0:00:04 > 0:00:08I'm in the heart of one of the most industrious cities in Britain.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12From steam engines to gas lights, to chocolates, buttons and bangles,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15they've all been produced here. And now it's our turn.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Today, "Flog It!" is made in Birmingham. Welcome to the show.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Birmingham's early wealth and reputation may be due
0:00:44 > 0:00:47to its place at the heart of the Industrial Revolution.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51But that's just one of its many claims to fame.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55These household names were all originally made in Birmingham.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Following the example of the city's inventive forebears,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03we'll be creating our own set of delicious moments
0:01:03 > 0:01:07and riveting historical insights as we delve into all of these bags
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and boxes brought along by this fantastic crowd here,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12outside Birmingham's Museum and Art Gallery.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13And, judging by the size of it,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16it looks like the whole neighbourhood has turned out.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Our experts today are the young at heart, Thomas Plant...
0:01:21 > 0:01:23- Oh, isn't that lovely? Is it by Schuco?- Yeah.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Brilliant, let's give you a sticker.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28..and the excitable Christina Trevanion.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31- I found one!- Oh, right.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32A Birmingham hallmark.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38So, with a quick look at some of the items outside, it's time to get this
0:01:38 > 0:01:41wonderful crowd inside and settled down ready for our valuation day.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46With a wealth of items being unpacked,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49there's plenty for our off-screen experts to take a look at.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Whilst they do, here's a quick look at what's coming up.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58In the show today, we've got mystery...
0:01:58 > 0:02:00- Well, I never noticed that before. - There you are.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01That's why you come to "Flog It!"
0:02:01 > 0:02:03..music...
0:02:03 > 0:02:04CLANGING
0:02:04 > 0:02:06..and mould.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10There would have been something that would have sandwiched it in-between...
0:02:10 > 0:02:12- Yeah, absolutely. To have actually created the bowl.- Yeah.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15So, stay tuned for all of that and much, much more.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21There's a huge crowd here today, and I love seeing
0:02:21 > 0:02:23if I can spot some gems before the experts decide
0:02:23 > 0:02:26what they're going to take to auction.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Can I just have a look at this camera? Because, look, look.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Here, there's a great example of great British craftsmanship.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Look at that. J Lancaster & Son,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40made right here in Birmingham.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43And there's its patent number, look at that. 1891.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45So, this is a late Victorian box camera.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Now, plenty of these have survived,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49but I'll tell you where the value is.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51It's in the bellows. It's a box bellows.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55If you pull this out, those bellows have to be in perfect condition.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Also, the lens, and that's very, very critical.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59If it's scratched, it's worthless.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02But this one's very clean, it's in very good condition.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- Kirsty, how did you come by this? - It was my father's.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08And was he a photographer or a collector?
0:03:08 > 0:03:10No, I think he got it from his dad, so...
0:03:10 > 0:03:12So, it's been in the family quite some time
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I just wonder if it took photographs of your family,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18you know, sort of three generations back, let's say.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- Possibly.- That would be quite amazing, wouldn't it?
0:03:20 > 0:03:22This one looks to be in perfect condition,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24and it's made of Cuban mahogany.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I mean, there's no expense spared. I think it's absolutely lovely.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29I think if you put this into auction,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- you might be looking at around £150-£250.- OK.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Because it's a lovely piece of kit for a photographer.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Photography items are highly collectable, so who knows?
0:03:38 > 0:03:40THEY LAUGH
0:03:46 > 0:03:50We've spread ourselves out in all directions in this fantastic museum.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52It's full of history, and it's full of inspiration,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and later on in the show, I cannot wait to explore it.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58But right now, let's catch up with our experts
0:03:58 > 0:04:02and let's take a closer look at what Thomas has just spotted.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- So, Anna, we met in the queue.- Yeah.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- So, in here is the fire engine we saw earlier.- Yeah.- By Schuco.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12It is unbelievably fabulous. Tell me, how have you had it?
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I've just had it on a shelf for the last five years.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17You know, it hasn't been doing anything.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- Not allowed to play with it.- You were never allowed to play with it? - No.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And I don't think my dad was ever allowed to play with it, either,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27- who I inherited it off.- Well, it looks pretty fresh. And it's so sad.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Toys are meant to be played with.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Definitely. And this one's so much fun.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- This Schuco fire engine, does it lift all the way out?- It does.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37- It's not strapped in?- No.- Look at that. So, it's a tin plate toy.
0:04:37 > 0:04:43Made by the Schuco company, a German company. This dates from about 1955.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- And would it have been sold in England?- Yes. Yeah, for sure.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50You've got to discount the war years a little bit.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was brought back especially for or...
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Well, it might have been. It might have been.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Schuco's a very popular make. Heinrich Muller was the founder.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04- He founded the company called Schuco in 1921.- Oh, wow.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Germany has a huge tradition of making great, great toys.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Trains, cars, and so you can see the workmanship in this,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13but what's great are the colours.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15- It's so bright!- They're the primary colours, aren't they?
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Those blues and the reds. And the little firemen, as well.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Yeah, they're brilliant.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22So, tell me, what's made you bring it here today?
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Well, it was left by my father so I've inherited it,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29but I'm getting married next year, so...
0:05:29 > 0:05:30- You're getting married?- Yeah.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- So every penny counts. - That's the one.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37So, when it comes to value, cos it's in such good condition,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40it hasn't been played with and it's got its original box,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44I think probably between, you know, £400-£600.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- 400-600?!- Is that enough?
0:05:46 > 0:05:48That's lovely! That'll pay for my wedding.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Oh, don't be so ridiculous. Weddings are expensive!- Not mine.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53THEY LAUGH
0:05:53 > 0:05:57- God!- I was thinking, like, 50 quid. I'm so happy.- No! No!- Wow.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01- Not at all! I'd reserve it at 300 so we don't give it away.- OK.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- Unfortunately, you can't call it mint.- No.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04- You can call it excellent.- Yeah.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I love all the different movements it's got, where you can...
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- Does that wind up? Look at that.- Wind it up.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13But I think, as it's not been played with, we should leave it alone.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- So, we'll see you at the auction. - Yeah, definitely.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19And I'd be really, really happy if we help you have a fabulous,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23- fabulous day. Cos it's the best day...- Yeah.- ..of your life, really.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- See you at the auction. - Wonderful, thank you.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29That will be a showpiece for anyone's collection.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Now, Christina has chosen a historic industrial gallery
0:06:33 > 0:06:35for her first valuation.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38So, Rachel, we're surrounded in this beautiful gallery with these
0:06:38 > 0:06:41beautiful Victorian 19th-century pieces.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44We're moving slightly more into the 20th century here.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49We've got this Art Deco light which is just screaming 1930s at me.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Where's it come from?
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Well, it was my mother's. We don't know the origin.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56She may have had it when she was younger.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- She died last year, she was 98.- Right.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02But it could have been from one of the many sales that my mother
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and father used to go to when I was younger.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07So, when you say sales, did they go to auctions?
0:07:07 > 0:07:08Well, they went to auctions
0:07:08 > 0:07:12and I think they went to auctions at house clearance sales.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- Oh, brilliant, when they were really, really good ones.- Well, yes.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I love it. I mean, it's really, really fab.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Do you remember it in Mum's house?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Myself and my two sisters can only remember it being in the bathroom.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- In the bathroom?- Yeah.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And I'm assuming that the only two-pin plug that she had
0:07:28 > 0:07:30in the house - the shaving socket.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32That's right. Yes, yes.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- I think that's wonderful. - That was my mum.- Bless her.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38If we look at the piece, it is screaming Art Deco at us, isn't it?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40And, I think, really quite endearing.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44So, we've got this wonderful sort of tableau here of this fawn and snail.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Now, I think, in sort of folklore like Aesop's Fables, there was
0:07:47 > 0:07:49a wonderful story about the fawn and the snail,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52very similar to The Tortoise And The Hare, and who got there first.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55And I think it's probably representative of that.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59- It's made from spelter, this little section here.- What's spelter?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Spelter is an alloy, it's a base metal alloy.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It's used quite profusely instead of bronze. OK?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Now, spelter was known as the poor man's bronze.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11So, sadly, if it were bronze, it would be very, very valuable.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14But it's not. And we can tell it's spelter. If you have a little look
0:08:14 > 0:08:17at the back of the deer, that's been gilded, and we can see
0:08:17 > 0:08:21the spelter underneath which is more of a grey pewter colour.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24So often with these Art Deco spelter or bronze figures,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27they are just bronzes, they're statues, effectively.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31But the added bonus of this one is that, underneath this glass sphere,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34is a light fitting, isn't it? Which, obviously, Mum used.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Do you remember it ever working?
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- I think I looked at it just to see if it worked.- And did it work?
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- I think it did work.- Oh, did it?! Oh, fantastic.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45But being in the bathroom, I thought, well...
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Not the safest of things.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51So often with these things, you find that this has become separate.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53So, the fact that we've still got this is wonderful.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57And the fact that the wonderful sort of mottled greeny-white tones
0:08:57 > 0:09:01have been echoed in this painting of this foliage here is really lovely.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04It all sort of ties it all together. Do you like it?
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I can appreciate the beauty and the work that's gone into it
0:09:07 > 0:09:11- but it's not really my style.- What sort of idea do you have on value?
0:09:11 > 0:09:16Well, I was advised by a website
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- that the valuation would be about £120.- Oh, gosh.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22That sounds very steep to me.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26I think £120 would be an appropriate retail valuation for it.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28So, if it were to go into a shop window.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31It wouldn't sell at that sort of level in an auction house.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36- I mean, £40-£60, how does that sound to you?- Yes, I think that's OK.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40- Is that all right?- Yeah. - With a reserve of £40.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43I think it stands a really good chance of selling at that.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46I'm sorry not to match your expectations of 120
0:09:46 > 0:09:48but we do have to be realistic.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- Don't worry. That's fine.- Super.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- It'll be an experience, won't it? - It will be an experience, exactly.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- So, let's look forward to the auction.- I will do.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59That is a come-and-buy-me estimate for a charming piece.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And I'm sure it's bound to attract the bidders. Now it's my turn.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Maggie... I recognise these straightaway.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08- A set of team bells for a heavy horse.- That's right.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It's an early warning system, really -
0:10:10 > 0:10:12"Jingle, jingle, here come the horses,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14"they're coming down the dusty track.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16"Get out the way, they can't see you!"
0:10:16 > 0:10:19I'd say this set of four bells dates back to the early 1900s,
0:10:19 > 0:10:20possibly 1900.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22How did you come by them?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- I collect bells.- Do you?- Yes. I like animal bells.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29I like farm bells and I've got all sorts of big ones and small ones.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- But I can't display these properly. - Do you play bells at all?
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- Like handbells in a church?- Well, I am a professional musician.- You are?
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- So, you're not a campanologist, you're not a bell ringer?- No.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- What instrument, not bells? - Percussion.- Percussion. Oh, right.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- So, percussion cowbells, yeah?- Yes.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46So, what have you done with them?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Well, they've been parked by a big grandfather clock
0:10:49 > 0:10:51and I think I'm not really enjoying these bells
0:10:51 > 0:10:55and I'm downloading, I'm getting to be an old bat now.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56So... LAUGHTER
0:10:56 > 0:10:59I want to shift things out.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02I live in Wiltshire and there's lots of pubs in my local area that
0:11:02 > 0:11:06have this kind of thing around the bar as pub decoration, but authentic
0:11:06 > 0:11:09pub decoration, because that's a great part of our social history.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12And I know there are plenty of people that collect this
0:11:12 > 0:11:15early sort of heavy horse memorabilia. There really is.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17How much did you pay for these?
0:11:17 > 0:11:19It was just over 200, I can't really remember but
0:11:19 > 0:11:24- I think it was at an antiques fair. - I think you got good value for money.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25- Yeah, I think I did.- I really do.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Four bells, you know, it's £50 each, it's well presented.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32It's a stand, it's been mounted for you as a decorative object.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33And now ready to go, so...
0:11:33 > 0:11:37If you want to sell them, hopefully, we'll get your money back.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Let's put a valuation of £200-£250 on these.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- Can we have a 10% discretion on that?- Of course.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I don't think we'll need it, but just to tempt bidders in.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50If we're one bid under, we'll be able to sell it at £180.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53I tell you what, we've got to let everybody hear them ring.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Let me just lift this out. Ready?
0:11:57 > 0:11:58CLANGING
0:12:01 > 0:12:06Now, can you imagine a team of, let's say, two heavy horses
0:12:06 > 0:12:09coming down an old dusty track pulling a hay wagon?
0:12:09 > 0:12:10I mean, the noise!
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- You'd definitely get out of the way, wouldn't you?- Yes.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15And someone else with a good eye -
0:12:15 > 0:12:17very handy in the antiques business -
0:12:17 > 0:12:19is Christina.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21So, Roger, we're here in the Industrial Gallery,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25and we're surrounded by all this beautiful ornate metalwork here.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- Yes.- Isn't it gorgeous? - Yes, it's absolutely splendid.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30And how appropriate that you've brought this beautiful piece of
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- metalwork in to show me.- Thank you. - Where's it come from?
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Well, I acquired it off somebody's house
0:12:35 > 0:12:37where the lady had passed away,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41and I got the family's permission to take it and keep it.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45- Awww, that's nice, OK. - And I've had it about six years.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47- So, relatively recently, really, then.- Yeah.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49So what attracted you to it?
0:12:49 > 0:12:53The enamel and the candle still in the holder,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55which I think makes it more attractive.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58It does. I think it's not British.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- I think it came from France.- Mmm.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02It probably dates to the late 19th century,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06and I think this enamelwork on it is really particularly lovely.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09I mean, I see a lot of silver-plated chamber sticks
0:13:09 > 0:13:10which, frankly, are a bit dull.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13And you can... You know, before we had electricity,
0:13:13 > 0:13:14before we had electric light,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17obviously you needed chamber sticks to be able to see. We didn't have
0:13:17 > 0:13:21the convenience of just being able to flip on a light switch, did we?
0:13:21 > 0:13:23This one is like a shining light
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- in the chamber sticks of chamber sticks, isn't it?- Yes.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- To have this enamel on it is really beautiful.- Yeah.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32And I think the thing that really attracted me to it is,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35not only has it got its candleholder here, the sconce,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37we've also got the vesta holder here.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40So, you would have had your matches in there,
0:13:40 > 0:13:41and the strike on there,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44so that when you were carrying around your lantern, obviously,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47or your chamber stick in the dark, if it went out,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50you'd obviously have your supply of vestas on there.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Now, I've often seen mantel clocks
0:13:52 > 0:13:55with this sort of champleve enamel technique on.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57You don't often see chamber sticks.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01The technique of champleve enamelling is very, very similar
0:14:01 > 0:14:03to what we call cloisonne enamel.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05And that's made, basically, like a stained glass window,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- so you would have wirework... - Yes, I know.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11..separating the different pools of enamel, whereas champleve enamel,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14they would hollow out wells and then fill them with enamel
0:14:14 > 0:14:16and then fire them.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18So, similar techniques, different names.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21- I think it's a lovely thing. - Thank you.
0:14:21 > 0:14:22If you can imagine it being used,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25it wouldn't just be your standard chamber stick.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26If we say upstairs and downstairs,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28it would have been an "upstairs" item
0:14:28 > 0:14:29rather than a "downstairs" item.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30It's a really beautiful thing.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33And, originally, it would have cost a lot of money.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35How much do you think it's worth?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Well, I haven't a clue, but what I've thought about is,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40something like at least £30.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43£30. Yeah, I think that's about fair, yeah.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47I would put somewhere in the region of £40-£60,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- maybe £50-£70 on a good day.- Yes.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- So, are we happy at £40-£60? - Yes, thank you.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57- Reserve of £40. We'll put it forwards for auction.- Yes.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- And, hopefully, we'll get a really good result for you.- OK, thank you.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05It's time for me to take the opportunity
0:15:05 > 0:15:06for a look around the area.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21Situated just outside of Birmingham,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23perfectly set in its own Grade I grounds, is Hagley Hall.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Complete with its own church and cricket pitch,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29it's a world unto its own.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32The Hagley estate has been in the same family
0:15:32 > 0:15:35for an astonishing 15 generations ever since 1558,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38when Sir John Lyttelton purchased the land.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43For the next 450 years
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and for all the momentous events in the country's history during that time,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49this green and pleasant patch of England
0:15:49 > 0:15:51has been home to this ancient family.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55The present house as we see it today
0:15:55 > 0:15:59was built in the 1750s by George, first Lord Lyttelton,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02who was secretary to the Prince of Wales
0:16:02 > 0:16:04and briefly Chancellor of the Exchequer.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Now, this was the era of the Grand Tour -
0:16:07 > 0:16:10where young men finished their education in Europe,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14returning back to England with a passion for all things Classical.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18And in architecture, that meant the Palladian style,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21of which Hagley is the perfect example.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24In fact, Hagley was the last great Palladian house
0:16:24 > 0:16:26to be built in this country.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32George and his family were among the elite of British aristocracy
0:16:32 > 0:16:34and, as such, held privileged positions
0:16:34 > 0:16:37in the royal courts of the ruling monarchy.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Hagley's austere, almost plain exterior
0:16:41 > 0:16:45couldn't be more opposite to what greets you when you enter the house.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49It's a riot of decorative ornamentation everywhere you look.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53It's like walking into a confectionery box of architectural detail.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The bas relief panel above this magnificent chimneypiece
0:16:56 > 0:16:58is something to behold.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01That's a copy of a baroque oil painting,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04but all of that panel has been achieved with plaster casts
0:17:04 > 0:17:07and carving in that plaster as it's setting.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09It's quite an incredible technique
0:17:09 > 0:17:13and that's been done by the Italian stuccadore Francesco Vassalli.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17We know he did it because it's signed, which is very rare.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18Little is known about Vassalli,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21but he must have been at the top of his game -
0:17:21 > 0:17:23well known throughout Italy,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26well known enough to be brought over here to do that one panel
0:17:26 > 0:17:29which cost 50 quid back in 1759.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31We know it cost £50
0:17:31 > 0:17:34because there's an inventory for it in Lord Lyttelton's accounts.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36It is quite incredible.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I'll take a closer look because to appreciate this sort of thing,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40you have to see the light and shade,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42the undercuts in the plaster,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44which depicts Pan winning the love of Diana
0:17:44 > 0:17:47with this snow-white fleece.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Look at the fleece! The whole thing's almost moving.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Can you see it? It just makes it look real.
0:17:51 > 0:17:57It comes alive, that whole panel jumps out to you. Very impressive.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Something else that grabs your attention,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05on the opposite wall to the fireplace, is this large roundel.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07If you have a look at the figure, that's Cybele,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09the goddess of fertility.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12But she's been crowned with a castle on her head.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14I didn't know what that was about,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17but apparently she's the protector of the house.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19And it would have been this room
0:18:19 > 0:18:22where Lord Lyttelton first greeted his guests
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and to celebrate the completion of the house in 1760,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27he held a three-day house-warming party
0:18:27 > 0:18:31and it seemed like the whole county was invited.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33You could imagine the scene, arriving here,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37glittering evening gowns full of silver and gold thread
0:18:37 > 0:18:41sparkling in the candlelight, fine wine and conversation
0:18:41 > 0:18:45as if you've been transported to a different realm.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53And you enter the saloon,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57this is where all the entertaining would have taken place.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00The decoration has been stepped up a gear.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02All the family portraits
0:19:02 > 0:19:05have been framed with these garlands and swags,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09dripping down the wall with architectural detail.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13And the ceiling with the putti flying around in the clouds.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16This is more free-flowing Rococo,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21some of the finest plaster relief work I have ever seen in any country house in England.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28'This is the drawing room,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31'unaltered since Lord Lyttelton's original design,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35'and enjoying the sumptuous surroundings is the current custodian,
0:19:35 > 0:19:36'the 12th Viscount Cobham.'
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Lord Cobham, you inherited the house several years ago when your brother died,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46so you're now responsible in maintaining this house and the grounds.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48What's been the greatest challenge for you?
0:19:48 > 0:19:52Oh, in a way, trying to find out all the details about the wretched family,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54which I knew nothing about when I came here
0:19:54 > 0:19:58and then tackling the maintenance that hadn't been done for a while.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59The conservation...
0:19:59 > 0:20:01The conservation on the roof,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03the stonework on the house was a major problem.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05We're sitting in this room
0:20:05 > 0:20:09which really is the culmination of the first Lord Lyttelton's interior design tastes.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Was the room designed for the tapestries?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Because looking at the borders, they're not cut down at all.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17No, they predate the house by about 25 years.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20In fact, they date back to, I think, 1725
0:20:20 > 0:20:22and the house was finished in 1760.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24So, the walls...
0:20:24 > 0:20:27The walls and the whole room was designed around them
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and George put pictures into the room so it was his showpiece.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33It really does flow, the whole thing,
0:20:33 > 0:20:34right through to the mirror frames.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39It does and I believe that the whole room was designed around the hoho birds,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42which reflected in the mirror over the...
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- You can see, that's typical of Chippendale.- Yes, indeed.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47On the cresting of the mirrors, that hoho bird,
0:20:47 > 0:20:51- and it's picked up in the tapestries.- It is.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Let's talk about the completion of the house in 1760
0:20:54 > 0:20:56and that three-day house-warming party.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- That must have been some bash. - I think it was.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03George was a far worse entertainer than he was a builder
0:21:03 > 0:21:09cos he tried to rank everybody invited according to their relative status and wealth,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13which was rather like trying to start on Debrett's from nothing.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Apparently, the party developed into an absolute shambles
0:21:16 > 0:21:19while everyone decided that they were seated
0:21:19 > 0:21:21either above or below where they should have been
0:21:21 > 0:21:24and Thomas, his son, who was known in the family as Naughty Tom,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27failed to dance with the lady with whom he was meant to be dancing with,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29who was a most important lady.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30Cos it's all about etiquette, isn't it?
0:21:30 > 0:21:35Absolutely, but he decided there was a far better girl that he had found in one of the local villages
0:21:35 > 0:21:38that he was going to start the dance with, which he did.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42So, it was quite a party, but not entirely as George had wanted,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44I think, is probably the way to put it.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- Was he the black sheep of the family, the son?- He was.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51He was clever, intelligent, bright, but he also was a hedonist.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53He loved his ladies and loved gambling.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56He was, I think, quite spoiled by George.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Very unfortunately, he went very much to the bad.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00What happened, eventually?
0:22:00 > 0:22:07Supposedly, he was visited by a bird in his room who told him
0:22:07 > 0:22:11that if he didn't mend his ways, three days hence at midnight, he'd die.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14So he asked his pals and girls around for the night
0:22:14 > 0:22:17and they thought it'd be funny to move the clock forward an hour
0:22:17 > 0:22:20so when he was still hale and hearty, but not on tremendous form,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24at 11 o'clock reading 12 o'clock,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- they departed and he was found dead in his bed the next morning.- Gosh.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32And that was actually a well known supposed ghost story
0:22:32 > 0:22:36that ran through the 18th and 19th century.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47Horace Walpole, the 18th-century man of letters and extraordinary wit,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49was a good friend of Lord Lyttelton's
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and he visited Hagley Hall shortly after it was finished
0:22:53 > 0:23:00and he wrote, "I wore my eyes out with gazing, my feet with climbing and my tongue with commending,"
0:23:00 > 0:23:04and I know exactly how he felt after being inside.
0:23:04 > 0:23:10Hagley Hall is the perfect time capsule of 18th-century Rococo decoration.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Let's have a quick recap of what we're taking to auction.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28If Anna's going to make it to church on time, her fire engine
0:23:28 > 0:23:31needs to pull out all its stops to attract the bidders.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39Will Rachel's lamp run away as swift as a deer or as slow as a snail?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44And if we ring them loud enough, I'm sure Maggie's horse bells
0:23:44 > 0:23:46should attract campanologists from far and wide.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51'Christina lit up Roger's day
0:23:51 > 0:23:54'with the history of his enamel chamber stick,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57'but will it have the same effect in the saleroom?
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Right, the moment we've all been waiting for, it is auction time.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Anything could happen. You know the score, so don't go away.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Well, this is what it's all about, the saleroom is filling up.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12Just look at this.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15And on the rostrum, we'll have our very own expert Nick Davies
0:24:15 > 0:24:18auctioneering today. So, fingers crossed everything will fly.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I'm feeling nervous for our owners right now. They're down that end.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25I'm going to catch up with them and we'll get on with our first lot.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30The commission in today's sale is 21% for buyers and 18% for sellers.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I absolutely love this next lot. It's my favourite in the sale.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37It's that little Schuco fire engine and it belongs to Anna,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- and we're selling this because of your...- Wedding!
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- Up-and-coming wedding. You need every penny, don't you?- We do.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Good luck with that.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- Thank goodness you've got a Schuco fire engine to sell.- I know!
0:24:47 > 0:24:48That's what I say.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Yes, because that's going to fetch big money, I'm hoping for top,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- top estimate on that.- Oh, I wish it would make top, top money.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- I really do.- We're going to put it to the test right here, right now.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59This is it, good luck.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02The 1950s battery operated Schuco fire engine.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06There it is, in very good condition. With the outer box, as well.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10We can open this one at £290 and 300 I look for in the room. 290 with me.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12300 now. 300 and a hand up, got you at 300, sir.
0:25:12 > 0:25:18- Do I see 310 anywhere else? At £300 I've got, 310 anywhere else?- 310.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- Gentleman's bid at £300, last chance at 310.- 310.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22Are we all sure and done?
0:25:22 > 0:25:27- Gentleman in the leather jacket at £300, all done?- Yes!- Oh!
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- That's money towards that wedding! - That's fantastic.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31- That's brilliant, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- That's most of the wedding paid for now.- Good luck.- Oh, brilliant.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39- Where are you getting married? - In my fiance's parents' garden.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44- Oh, are you?!- Yeah.- Oh, well, that's a smart move. Smart move.- In a tent.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- It'll be lovely.- I'm sure it will. In the summer?- Yeah.- Yes.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- Oh, enjoy it.- Thank you.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54It's nice to know "Flog It!" is contributing to Anna's big day.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Where weddings are concerned, every little penny helps.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Going under the hammer right now, we've got an Art Deco lamp
0:26:00 > 0:26:03belonging to Rachel, and not for much longer, I don't think.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I like this. Why are you selling it?
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Well, it doesn't really go with our house.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- You haven't got the Deco look everywhere?- No.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- We've got a much older house, so... - So, it's just out of period, really.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18- Yeah, yeah.- Will it get the top end? - I hope so.- Yeah, so do I.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19It's so stylish.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23I'd say quintessentially of its time that there will be collectors
0:26:23 > 0:26:25- that want it. - Good luck, this is it.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27The Art Deco table lamp, there we are, with the fawn
0:26:27 > 0:26:30and the marble effect sphere. Rather nice example.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32£90 straight in takes all underbidders out.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- Oh, brilliant!- Very good.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35- Fantastic.- Come on.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38£90 bid will take it on commission, taking all the underbidders out.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40£90, 95 anywhere else?
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Gosh, well, that certainly exceeded my expectations. Wow.
0:26:43 > 0:26:4695, your last chance. £90, I'm selling...
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Maiden bid, first bid in. - Brilliant.- Yeah.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- So, that means you must have had two commission bids, yeah.- Yes.- Ah.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- So, congratulations, that's fantastic.- Well done. Well done.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57Thank you so much.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- You see, there's always a market out there.- Yeah.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01That's the good thing about an auction room,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- they will find that buyer for you. - Yeah.- Well, good luck.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- I've really enjoyed the experience. - Oh, good, I'm so pleased.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Swift like the deer, just one discerning buyer.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Now, can I continue our winning streak?
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Oh, the bells, the bells, the bells, the bells,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20I hear them ringing right now.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Yes, it's my valuation and, you've guessed it,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I've just been joined by Maggie. Who was a percussionist
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- for the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, weren't you?- Yes.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29You were. You know how to play, my girl.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And only a percussionist could collect bells, really.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Hopefully they will sell. Let's cross our fingers. Here we go.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Horse bells, there we are. They play a lovely tune
0:27:38 > 0:27:40and we can open those at 180.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41I look for 190 in the room.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43190 for the horse bells.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47At £180 now. Anybody coming in at 190 for the horse bells?
0:27:47 > 0:27:49No interest in the horse bells. £190.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- Anyone coming in for the horse bells?- No, no, no!
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Sell them!- Nobody got a horse? Can't help you with that, no?
0:27:55 > 0:27:57We'll move on then, I'm afraid. They'll stay here.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Sadly, they didn't sell.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01But I kind of had a hunch.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I know they're worth that sort of money but we should have pitched it
0:28:04 > 0:28:08- a bit lower to encourage people to get in there.- Yes.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11A disappointing performance, but I'm sure they'll receive
0:28:11 > 0:28:14a more appreciative reception on another day.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22- Roger, why are you selling this? - Well, I don't need it.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24- OK.- I was lucky.
0:28:24 > 0:28:31I told you it was given to me about five years ago.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34If we get the estimate, it's worth every penny of that.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35Well, it's difficult.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38The enamel has got really beautiful colours, hasn't it, Roger?
0:28:38 > 0:28:41It's a nice thing. How useful it is, I don't know.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Good luck, both of you. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Enamel candle holder, there we are.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50It's got a stamp compartment underneath, a sweet little thing.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52£40 for it? Quickly, for this one.
0:28:52 > 0:28:5535 then, no interest at 35?
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- Oh, come on, bid, bid, bid!- There's a guy down the front he's missed.
0:28:59 > 0:29:0240. 42? £40 on the second row, at £40 it'll be.
0:29:02 > 0:29:0442 anywhere else?
0:29:04 > 0:29:07- At £40... - Oh, I think that's it, Roger.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09- We've done it, Roger, well done! - Thank you! We've done it.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Gosh, that was close. I was getting really worried.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15It would have been awfully sad if that didn't sell for 40 quid.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18- Absolutely.- Cos of all the work that involved.- Very good.- You pleased?
0:29:18 > 0:29:22- Yes, I am, thank you.- Good for you. Thank you for bringing that in. - OK, goodbye.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31We are coming back here later on in the programme, so don't go away,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33because this could get very exciting.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Now, Birmingham is well known for its industrial past and its
0:29:37 > 0:29:41jewellery trade, but it's not that well known as an artistic hot spot.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44But if you take a closer look at some of the art in the city's
0:29:44 > 0:29:47museum, it can reveal some world-class talent.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49I went to investigate.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Among its many works of art, the museum houses the largest
0:29:58 > 0:30:03collection of Pre-Raphaelite works on display anywhere in the world.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05And that's thanks to one of its first curators,
0:30:05 > 0:30:09who started collecting the works by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
0:30:09 > 0:30:11well before the museum opened.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13The Pre-Raphaelites were a group of young
0:30:13 > 0:30:17and rebellious Victorian artists who met at university.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20They formed a brotherhood. They wanted to create something new,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24something dynamic that would provoke the attention of the general public.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28They were frustrated by the outdated formulaic works being produced
0:30:28 > 0:30:31by the so-called art establishment of the day.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Their work drew inspiration from myths and legends,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Keats and Shakespeare.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39And it's known for its brilliance and vivid colour.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Inspired by the simpler and more direct style
0:30:45 > 0:30:49of 15th-century painting and its colours,
0:30:49 > 0:30:54their paintings depict a world of intense feeling, poetry and passion.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Now, this is possibly one of the most iconic
0:30:59 > 0:31:02and recognisable images of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05It's painted by Rossetti and it's titled Proserpine.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09It is Jane Morris, who Rossetti was in love with.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Jane was married to William Morris and she found William cold
0:31:12 > 0:31:13and unattentive.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17It was an open relationship that went on for quite a few decades.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19And this is painted at Kelmscott,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23where he was staying with the couple at their home in around 1882.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24And it's full of symbolism.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27You can see the pomegranate, that's the fruit of Hades.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28She's taken a small bite from it,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31which means she can never return to Earth.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34The incense burner, that's an attribute of the goddess, as well.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37And when you look at the decorative quality of the picture,
0:31:37 > 0:31:41with all the folds in the velvet, you can see it's really accentuated.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44The ivy also is a symbolism of somebody clinging on,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47somebody never wanting to let go.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49And you can see this with Rossetti's work.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52He was so in love with Jane Morris.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53I absolutely love this.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59These galleries are a masterclass in the art of the Pre-Raphaelites
0:31:59 > 0:32:00and well worth a visit.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02But for the locals,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05it's this gallery which is the highlight of the collection.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11This room is devoted to the art of Edward Burne-Jones,
0:32:11 > 0:32:15a native to the city, who was born here in 1833.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Indisputably, Birmingham's most famous artist.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Burne-Jones was a devoted student of Rossetti
0:32:20 > 0:32:23and he shared the same Pre-Raphaelite obsession with
0:32:23 > 0:32:26medieval and mythical imagery.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28And with this interest in religious content,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32he soon developed his own moodily atmospheric style.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37One work of art which really dominates this room is this,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39The Star Of Bethlehem.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42It was completed by Burne-Jones in 1890
0:32:42 > 0:32:45and first exhibited here in 1891.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47But because of its huge scale, really,
0:32:47 > 0:32:51to appreciate this, you have to get back to about here,
0:32:51 > 0:32:57where I'm standing now, to turn round and see its incredible detail.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Now, what's surprising about this is it is in fact a watercolour.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02And it's so typical of the Pre-Raphaelites.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06It's the Nativity scene set in the Middle Ages.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09And one of the three Wise Men, as you can see, the one in the middle,
0:33:09 > 0:33:13is a knight, and the angel is holding the Star of Bethlehem.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17I absolutely love that. That dominates the centre of the picture.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20It really draws you in, amongst all this Gothic gloominess
0:33:20 > 0:33:25and these wonderful elongated figures, so typical of Burne-Jones.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29Yet, Jones has still retained a wonderful
0:33:29 > 0:33:31sense of spirituality here.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Burne-Jones was also an illustrator and designer,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39working closely with his friend, William Morris.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41They shared the same love of honest work
0:33:41 > 0:33:46and appreciation for the exquisite craftsmanship of the Middle Ages.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Ideals that formed the basis of the Arts and Crafts movement.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Towards the end of the century, Burne-Jones was firmly
0:33:56 > 0:33:58established as an elder statesman of the arts,
0:33:58 > 0:34:00whilst the next generation of young artists
0:34:00 > 0:34:05at the Birmingham School of Art were creating a buzz all of their own.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08They were inspired by Burne-Jones, the Pre-Raphaelites
0:34:08 > 0:34:11and the Arts and Crafts movement, and their fresh,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14distinctive work gained the art world's attention.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17They included Arthur and Georgie Gaskin,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20a pioneering husband-and-wife team who injected
0:34:20 > 0:34:25a breath of creative air into the craft of jewellery making.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29And their exquisite handcrafted pieces rapidly gained them
0:34:29 > 0:34:33a reputation for beautiful high-quality jewellery.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37The museum has one of the largest collections of Gaskin's work in the country,
0:34:37 > 0:34:41and I've come behind the scenes to the conservation lab to meet up
0:34:41 > 0:34:44with curator Martin Ellis to find out a little bit more.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Martin, thank you for getting a lot of these things out for me on display.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52I particularly like the early photographs. They are documents of early social history.
0:34:52 > 0:34:53Arthur was a teacher,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55so tell me a bit about his teaching principles.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56He was a great teacher.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59He was a great artist, he was a great illustrator,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02and he was teaching at Birmingham School of Art,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05and then Georgie became a pupil, which is how they met.
0:35:05 > 0:35:06How did that relationship develop
0:35:06 > 0:35:10and what sort of division of work did they do?
0:35:10 > 0:35:15Well, she was his pupil, that's how their romance blossomed, I suppose.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19They married in 1894, and from then on, really,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22they worked very closely together, firstly as illustrators
0:35:22 > 0:35:27and then they decided to turn their hand to jewellery manufacture.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Georgie seems to have been the designer.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34Arthur carried those designs out to a level where they could be produced,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38but they both clearly works on their designs together.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Very much the Arts and Crafts ethos, really.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Very much the Arts and Crafts ethos.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45And working as a collective with other artists?
0:35:45 > 0:35:50Yes, one of the great strengths of Arthur being such a successful
0:35:50 > 0:35:53teacher, he had a pool of highly-skilled students
0:35:53 > 0:35:58that he could draw on, and they started off in a very limited way.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01And this is a relatively early piece from about 1900,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and it's the enamel that gives it its life and vitality.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08The basic structure is a pretty simple wire structure.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13True to William Morris's ethos, really, the whole Arts and Crafts ethos.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18That's right, and in their work, to master your materials,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20to use your hand and your eye
0:36:20 > 0:36:24and your skill in the production of beautiful work
0:36:24 > 0:36:27was fundamentally important.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31Jewellery which is led not by precious material but by designers.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36- It's using silver rather than gold, it's using...- It's unpretentious.
0:36:36 > 0:36:37They were unpretentious.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Looking at these photographs, you can see
0:36:39 > 0:36:42they weren't just practitioners, they where believers in what they did.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44- Exactly. - They lived the life, as it were.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48Thank you for showing me this, because that really is a unique window back in time,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51looking at all of this and seeing the jewellery with the photographs.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55- That's so important and that's what we call in the trade provenance. - It is provenance
0:36:55 > 0:36:58and a window back to an extraordinary time.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01And their work needs to be better known, I think.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03- They need to be celebrated more. - Yes.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08Yes, remember those names - Arthur and Georgie Gaskin,
0:37:08 > 0:37:12whose great talent restored the reputation for exquisitely
0:37:12 > 0:37:15designed affordable jewellery made in Birmingham.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28We're back now at the museum for our second lot of valuations.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30We've got a brilliant crowd here, loads of happy faces.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33- They're all enjoying themselves, aren't you?- ALL: Yes!
0:37:33 > 0:37:37That's what it's all about. And we're surrounded by fine art and antiques
0:37:37 > 0:37:39and history in this amazing building.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43So let's hope we can step up to the plate and find some gems of our own.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Let's catch up with our experts
0:37:45 > 0:37:47and see what else we can take off to auction.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52- Hello, Jane.- Hello.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57You've brought along this rather well-written book with handwriting.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00- Yes.- Which is fabulous. Where is it from?
0:38:00 > 0:38:04It's been in the family, as far as I know, going back to my grandparents,
0:38:04 > 0:38:06but I don't know anything about it before then
0:38:06 > 0:38:08and it's just come down through the family.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Is it something you've been conscious of?
0:38:11 > 0:38:12Now and then.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15My theory on the actual piece
0:38:15 > 0:38:18is it's almost like an exercise book. 1860s, 1870s.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23Translations, writing, is a very good way of learning.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26And this might have been done by a woman,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28because they weren't schooled properly, were they?
0:38:28 > 0:38:32It's funny, but I've always thought it was by a man. I don't know why.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36I don't know, I mean, I'm here slightly playing devil's advocate.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38- There are two different hands.- Yes.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41We've got this readable script...
0:38:41 > 0:38:46- and then illegible.- Yes!- Well, not really, almost.- It's very difficult.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50It takes a long time to decipher when you're reading it.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55But interspersed in this are some wonderful watercolours
0:38:55 > 0:38:57to do with the actual script.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59- Yes.- This is rather marvellous,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01the brave man saving...
0:39:01 > 0:39:04with the baby there and another man on a horse.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05Almost looks like Sherlock Holmes.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09- Yeah. The Reichenbach Falls.- That's it, I was looking for the name!
0:39:09 > 0:39:12- Reichenbach Falls, where he and Moriarty had the scrap.- Yes.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- I think the lightning... - The lightning is good.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18- It's done by quite an accomplished hand.- The scale is good.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21- And it's so fine, isn't it? - Yes, it is good.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25And on the next page, you've got this lovely little poem.
0:39:25 > 0:39:26Well-written by the same hand.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30And it says here, "My life shall never for a price be sold.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32"Enough I have and I want no gold.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34"My portion give to these poor souls,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37"Whose all the black'ning surge now rolls."
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- These are lovely quotes. - Very flowing.- They're very flowing
0:39:40 > 0:39:43but they are also great quotes for modern day life.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47- "Enough I have and I want no gold." - I wish I could say that!
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Well, I mean, but holistically and spiritually, they probably had enough.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53- They don't need objects. - That what I feel about the book -
0:39:53 > 0:39:56there's a lot of spirituality in it, religion.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57- Yeah, I mean...- Parts of it.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00It's not being shoved down your throat.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- No.- That's what's quite nice about it. There's no God-fearing going on.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07There's another lovely watercolour here and it's dated 1829.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11- Well, I never noticed that!- That's why you come to "Flog It!". 1829.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13So I was wrong in saying Victorian.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18- I have never seen the date in there anywhere before.- Really? - No!
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- That's brilliant. - Isn't that marvellous?
0:40:20 > 0:40:22And at the very, very back of the book,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25there's more interesting letters.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28And here is a photograph from Japan!
0:40:28 > 0:40:31A hand-coloured photograph
0:40:31 > 0:40:34with all these geishas. Do you know anything about this?
0:40:34 > 0:40:38- No, nothing at all.- The whole thing is not that valuable...- No.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40- ..but it's lovely.- Yeah.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42- Would you be happy to put it to auction?- Yeah.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- And I would think it's worth £50-£80.- That's fine.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- And I'd reserve it at 40. - That was fun.- Good.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Hopefully, whoever buys this will discover more about its creator
0:40:53 > 0:40:56than we've been able to today.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Now, from the sublime to the unusual.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03Michael, on the programme, we see a lot of pottery and porcelain
0:41:03 > 0:41:05- and ceramics. We see an awful lot of it.- Yeah.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09Not so commonly do we get to see moulds of how things were made.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11- No, not at all. - So it's really lovely to see.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- It looks a bit random...- It is a bit random.- It is a bit random.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19And I thought, "Blimey, he's brought us a doorstop! That's kind!"
0:41:19 > 0:41:23- Yeah. It's heavy enough.- It's jolly heavy, isn't it?- It is, yeah.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Tell me where you got it from.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27I found it in a skip where someone was doing a house clearance
0:41:27 > 0:41:30in Stoke-on-Trent, and I went in and asked
0:41:30 > 0:41:34if I could have the item and he said, "Yeah, go for it."
0:41:34 > 0:41:38- And did you know when you saw it what it was?- Um, no.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40I saw some patterns on it, but until I took it home
0:41:40 > 0:41:44and did a bit of research on the wording, I didn't know what it was.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Well, the wonderful thing about it
0:41:46 > 0:41:49is that it pretty much says what it is.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52It's Totem, by Susan Williams- Ellis, Portmeirion Pottery,
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Stoke-on-Trent. Made in England.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58And from that, we can establish that this is a mould
0:41:58 > 0:42:01for a Portmeirion Totem patterned bowl.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05Now, the Totem pattern was launched in 1963,
0:42:05 > 0:42:08and it was designed by this lady, Susan Williams-Ellis,
0:42:08 > 0:42:13who basically bought the AE Gray factory in Stoke-on-Trent in 1960.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Now, she called it Portmeirion because her father,
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, was the man that built Portmeirion,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24- which is the Italianate village in North Wales.- Right.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26She worked in the gift shop at Portmeirion,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29because it became a bit of a tourist destination, and from that,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33her interest in porcelain and pottery and chinawares grew.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36So then she started designing her own wares.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39And if you look at some of the Totem pattern wares,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42they really are quite wacky and quite stylish.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44This is the Totem pattern,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47which has got these wonderful designs all over it.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50- Have you seen one of the bowls? - I've seen some of them, yeah.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54All different kinds of greeny colours and brown colours.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Absolutely, and so 1960s, aren't they? Really quite cool.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Unfortunately, we don't have any of the china itself, but we do have
0:43:00 > 0:43:03the mould, and I find the process of manufacture really interesting.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07It's interesting to see how it first originated
0:43:07 > 0:43:09and the clay would have gone over here
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and there would have been something that sandwiched it in between...
0:43:12 > 0:43:13Yeah, absolutely.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15- So you've actually created the bowl. - Yeah.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Unfortunately, as soon as these were deemed too worn -
0:43:19 > 0:43:21because there would have been hundreds, tens of hundreds
0:43:21 > 0:43:25of pieces made from this mould - they would dispose of it.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27And we can see that there is actually a flake on here
0:43:27 > 0:43:29and that's why it was disposed of.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31We've even got a date here.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33We've got the rubber section here and then a date,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36which says 16/5/69.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39So this was six or seven years after the introduction of the range
0:43:39 > 0:43:41- and it's still going strong.- Yeah.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45- Now, when did you find this in the skip?- A couple of years ago.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47- So relatively recently?- Yeah.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49- OK. Value-wise...- It's a tricky one, isn't it?
0:43:49 > 0:43:51It is a tricky one, yeah.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54I think I'm going to say 20-30 quid, no reserve.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57But I think for a skip salvage, you've done jolly well.
0:43:57 > 0:44:02- £20-£30 more than I got it for. - Brilliant, exactly. Well...
0:44:02 > 0:44:03Keep your fingers crossed.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06- Well done.- Thank you.
0:44:06 > 0:44:11What an unusual find, but I think this mould will really impress at the sale.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Now, while the valuations are in full swing,
0:44:13 > 0:44:17I've come to see one of the museum's most treasured objects.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Away from all of the lights, the camera and the action,
0:44:22 > 0:44:24the hubbub where the valuations are taking place,
0:44:24 > 0:44:29I've come deeper into the heart of the museum to the Buddha Gallery,
0:44:29 > 0:44:34and it's dominated by this one statue, the Sultanganj Buddha,
0:44:34 > 0:44:36and it has a wonderful story attached to it,
0:44:36 > 0:44:37which I'd like to tell you.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40It was discovered by a railway engineer
0:44:40 > 0:44:43working for the East India Company back in 1861.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46He saw a hand sticking out the ground
0:44:46 > 0:44:48and, after some careful excavation,
0:44:48 > 0:44:52this whole statue was revealed and it's quite remarkable
0:44:52 > 0:44:55to find something surviving from that age made of metal.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57This dates back to the seventh century.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00He would have been at the centre of an ancient Buddhist monastery,
0:45:00 > 0:45:02and if you're wondering what he's doing with his hands,
0:45:02 > 0:45:05the right hand's palm open in the air, that's a gesture of peace.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08The left hand opened outwards facing downwards,
0:45:08 > 0:45:12that's a gesture of giving, it's a blessing and he's beckoning you
0:45:12 > 0:45:15into the museum, and that's why he's situated here.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18You can spot him from 150 yards away,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20from that Rotunda Gallery, all the way down there,
0:45:20 > 0:45:23through the Industrial Gallery to this space, here,
0:45:23 > 0:45:24and as you walk through,
0:45:24 > 0:45:28he's calling you in and it has a really calming effect.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31I love him - that's real history.
0:45:39 > 0:45:45And the writing's on the wall for Thomas's next piece.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48Ann, tell us where this plaque has come from.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Well, I found it in the house when I moved into the house in 2001.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55- In the shed?- No, in the cupboard under the stairs.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58Cupboard under the stairs! Why did you bring it to "Flog It!" today?
0:45:58 > 0:46:01Just because I saw an article in the paper that "Flog It!" was coming here
0:46:01 > 0:46:04and I thought I'd see if I could find out any more about it.
0:46:04 > 0:46:10So, HB Sale Ltd, Progress Works, Summer Lane, Birmingham.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12- Do you know the company? - I don't know them at all.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15- It was established in 1862. - Oh, was it?
0:46:15 > 0:46:18- It's so lovely that it's such a local company.- Yes.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22And Birmingham has this huge history of making coins,
0:46:22 > 0:46:25making medals, metalwork.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28We can see what they made here - advertising novelties,
0:46:28 > 0:46:32art metalwork, badges, brands, bronze and enamel plates...
0:46:32 > 0:46:37- I mean, a real business.- It is, yes. - Probably roaring in the 1900s.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40- Yes.- I love this map here. - I do, too, yes.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42- Sweet, isn't it?- I love that, yes.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45- Do you know where we are relation to this map?- I do, yes.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Can you point it out to me, please?
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Yes. We've got to be up this way.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52So just round the corner.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56- Yes, that's right.- I like this local thing. It's bronze, isn't it?
0:46:56 > 0:46:59Is it really? I'm not sure. Bronze, copper...
0:46:59 > 0:47:02No, it's copper, isn't it, with this verdigris on here.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Who's going to buy it? This is the thing.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08A copper plaque in a sort of Deco Stepped style.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11- Yes.- There are a lot of people interested in local history. - There is, yes.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15Social historians, people who collect advertising material.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18This is a bit of a one-off. What's this worth?
0:47:18 > 0:47:19I don't think a great deal.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23A copper plaque from a firm advertising where we are
0:47:23 > 0:47:26and what we do.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29It says what it says on the tin. I think it's only worth £40-£60.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32- Are you happy with that?- I am, yes.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35- I think the copper is worth about that anyway.- Probably, yes.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38- And then we could reserve it at £20.- Yes.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40Half the estimate. I think that's very fair.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43- Are you happy?- I'll be happy with that, yes. Thank you much.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46- Look forward to seeing it at the auction.- Thank you.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48For Christina's final valuation,
0:47:48 > 0:47:52we go from one piece of local history to another.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56Lorna, you've brought in to us three albums stacked full of postcards.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59- Are there any of Birmingham? - Yes, there are.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02- These here.- Oh, fab! That's where we are now.- That's right, yes.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04Oh, brilliant.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07- These are early 20th century, aren't they?- I think they are about 1910.
0:48:07 > 0:48:12- OK, so they're really quite nice examples of postcard albums.- Yeah.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15- Where did they come from? - They were my mum's auntie's,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18and when they passed away, they came to my mum.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21And to be perfectly honest, they've just been in a box under the bed,
0:48:21 > 0:48:25not appreciated and only very rarely looked at.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27Was it Mum's auntie that collected the postcards?
0:48:27 > 0:48:29I think it was originally.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32When we look at postcard albums, the earlier the better.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34The ones you've got, as far as I can see,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36- all date to the early 20th century. - Yeah.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38I've had a bit of a flick through.
0:48:38 > 0:48:42We've got a few tourist ones, some greetings ones,
0:48:42 > 0:48:47but you have got some really lovely World War I examples,
0:48:47 > 0:48:48some silk ones.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52Can you tell me where they've come from?
0:48:52 > 0:48:54They were sent by my aunt's husband to the little girl.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57- I presume from when he was... - From the front line?- I think so.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59- From the war.- I think so.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02Because it's obviously a silk card, which has got the French flag
0:49:02 > 0:49:06and the Union Jack on there. And "God bless you", forget-me-nots.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10Terribly symbolic. And there's a lovely note on the back which says,
0:49:10 > 0:49:14"To my dear little Freda, with best wishes for a happy Christmas from
0:49:14 > 0:49:18"your grandad." And he's just put here, rather ambiguously,
0:49:18 > 0:49:19"Somewhere in France."
0:49:19 > 0:49:22- Yes.- So, obviously, he wasn't allowed to say where he was.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26So, some really, really lovely examples
0:49:26 > 0:49:30of what we term silk postcards.
0:49:30 > 0:49:36Now, 2014-2018 will commemorate the centenary of the First World War.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38So, we are anticipating that there will be quite
0:49:38 > 0:49:41a surge in interest, and silk postcards,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44especially sent from France and from the front line, is part of that.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47And I think of all the postcards you've got, and there is a
0:49:47 > 0:49:50really good selection, these are the ones that will add value.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53Unlike stamps, postcards were unregulated, so it's very difficult
0:49:53 > 0:49:58to say, unless they've been written on and dated, when they come from.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01- Yes.- So the market for postcards is quite difficult to gauge.- Right.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Having said that, I think there will be some value to it.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07What sort of ideas do you think on value of the three albums?
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Because I think we'd really be looking at putting them as one lot.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Well, I thought about £60 for the three.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15I think that seems a little bit mean.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19I would be happy to put them into an auction with an estimate of £100-£200.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24Yeah? That is really good. I'm pleased with that, yeah.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27We could be a little bit realistic and put a slightly lower reserve on,
0:50:27 > 0:50:29of £80. And I think it would be really interesting
0:50:29 > 0:50:33for collectors for these to go to places where they'd be really
0:50:33 > 0:50:36- appreciated, rather than lying under the bed.- Exactly.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39- Yeah, that's fine. - Brilliant. Excellent.
0:50:39 > 0:50:40Let's keep everything crossed.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43- OK, thank you. Thanks, Lorna. - Thank you very much.
0:50:46 > 0:50:51Well, that's it. You've just seen them, our experts' final choices of items to
0:50:51 > 0:50:54take off to auction, and I think there are some real gems there.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57I can't wait to find out what's going to happen.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00But sadly, it means we've got to say goodbye to our magnificent
0:51:00 > 0:51:03host location, Birmingham's Museum and Art Gallery.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06A building full of treasure and history.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08And let's hope we can make some history of our own as we go
0:51:08 > 0:51:12off to the auction room. And here's what's coming with us.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Jane's journal revealed a very talented ancestor,
0:51:16 > 0:51:19but the rest is shrouded in mystery.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26Michael's mould is one of the most unusual skip finds I've come across.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28He must have X-ray vision!
0:51:30 > 0:51:33And there's much more to this copper plaque than first meets the eye.
0:51:33 > 0:51:38It's a link to the city's 20th-century economic history.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42Lorna's postcard collection is so packed with history,
0:51:42 > 0:51:44it should have wide appeal.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51It's time to travel back to Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59First up is Jane's intriguing journal.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01We're ready to do battle in the saleroom right now
0:52:01 > 0:52:03and prove the pen is mightier than the sword with this
0:52:03 > 0:52:07early 19th-century handwritten journal belonging to Jane.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10- Isn't this exciting?- Yes! - A packed saleroom, Thomas.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Hundreds of people hopefully pushing that estimate through the roof.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17We've got £50-£80. I don't think you can put a value on this.
0:52:17 > 0:52:18And I want to know why you're selling it,
0:52:18 > 0:52:20because it's your own social history as well.
0:52:20 > 0:52:25It sits on a shelf, nobody looks at it, apart from once every ten years.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27- It's a shame.- Jane's right.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31You can't keep everything, and they don't love you back, these things. They're just objects.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33Well, let's find out what the bidders think, shall we? Here we go.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36Let's hand the proceedings over to Nick Davies.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40A 19th-century handwritten poetical journal, dated 1829.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43£80 takes the underbidders out, and there were a lot of them.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Do I see 85 anywhere in the room?
0:52:45 > 0:52:49- 85. 95. 100.- That is surprising.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52£100 on commission. Do I see 110 anywhere else?
0:52:52 > 0:52:55At £100, selling on commission. At £100, all done...
0:52:55 > 0:52:59It's gone. £100. That was quick - straight in, straight out.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03- I'm really surprised.- Someone valued it.- I'm really surprised.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06- That's great.- It's gone, but hopefully you've got other things.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10I mean, not just possessions but handwritten things, you know,
0:53:10 > 0:53:12- mementos like that.- Yes.- Have you?
0:53:12 > 0:53:15- I've got all my mum's letters she used to write to me.- Good.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19That's a good price for an original piece.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22Next, it's Michael's unusual piece of ceramic history.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24- Good luck, Michael.- Thank you.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27£20 is not a great deal of money for a bit of Portmeirion.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- This is a bit with a difference, though, isn't it?- It is.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33It was difficult to know where to pitch it, because it's really unusual.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37If I found that in a skip, I would go and get a lump of clay and pack it around...
0:53:37 > 0:53:41- That's right!- I'd pack it around it and see what happens.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44I'd make myself something, and I'm sure whoever buys it...
0:53:44 > 0:53:46- It's an industrial piece. - ..might have a go.- I hope so.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48I think it's a bit of fun. Obviously, you couldn't sell it.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51We're not saying go out and make something and sell it!
0:53:51 > 0:53:53- That wouldn't be allowed. - No, no, no.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56But I think what we've got is a little document of social history from Portmeirion.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- Yeah, and you don't get a lot of it, do you?- You don't. Good luck!
0:53:59 > 0:54:02- Thank you.- Social history going under the hammer.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Hopefully we can get £30, £40, £50 for this. Let's try.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09The Portmeirion mould, there it is.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12£30 takes the underbidders out. Do I see 32 in the room anywhere?
0:54:12 > 0:54:15At £30...
0:54:15 > 0:54:20- Top estimate.- The Portmeirion mould, then, at £30, selling.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24- Last chance... 32 just in.- Good.- Ooh!
0:54:24 > 0:54:2638. 40.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29- 42.- Oh, brilliant!- There's a commission bid on the books.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31Someone really wants it.
0:54:31 > 0:54:32At £40. 42? Last chance.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34At £40, selling, then. All done?
0:54:35 > 0:54:38- £40. You've lost your doorstop. - Fantastic.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40I'm pleased you don't have to carry it home
0:54:40 > 0:54:42- because it was quite weighty. - Very weighty, yeah.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45- It was a good workout!- Thank you for bringing it in, Michael.
0:54:45 > 0:54:46It's put a smile on my face
0:54:46 > 0:54:48and we've all learned something, as well.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51- Absolutely. - That's ready good, thank you.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55That's a 100% profit from a skip.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00It's not always about the value. "What's it worth?" everybody shouts out,
0:55:00 > 0:55:04but it's also about social history, little documents, a window in time.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07And we've got one right now. It belongs to Ann. Not for much longer.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11- I know it's not a lot of money. You inherited this in your house, did you?- Yes, that's true.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14- 12 years ago?- Yes. - Where was it, in the loft?
0:55:14 > 0:55:17No, it was in the cupboard under the stairs.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19That's brilliant, isn't it?
0:55:19 > 0:55:21Well, hopefully, Thomas, this is going to go back on the wall.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24Yes, it's a real bit of social history and that's what I loved about it.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28- As soon as you brought it out, I thought, "Oh, wow, interesting." I love the map.- So do I.
0:55:28 > 0:55:33I'd buy it if I lived on that map location. Good luck to you anyway.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36- Thank you.- Good luck, Thomas. - Thank you.- Let's put it to the test.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40The plaque for HP Sale Ltd, Summer Works Lane, Birmingham.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44Can open slightly below estimate at £30. Looking for 32 in the room.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48£30? 32. There's hands everywhere. 32. 35.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51- 38.- Come on, there should be lots of local interest.
0:55:51 > 0:55:5340. 42. 45. 48. And 50.
0:55:53 > 0:55:5655.
0:55:56 > 0:55:5860. 65.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00- 70.- This is more like it, Ann. - Yes.- 65 in the distance.
0:56:00 > 0:56:0270 on the other side now.
0:56:02 > 0:56:0575. And 80. 85. 90. 90, sir?
0:56:05 > 0:56:07- Brilliant.- 85 on my left.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Are we all done? 90 anywhere?
0:56:10 > 0:56:12£85 and selling...
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Yes! The hammer has gone down. £85. We're happy with that.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17I know Thomas is. You are, as well.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19Whoever bought that, it's going on the wall
0:56:19 > 0:56:21and someone is going to be proud of that.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24- Yes. I believe so, yes.- Job done.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28You can never underestimate the interest in local history,
0:56:28 > 0:56:31which brings us to our final lot.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34I've been joined by Lorna and Christina, our expert.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37And we are going to put some postcard albums under the hammer.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39- This is a hard one to value. - Really tricky.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43- We have had some great surprises with photo albums.- Oh, God, don't...
0:56:43 > 0:56:46I'm hoping we get another one. I'm totally with you with the valuation,
0:56:46 > 0:56:50- but, hopefully, we'll get £200-£300. - Oh, I hope.- What's with the dogs?
0:56:50 > 0:56:52Who let the dogs out?
0:56:52 > 0:56:55- Are you a dog lover?- Yeah, I've got two setters and a springer.- Wow.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57Good luck, both of you.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01Hopefully this will fly. It's going under the hammer.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04On to the postcards, the collection of Edwardian postcards.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06And a cracker. Three in the lot.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08£100 straight off takes the underbidders out. 100.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10110? You're out? 110 there.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12120 anywhere else?
0:57:12 > 0:57:15- There is someone here. - There's a guy waving
0:57:15 > 0:57:19- his paddle over there.- 130. 140. - We've got a bidding war going on.
0:57:19 > 0:57:20This is what it's all about.
0:57:20 > 0:57:25190. 200. 210. 220. 230. 240. 250. 260.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28- 260, says no. 250... - Lorna, this is wonderful!
0:57:28 > 0:57:31There would have been three or four quite rare ones amongst them.
0:57:31 > 0:57:36290. 300. 310. 320. 330. 340.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40- 350. 360.- This is what I like!
0:57:40 > 0:57:44- I'm pleased I didn't value it! I knew this would happen.- 390, sir?
0:57:44 > 0:57:49390 anywhere else? £380 for the postcards. For the local interest,
0:57:49 > 0:57:51at £380. Are you sure and done? 390 is back.
0:57:51 > 0:57:53- She's back. - She's still with it. 410?
0:57:53 > 0:57:57At £400, it's going down. Are you sure?
0:57:57 > 0:58:01Yes, the hammer's gone down! £400! What a result! Who let the dogs out?
0:58:01 > 0:58:03Lorna did, that's for sure.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06- Hey, brilliant!- I know. Yeah.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10- I had a feeling that was going to happen, you know.- I really did.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13- Well done!- Well done.
0:58:13 > 0:58:16There is commission to pay, but enjoy it, won't you?
0:58:16 > 0:58:18And what a wonderful way to end today's show.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21I hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23Join us again soon for many more surprises in the auction room,
0:58:23 > 0:58:26but until then, from Stourbridge, and I'm losing my voice,
0:58:26 > 0:58:29- it's goodbye! - It's all too exciting!