paintings in the UK.'
0:18:30 > 0:18:33This is absolutely stunning. Look at this French ultramarine blue.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37That sort of shouts out at you and it's quite bold, the brushstroke. Tell me about it.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Well, this painting was one of the most famous pictures
0:18:40 > 0:18:44at the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874
0:18:44 > 0:18:46and it really made Renoir's name.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51And Gwendoline Davies purchased this in 1913
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and they didn't start collecting Impressionist paintings until 1912,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58so this is only the second year of collecting Impressionist paintings.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- Tell me about the ladies. They must've been so remarkable. - They were.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05The Davies sisters were the granddaughters of David Davies of Llandinam,
0:19:05 > 0:19:10- who was a self-made industrialist. - In coal.- In coal, in railways,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and actually developing Barry docks, as well.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16So they were to inherit an enormous amount of money
0:19:16 > 0:19:19when they both became 25.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21They both drew.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Margaret painted throughout her life.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28And, in fact, they had this extraordinary exposure
0:19:28 > 0:19:31to the Salon in Paris, to the Royal Academy in London,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34because that's what really interested Jane Blaker, their governess.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36And when they went to London, she would turn up
0:19:36 > 0:19:40and take them off to the Royal Academy to see the latest British paintings.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43And then when they went to France, which was primarily for shopping
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and to see the theatre and to go to the opera,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50she also made sure they went to the Salon and they saw the best exhibitions.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Why were the sisters exceptional as collectors?
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Well, first of all, they were women,
0:19:55 > 0:20:00but also, they were really, really unusual in that they were buying Impressionist paintings
0:20:00 > 0:20:02and that was exceptional at that time.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06- Cos it was considered avant garde. It wasn't the thing to invest in. - No.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09I mean, let's be honest, they were buying these paintings cheaply.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Relatively cheaply. They weren't fashionable.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16That's the idea with antiques and collectables, isn't it? Get in before they're fashionable.
0:20:16 > 0:20:22They were certainly getting bargains, to a certain extent, with some of the pictures they were buying.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Did they collect mainly impressionistic works?
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Well, as you can see from the gallery that we have here,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36they started off collecting in a slightly different vein.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40They bought works by Corot, works by Millet, by Daumier.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44So they bought French paintings, but not initially French Impressionist paintings.
0:20:44 > 0:20:50- And then, of course, Turner. Turner is the artist who they were really interested in.- I've spotted some.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53And they started off buying some of these wonderful works here.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58And you can see, in a way, they were drawn to this impressionistic style of painting by Turner.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01And it's not such a huge leap
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- to then be appreciating Impressionist painting.- I was going to say that,
0:21:04 > 0:21:09- because there's a correlation. You can see how it's evolved. It's not random, is it?- No, not at all.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Every single wall vies for your attention at once, doesn't it?
0:21:17 > 0:21:19- Every work of art... - There's just so much.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24This is a lovely Manet, painted during the Franco-Prussian war, actually,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26when Manet was serving in the guard.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29He was actually a soldier at this time.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33- And this was a wasteland. - It is a barren landscape.- Yes.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36It's covered in snow, you get that heavy feeling...
0:21:36 > 0:21:40- Of not wanting to be there. - Yes, absolutely. And it was painted in about an hour and a half,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43so we know it's one of Manet's first Impressionist paintings.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46So it's a remarkable work.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Now, this was purchased for just over £200 in 1912,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53so it's a real bargain.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58'But I think the sisters' most favourite artist had to be Monet.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01'They purchased nine of his works,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04'three of which are paintings of his beloved Venice.'
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Here we are, look. So typically Monet. Lovely pastel colours.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12These are wonderful Monets. The San Giorgio Maggiore By Twilight
0:22:12 > 0:22:14is probably one of the most famous paintings in our collections.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Monet himself came late to Venice
0:22:18 > 0:22:20and he wished that he'd gone earlier.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24He was incredibly inspired by the buildings and by the light.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- He actually painted in a gondola.- You sound very passionate about Monet.
0:22:27 > 0:22:33I love Monet. He's my favourite artist in this collection by far.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And the Davies sisters bought so well.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Oh, wow. Look at that.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Paul Cezanne.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48One of his best-known works, actually, L'Estaque.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51There must be so many interesting stories
0:22:51 > 0:22:53with every single piece of art in here.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Well, I think what was interesting for the sisters was,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00this wonderful lifestyle they had before the First World War
0:23:00 > 0:23:05where they were holidaying all over Europe and also went to Egypt, this completely changed.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08They volunteered for the Red Cross canteens,
0:23:08 > 0:23:13and despite being in France and being so much involved in the war effort, they were still buying paintings.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Talk about confidence of brushstroke. Just take a look at this.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21- Wonderful Provence landscape. - Ohh!- Actually painted on Cezanne's own family estate.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25But it is an interesting situation, because they were very concerned about these paintings.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Paris was under considerable bombardment from the Germans
0:23:28 > 0:23:33and so as quickly as possible, they got these pictures out of France, over to Britain.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39And this was cutting-edge collecting, because these pictures were not appreciated in Britain at the time.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44When they tried to lend them to the Tate Gallery a few years later, they were initially turned down.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48And then, after a rumpus in the paper, lots of letters to The Times, they were put on loan.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52- You see, the girls had an incredible foresight.- They absolutely did.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58'This is truly an incredible exhibition.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02'Thanks to two remarkable women, works by Turner, Monet and Cezanne
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'have found a home here in Wales.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'This is collecting at its best. And what a legacy to leave
0:24:08 > 0:24:10'for us all to enjoy.'
0:24:17 > 0:24:20I've often wondered what some of our successful owners
0:24:20 > 0:24:24have done with the money in the past. You probably have, as well.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26So we've caught up with a few of them.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31'At one valuation day in Wiltshire in 2009,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35'Thomas Plant's knowledge of those all-important hallmarks
0:24:35 > 0:24:38'stood him in good stead with one visitor.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:41It was given to me as a gift
0:24:41 > 0:24:44from somebody who knows that I like small silver.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48- But for me, it's a bit too big. - It's not really small silver, is it?
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- No, it's not as small as I usually collect.- What do you usually collect?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Well, I like spoons, all sorts of different spoons.
0:24:54 > 0:25:00- And I like little salts...- Oh, yeah. - ..and little mustard pots.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02'Linda is an avid collector of spoons
0:25:02 > 0:25:06'and wanted to make room for the smaller items she collects.'
0:25:08 > 0:25:11I just love collecting.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14I love objects, I love the history of objects,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18I love the form of them, the function of them.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23I really can't help myself. So it's a curse or a passion.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'With such a diverse collection,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30'Linda has to make some tough decisions on what to keep and what to sell.'
0:25:30 > 0:25:34You've got these quite good marks on the base here.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36- Yes, they're quite big, aren't they? - Quite big and quite fine,
0:25:36 > 0:25:41and as you know from collecting silver, they look quite fresh, so that's brilliant.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Because it's by Emick Romer and it's 1771,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48you've got to think, the value is going to be higher
0:25:48 > 0:25:50than a usual chalice from this date.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54- Right.- So I would put this in at auction between £300 and £500.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59- I'd fix the reserve at 300. - Mm-hm.- How does that grab you?
0:25:59 > 0:26:03- That was a nice friend, wasn't it? - It was a nice friend.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Lot number 285 we're onto now,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10which is the George III silver goblet by Emick Romer.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12420. 440 anywhere?
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- At 420. - HAMMER BANGS
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Yes! Good man, Philip!
0:26:18 > 0:26:21'Linda made the money she wanted at auction,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24'and was able to spend it on adding to her collection of Georgian spoons.'
0:26:25 > 0:26:28I've been building up a collection of Georgian silver
0:26:28 > 0:26:31for about five or six years.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36I hadn't collected silver to that extent before.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40But it just started with one spoon
0:26:40 > 0:26:44and it was a very old spoon.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48And I just realised what a very personal object that was.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52I'm very pleased to have found this one,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56which is a trefid spoon,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58the top is a trefid shape.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01And this one is dated
0:27:01 > 0:27:05circa 1680 to 1685.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08So it's in the reign of Charles II.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11It's an absolutely beautiful spoon.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17'Linda also has some more unusual items in her collection.'
0:27:17 > 0:27:19As well as the spoons,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23I've got a small collection of larger silver.
0:27:24 > 0:27:30Again, personal items. I have pap boats. A couple of these.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Little things that cradle in your hand.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36And they were used for feeding infants.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39So simple and so beautiful to hold.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43'It's clear that Linda has a passion for these beautifully-designed and crafted objects.
0:27:43 > 0:27:49'But what tips has she got for anyone thinking of starting their own collection?'
0:27:49 > 0:27:54One of my tips for people who wanted to start collecting anything, really,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58is to focus on something you really like that you can afford.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01You may not be able to afford it at the end,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04because the thing about colleting is that
0:28:04 > 0:28:08when you get the ordinary, you then want the extraordinary.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11And that always costs a lot of money.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Hopefully today's show has given you some food for thought
0:28:18 > 0:28:22and helped you rediscover some of those lost and overlooked items in your house.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26I hope you've enjoyed the show. See you next time for more trade secrets.