0:00:07 > 0:00:10For over a decade now, you've been bringing the Flog It! team
0:00:10 > 0:00:13your unwanted antiques and collectables.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17And we've helped you sell around £1 million worth to date.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22You've made my day today by bringing in this wonderful children's book.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Fantastic. What a lot of money.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27- That was exciting.- Well done.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31During that time, we've all learned a great deal about the items
0:00:31 > 0:00:33that have passed through our hands.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36In this series, I want to share some of that knowledge with you,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40so stand by to hear our experts' trade secrets.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09The world of antiques is full of wonderful
0:01:09 > 0:01:11and valuable objects of all kinds.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15And over the years, our experts have had the enviable task
0:01:15 > 0:01:18of assessing hundreds of pieces.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22This is a particularly nice example. What can you tell me about it?
0:01:22 > 0:01:26I would estimate it between £150 and £250.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Gosh!
0:01:28 > 0:01:32But of course, every expert has gone through their on-screen debut.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35So today, we'll be travelling back in time
0:01:35 > 0:01:37to reveal some memorable Flog It! firsts.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41My look then was very much...
0:01:41 > 0:01:46What shall we call it? Spanish cavalier, perhaps.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51Coming up, Claire gets under the skin of a designer who broke the mould.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55He was probably one of the first independent designers, wasn't he?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58That's right, yes, he was, he was a pioneer in that way.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02I'm thrilled by the work of a trail-blazing woman.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05The greatest female photographer possibly in history,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07definitely in the 19th century.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10And we hit on one of the questions
0:02:10 > 0:02:13that none of our experts wants to answer.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Who...? Oh, gosh!
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Oh, controversial.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I can't think, I wish I'd prepared this one.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Flog It! has been on your TV screens since 2002,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and a lot has changed since then.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33But what hasn't changed is, at the heart, is a team that is
0:02:33 > 0:02:38dedicated to helping you sell your unwanted antiques and collectables.
0:02:38 > 0:02:39So, where did it all start?
0:02:39 > 0:02:43'I remember my first Flog It! very well indeed.'
0:02:43 > 0:02:46I was an excited young lad going off to do this filming
0:02:46 > 0:02:51for this great television programme and I remember so vividly
0:02:51 > 0:02:56seeing a really lovely silver tea service by Georg Jensen.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58I was really excited.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00My first Flog It! and this wonderful item came
0:03:00 > 0:03:04and I said to the lady, "I think this is worth £2,000 or £3,000."
0:03:04 > 0:03:06And she said to me, off-camera,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09"Are you sure, dear? You look very young."
0:03:09 > 0:03:11'So I said, "Well, if you don't believe me,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13' "we'll put £800-£1,200'
0:03:13 > 0:03:15"and watch it go and make a bit more."
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Don't blame me if it doesn't sell.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22And guess what? It made 5,000 quid!
0:03:22 > 0:03:25How I wished I'd have stuck to my £2,000 - £3,000.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27It wouldn't look quite so embarrassing.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And I was hoping she was going to say, "You did say beforehand."
0:03:30 > 0:03:32But no, you know what she said?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35"Bless him, he's only learning."
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Slightly overawed by it all because there were a lot of people there.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42And I wasn't sure if I would find the right things,
0:03:42 > 0:03:47say the right things, and once I got going, of course it was great
0:03:47 > 0:03:50because there's a great team behind you giving lots of support
0:03:50 > 0:03:52and lovely people as well, great contributors.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56I think the thing that makes Flog It! so special is actually
0:03:56 > 0:03:59the connection between you and the contributor,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02the vendor. Getting their story, where it's been,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06so I was more worried about making that connection
0:04:06 > 0:04:09than about getting the valuations wrong.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14My very first Flog It!, I remember, was in Ipswich Corn Exchange.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19And of course it was with my lovely friend David Barbie.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20'And it was a bit funny actually
0:04:20 > 0:04:23'because it was a bit like a tennis match.'
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Because for some reason, people think we are very alike.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I really can't see it myself.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32But people kept looking, like a tennis match.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33And I think both of us,
0:04:33 > 0:04:38if we had a pound for somebody saying, "Is that your father?"
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Of course, it's my grandfather, but... We would have been rich.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Anita Manning was one of the first female experts to join the show,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50so she's a bit of a pioneer herself.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53What does she remember from her first valuation day,
0:04:53 > 0:04:54more than a decade ago?
0:04:54 > 0:04:57'I was very excited.'
0:04:57 > 0:05:01I don't think I was nervous, I'm not the nervous type.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03But I was full of anticipation,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06thinking about the wonderful things I might see
0:05:06 > 0:05:09and having a chat to the people who own these things.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Richard, do you come from Newcastle?
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Not at all, I come from Lancashire, Burnley.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16A Lancashire lad.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19The reason I'm asking this question is
0:05:19 > 0:05:23because, as you probably know, Maling is from Newcastle.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Tell me, where did you get it?
0:05:25 > 0:05:29It was my grandmother's and she used them every day.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35What he had, what he brought with him, was very ordinary Maling.
0:05:35 > 0:05:41But I liked Richard so much, and very often for me it's the person
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and their story and the story of their forebears
0:05:44 > 0:05:48and their history, their family history, which is interesting.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Can you remember your granny? - Very well, yes.- Tell me about her.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- What was she like?- A great character. She was a midwife.- Right.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58And a very big woman. And she had 18 children.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02- 18 children and a full-time job? - Yes, indeed.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08She rode about the countryside on a 17-hand-high cob
0:06:08 > 0:06:10delivering children.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15As well as looking after all her 18 brood.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18And I found that absolutely fascinating.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23That painted pictures of Lancashire that I will never ever forget.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28I think if we put it as one lot and maybe...
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- ..between £40 and £60. - Mm-hm.- £40 and £60.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- Yes.- Would you like to sell?
0:06:35 > 0:06:37- Would you like to flog them? - We'll flog them.- Yeah.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41So, was Anita's first Flog It! auction as an expert a memorable affair?
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Richard is a man of some style and he likes his clothes,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48and he'd got dressed up for the auctioneer,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51he had this wonderful bowtie on, his dinner jacket.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- Richard, you look so smart. - Thank you.- Really together here.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Well, maybe I should have been a bit more glamorous on that one,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01but I thought my gold lame catsuit
0:07:01 > 0:07:04might not just be the thing to wear that day.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- I'm hoping to get nearer 80.- 80.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- Would you be happy with that, 80 quid?- Not half!
0:07:10 > 0:07:15The valuation day is one thing, but when you're on the auction day
0:07:15 > 0:07:19and you're hoping that all your items sell,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22you're hoping you've given the right valuation,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24it's quite nerve-racking.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28£60. 60 bid. £60. 60 bid.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31New interest, 70. 80.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34That's a lot of Maling for your money.
0:07:34 > 0:07:3690, well done.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38100.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40100. 100.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42I'm selling, then, are we? At £100?
0:07:42 > 0:07:46That was brilliant, 100 quid. I knew that should have done 100 quid.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- Unbelievable.- Three pieces of Maling, it had to do it.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52And Anita has remained a firm favourite
0:07:52 > 0:07:55with the Flog It! contributors and you ever since.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Charlie Ross joined the programme about the same time as Anita.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06But unlike her, he wasn't brimming with confidence on his first day.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Hello, Ron. Out of your box, you have pulled,
0:08:08 > 0:08:13well, I can see a couple of vases here and various other pieces.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I have to say, I was extremely nervous on my first valuation day
0:08:16 > 0:08:19because I wasn't expecting it to be a valuation day.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22I was expecting it to be a screen test.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26And suddenly confronted with all these lovely people and their
0:08:26 > 0:08:30charming objects, I really felt I was being thrown in the deep end.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34But, um...kicked like mad and carried on swimming
0:08:34 > 0:08:36and got to the end of the day.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- They're Chinese.- Right.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44They are 18th century, so probably 1760, 1770.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47There is a chunk off the bottom here.
0:08:47 > 0:08:53But frankly, given the age... that's not surprising
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and it certainly isn't, in terms of value, terminal.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00If we move on to the next pair, as you can see,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02different hexagonal shape.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Um...no damage to this part.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08But some rubbing.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13You can see all this would have been highlighted in gilt decoration
0:09:13 > 0:09:17between each panel here, here.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Well, I think, given the condition,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24you can really put £150 to £200 on each pair.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- OK.- We wouldn't want to give them away.- Indeed.- No.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I was well exhausted by the end of the day,
0:09:30 > 0:09:35and of course my brain was swimming around thinking, what have I said?
0:09:35 > 0:09:38What valuations have I put on these things?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40You know, oh, dear!
0:09:40 > 0:09:42It was quite concerning.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45And wielding the gavel over Ron's Chinese vases
0:09:45 > 0:09:47was auctioneer Will Axon.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Will has since become another of our favourite experts.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55But back then, this was his first-ever appearance on the show.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59My look then was very much... What shall we call it?
0:09:59 > 0:10:04Spanish cavalier, perhaps, with my long hair and goatee.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08I've had longer hair than that before, believe me.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12I had a raver's ponytail, me. I grew up in the '90s.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14He's had his hair cut.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Other than that, I don't think he's changed at all.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Charlie was uncharacteristically low-key
0:10:20 > 0:10:22during his first Flog It! filming.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26But did Will manage to raise a smile by getting the vases away?
0:10:26 > 0:10:27380.
0:10:27 > 0:10:33390. 400. And 20? I'll take 10. 400 it is. 10, sir, if you like.
0:10:33 > 0:10:39At 400, be quick if you do. At 400. At 400 now, all done.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Well, that is a result, given the damage.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Did the second pair of vases do as well?
0:10:45 > 0:10:47At 380 now. You all done elsewhere?
0:10:47 > 0:10:52I'm so pleased for you. I'm so pleased. Fantastic.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Thank you very much.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Today these objects would be making plus a nought, probably,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00despite their damage.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Charlie's first Flog It! valuation was a great success
0:11:03 > 0:11:07and it marked the start of a long friendship with the show.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09But does he feel he's changed over the years?
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Older. Lost a bit of hair.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14I'd like to think I'm more relaxed.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17I think the first time you do a programme,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20the first time you do anything in your life, and it's unusual,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22you're a little bit nervous
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and perhaps you don't let the real you come out.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Now I think, when I'm meeting people,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31on camera, valuing things,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35I'd like to think what you get is pure Charlie Ross.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Charlie's on-screen confidence
0:11:37 > 0:11:40has certainly grown during his time on Flog It!
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Back to the drawing board, matron.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50But how much has he, and the other experts, changed down the years?
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Oh, gosh, that's tricky, isn't it?
0:11:53 > 0:11:54Ooh, controversial.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Oh, dear, get myself into a lot of trouble here.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02I can't think. I wish I had prepared this one.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I had longer sideboards.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09And I looked like I was still in short trousers.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13I think most of the Flog Its I've filmed so far, I've been pregnant.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I've gone from this to this, to this, to this.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Gone from blonde to brown.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Some people become wider and I include myself in that.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Some people have become greyer.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Philip Serrell hasn't got as much hair.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Anita's hair looks great!
0:12:29 > 0:12:31The first thing I think of
0:12:31 > 0:12:35when I look back on my first appearances on the show
0:12:35 > 0:12:39is time has not been very nice to me, really.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Mark has probably changed the most.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Not so much in personality in the way he is,
0:12:45 > 0:12:46but I saw an early episode
0:12:46 > 0:12:50and he did look a lot younger back then, didn't he?
0:12:50 > 0:12:52I certainly think, after 11 years or so...
0:12:52 > 0:12:55I've probably had too much red wine, so...
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Too much rich food.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It's all about easy living, Mark,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05and too much of vino chateau collapso, I reckon.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08But I have kept my hair, which is unlike some of us,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10like Adam Partridge.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15It's got a little bit thinner on top. You're welcome, Adam.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19I suppose me, then, because I've gone bald.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Is that what you wanted to hear?
0:13:21 > 0:13:24It's been lovely working with you all.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27The general consensus, then?
0:13:27 > 0:13:30The boys have changed more than the girls.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Now, to a new member of the Flog It! team
0:13:33 > 0:13:35who hasn't yet had time to change.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Caroline Hawley hit the screen as an expert in 2012.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42On my first ever valuation day,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45I was so nervous.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48The night before, I could hardly sleep, I was really, really nervous.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52And then, as soon as I got there and I got in front of the items,
0:13:52 > 0:13:57in front of the contributors, the whole thing was just fantastic.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59The adrenaline kicked in and it was just brilliant.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02I've loved it, absolutely loved it.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04And we love you, too, Caroline.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11How does a man like you end up with five pairs of fabulous ladies' shoes?
0:14:11 > 0:14:16My girlfriend Heather is at work today so she told me to bring them
0:14:16 > 0:14:20- to see if they're worth anything. - I'm so glad you have.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22They're absolutely beautiful.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26They have caused such a stir with all the ladies around today.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30'I remember the dance shoes. They were one of the first items I valued
0:14:30 > 0:14:32'and they really stick in my memory'
0:14:32 > 0:14:34because they just made you want to dance and smile,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37'they were just so, so beautiful.'
0:14:37 > 0:14:43They actually come from New York, from a fabulous department store,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Bergdorf Goodman.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48They are beautifully made, with leather, satin,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50little rhinestone buckles.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52They really are fabulous quality.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55And this... Excuse the pun,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59but it would have to be a very well-heeled lady that bought these.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04They are not for your average lady at all. They're really beautiful.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08They date from the 1920s, 1930s.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12They were such good quality, they were in such good condition.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14'They'd hardly been used.'
0:15:14 > 0:15:16One of the main things I was thinking was,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18"What sort of value could you put on these?"
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Because, to me, they are absolutely fantastic,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22but I know, commercially,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26that they are not ever going to really hit the heights.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Price-wise, I would put an estimate
0:15:30 > 0:15:33of between £150 - £250 for the collection.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38And if we put a fixed reserve of £150?
0:15:38 > 0:15:42- Would you be happy with that? - I think that would be OK, yes.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Fingers crossed. I'm so delighted you brought them, I love them.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51So had Caroline's nerves abated by the time she got to the auction?
0:15:51 > 0:15:52I'm an auctioneer, by trade,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56and I'm used to standing on the rostrum and selling things.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58But being put to the test the other side
0:15:58 > 0:16:00and standing next to the lovely couple that put them in,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03it's a different experience altogether.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Everything kicks in. It's quite nerve-racking.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09At £120. 30 if you want them.
0:16:09 > 0:16:15120. 130. 140. At 140.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19150 now. At £150. Against the room at 150.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24At £150, then, quite sure, everybody?
0:16:24 > 0:16:26At 150.
0:16:26 > 0:16:32Sold to somebody on the phone. They're gone. Bang on the reserve.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35The pressure of the auction has eased the more I do,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38but I still always am quite competitive.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43I do want to get a result for them. And I want to get a good result.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Since Flog It! has been on air,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53our experts have worked hard to make you gasp, make you laugh
0:16:53 > 0:16:57and put those all-important values on your antiques and collectables.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01So here's to all of our much-loved experts who have appeared on the show
0:17:01 > 0:17:04over the years and to those we have yet to meet.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Although she is a relative newcomer to Flog It!,
0:17:14 > 0:17:19auctioneer Claire Rawle has had years of experience in the antiques world.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23At £260, then, if you're all done, selling here at 260.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26And during that time, she's developed a passion for the work
0:17:26 > 0:17:30of one of Britain's foremost designers of the 19th century,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32a true pioneer.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Christopher Dresser was a prolific designer who created
0:17:38 > 0:17:41a variety of objects throughout his long, industrious career.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46I think my love for Dresser
0:17:46 > 0:17:49came from his simple designs. I love the way he designs things
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and they're very functional, you can use them
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and they were made very much for the ordinary person, for the masses.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58He was the first independent designer.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02He was probably the leading ceramics designer, not only of his age,
0:18:02 > 0:18:03but of any age.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I'm here in Middlesbrough at the Dorman Museum
0:18:07 > 0:18:11where I'm going to meet curator Gill Moore who I know is going to tell me
0:18:11 > 0:18:14a whole lot more about Christopher Dresser.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Dresser was actually born in Glasgow in 1834.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26But his family actually came from Yorkshire.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28There is a Yorkshire connection.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Dresser showed exceptional talent as an artist when he was quite young
0:18:32 > 0:18:36and he was enrolled in the Government School of Design in London.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40The family, by this point, had moved down to London in the 1840s.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42He was accepted at this school of design
0:18:42 > 0:18:45two years earlier than normal, he was only 13.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48So he was obviously quite a child prodigy?
0:18:48 > 0:18:51He certainly was. And he set up his own studio quite early on,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55employed maybe half-a-dozen apprentices.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58He was probably one of the first independent designers?
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Yes, he was, he was a pioneer in that way.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Dresser was fundamental
0:19:02 > 0:19:06in the development of the colourful work of Linthorpe Pottery.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09In 1875, John Harrison invited Dresser
0:19:09 > 0:19:14to visit his struggling brickworks in Linthorpe near Middlesbrough.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Dresser was quite impressed
0:19:16 > 0:19:19by the standard, the quality of the clay, the red clay,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21so he suggested it might be more profitable
0:19:21 > 0:19:25to turn to production of art pottery rather than bricks.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27That is how Linthorpe Pottery was born.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Because that was really his big tie with Middlesbrough,
0:19:30 > 0:19:35- the pottery.- Dresser was the art adviser for Linthorpe Pottery.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38He had quite a lot of control over it.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42And then, 1876, his lifetime's ambition came true,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45he went to visit Japan.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48He had long had an admiration for Japan.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52And so this was his dream come true, really.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Because it was so soon after he returned from Japan,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59there's a lot of Oriental influence.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01If you actually look at the background there,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03you can see the Oriental silks.
0:20:03 > 0:20:04It's believed the silks
0:20:04 > 0:20:07actually came from the decorating rooms at the pottery.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Really? So they were actually in there?
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Yes, Dresser was quite concerned about the environment
0:20:13 > 0:20:16the decorators, the artists, should be working in.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21He wanted them to be inspired by looking at works like this.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Linthorpe was an overnight success.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29I think the actual response to it was far greater than they expected.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33So people really embraced his designs?
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- It appealed to people, did it? - It was so unusual.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37People had not seen anything like it.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Linthorpe was the first pottery to use a gas-fired kiln
0:20:40 > 0:20:43so they could actually control the temperature.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45So we have some amazing glazes.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48So, to be sure of getting a Dresser piece,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51it has the facsimile signature on the bottom, and the factory name.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Yes, because he would have produced quite a lot of designs,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57and a lot of them were produced after his association had finished.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59But also you want the Linthorpe mark on it.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- So it always had the Linthorpe mark?- Yes.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06We have actually acquired a collection of Dresser items
0:21:06 > 0:21:10quite recently. And we have examples of everything.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- We have furniture, metalware, wallpaper.- That sounds fantastic.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18- Is there any chance I could have a look?- I'm sure you can, yes. - Thank you.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Christopher Dresser.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25He was such a pioneer because he embraced modern technology.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27He used it to manufacture his goods
0:21:27 > 0:21:30so that they were available to a wide range of people.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34He just designed so many different things. He was an amazing man.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39The chairs we have were from the 1880s and they were designed
0:21:39 > 0:21:42for the Art Furnishers' Alliance, one of Dresser's retail ventures.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47He actually brought together wallpaper design, textiles,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50ceramics, glass and furniture.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53This is one of the iconic pieces that you associate with Dresser,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57the crow's foot decanter. It's also very functional and beautiful.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01The little feet here, they actually raise the glass above the ground
0:22:01 > 0:22:04so you could see the colour of the wine.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06The shoulder on it, as well, it also has a purpose.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10When you actually poured your wine, any sediment would be caught in it.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- So you get a nice, clear glass. - Isn't that clever?- Very clever.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16So well thought of, so Dresser.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18This is a Dresser design?
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- That is a Dresser design.- But it's not marked, I don't think, is it?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Anyone doing a bit of research into his design gets an eye for it,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29it's the sort of thing that you can find at a boot sale or somewhere.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31And just pass it by.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Because everyone says, "I hate polishing brass and copper."
0:22:35 > 0:22:39You've got this lovely brass and copper teapot/kettle, whatever,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42and very typical - the little stumpy legs, that's very Dresser, isn't it?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45That's the sort of thing that any budding collectors of his work -
0:22:45 > 0:22:48they get an eye for his design -
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- they can stumble across and pick it up for not very much.- Exactly, yes.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53New items are coming up all the time
0:22:53 > 0:22:55and being attributed to Dresser.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59I think there is a good opportunity for collectors out there.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01At the end of the day,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04you end up with something really stylish and really attractive.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- So get out there and start looking. - Exactly, yes.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20It's easy to admire Christopher Dresser's work in the abstract.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24The wonderful forms and colours of his designs speak for themselves.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27But to get a real sense of how revolutionary he was,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29it's necessary to see his pieces
0:23:29 > 0:23:32alongside those of his contemporaries.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35This piece, believe it or not,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38is a Christopher Dresser teapot that came in to me
0:23:38 > 0:23:42at the bottom of a very large box of silver-plated wares.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44This completely stood out from the crowd to me
0:23:44 > 0:23:48amongst this load of other silver plate which was, frankly, junk.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51This is just the piece de resistance.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53If you think at the time
0:23:53 > 0:23:56that Christopher Dresser was making these teapots,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59this was about 1880, Victorian England, high-Victorian,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01prolific decoration everywhere.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04This was the sort of thing that was being used at the time.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Look at all this decoration, it's so Victorian, screams Victorian.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12But Christopher Dresser was making this. It's so simple, so stylish,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14and it wouldn't look out of place in today's home.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17He took a lot of influence from Japan.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20This wonderful ebonised handle here is such a Japanese influence.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22To me, just the fact that he was making this
0:24:22 > 0:24:24and other people were making this,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28people must've thought he was completely mad. What a pioneer.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31I have put a value on it of £800 - £1,200.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35The last one of these that sold, just sold nearly...
0:24:35 > 0:24:37I think it was about £3,000. Ours has got a few dents
0:24:37 > 0:24:40because it's been used, that's what it was made for.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43But that was my Flog It! moment in real life.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Trail blazers in all fields
0:24:50 > 0:24:53are an exciting prospect for antique enthusiasts.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55So you can imagine my delight
0:24:55 > 0:24:58when not one but two turned up in a single package
0:24:58 > 0:25:01at a valuation day in Henley-on-Thames back in 2011.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06My name is Angela Best, I'm the chairman of governors at,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09it was Slough Grammar School, it's now Upton Court Grammar School.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12We had a picture we knew had some value
0:25:12 > 0:25:16and we took it to Flog It! to see how much money we could raise.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19This is the scientist Herschel.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22There is some local connection, isn't there?
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Yes, he was born and brought up in Slough.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Which is literally down the river.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30Herschel used to work at the observatory, I believe.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Eton is about five minutes up the road from here. That's the connection.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38- Credited for pioneering and developing the telescope.- Yes.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40But it's not the subject matter,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44it's not the sitter I'm interested in, it's the photographer.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49I've been to Julia Margaret Cameron's studios on the Isle of Wight
0:25:49 > 0:25:51and this is an original by her.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53The greatest female photographer, possibly in history,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55definitely in the 19th century.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59It was hung in the head's office for many, many years
0:25:59 > 0:26:01and we would have meetings, finance meetings,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03and we would laugh and say,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06if we ever needed money, we'll sell the picture.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08I think we will take this to a major saleroom in London,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12see what they think and we get it put into a specialist sale,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14a photograph and print sale. Are you happy with that?
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Yes, that's really good.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Angela was accompanied to the auction by Mercedes,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23the school's headmistress.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25It's been catalogued at £4,000 - £6,000.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28We had a chat to the auctioneer yesterday,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30it's due to a lot of damage.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Whatever it brings, the students will be delighted.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39At 6,000. 6,500.
0:26:39 > 0:26:417,000. 7,000.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42Any more at 7?
0:26:42 > 0:26:46I have 7,500 ahead of you.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Will you go 8,000?
0:26:47 > 0:26:51At 8,000 on the telephone. My bidder's out.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55We are at £8,000 and selling, then.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- At 8,000, it's yours.- £8,000.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00- I can't believe it.- Well done.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08What we definitely needed to do and wanted to do
0:27:08 > 0:27:11was upgrade the IT equipment for sixth formers.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14The old computer facilities for the sixth form
0:27:14 > 0:27:17was a small cramped room with a few computers.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20But now we have a big area with more computers
0:27:20 > 0:27:23and there's always space to sit down and there's always a free computer.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25It's amazing. It's a transformation.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28The students are coming in, getting their heads down, working hard.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31They're able to do homework, able to do coursework.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33It's really useful to have the IT
0:27:33 > 0:27:36because, as well as the books that we have in the library,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39it's useful to have up-to-date information
0:27:39 > 0:27:41and interpretations of old texts.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43- £8,000!- We're very pleased.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45It was a positive experience.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50It was really good to see what happens behind the scenes as well.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55I would do it again. If we find anything else in the school we can sell, we would do it again.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Well, how about that? Two pioneers for the price of one.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Herschel the celebrated astronomer
0:28:07 > 0:28:10photographed by Julia Margaret Cameron,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14a devoted and dedicated pioneer to the art of photography.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18It just goes to show, always make sure you have a good look
0:28:18 > 0:28:21at your old photographs you've got knocking around.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23That's it for today's show. I hope you've enjoyed it.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Go out there, buy some antiques,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28have some fun and put some of this knowledge to good use.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31See you next time for more trade secrets.