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Antiques - what do we really
know about them,
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exquisitely made
and often hugely valuable?
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It looks like a sort of
encrustation of brilliance
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00:00:16,080 --> 00:00:17,960
to wear on your finger.
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00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,600
But why were they made in the first
place and who were they made for?
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00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,720
Jet was this mysterious material.
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It's actually a form
of fossilised wood.
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Whether from a mediaeval castle
or an auction house...
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In the room now at 340...
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..antiques unlock
a fascinating history
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of the way we lived, then and now.
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I'm now a liberated, voting,
emancipated woman.
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I'm historian Dr Lucy Worsley
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and I'm going to uncover the stories
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behind some of these
remarkable objects.
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CHEERING
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'I'm antiques expert Mark Hill
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'and I'll be looking at why
some items have become priceless
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'while others are the collectibles
of tomorrow.
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'Along the way we'll meet the people
who preserved them.
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'The highly-skilled craftspeople
who still make them...'
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So 34% of your diamond - poof! Gone!
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Yes. To get to the finished product.
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'..and the passionate people
who collect them.'
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The artists used to chop up hair
and mix it with the paint.
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That's quite incredible.
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'We're going to put antiques in their
historical and social context.
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'This time we're looking at
objects associated with ceremonies,
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'from private ones like weddings
and funerals,
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'to the public events
of royal coronations
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'and the Olympic Games.'
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We've come to Hever Castle in Kent.
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It dates from the 13th century
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and was later the childhood home
of Anne Boleyn.
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00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:03,600
Now, castles like this aren't
just for defending yourself,
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00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,160
they're also for hosting
big ceremonial occasions
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00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,200
like jousting tournaments.
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Yes, and we still hold
enormous ceremonies
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to celebrate public events today.
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I'm thinking of coronations or,
most notably, the Olympic Games.
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00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,320
I suppose this applies to our
private lives too, doesn't it?
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We get these rituals of passage
at births, deaths and marriages,
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and they're all marked
by ceremonies.
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And the most popular ceremony
is still marriage,
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although I'm not quite sure poor old
Anne Boleyn would agree.
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Their marriage may not
have ended well,
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but when Henry VIII
was courting Anne Boleyn,
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he made frequent visits
to Hever Castle and lavished her
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with gifts of jewellery.
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00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,960
And antique jewels, obviously,
are now highly sought after.
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00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:05,160
SJ Phillips is an antique jewellery
dealer on Bond Street in London.
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Trading since 1869,
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it is still run by the original
owner's great-grandsons.
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BELL RINGS
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Whoa! Jewels, very nice!
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The rings they have on sale
tell a fascinating story
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of how the jewellery associated
with love and marriage
has changed over time.
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In many ways, the circle or the ring,
represents love without end.
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00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,160
Obviously there are no ends
in a circle and it's portable,
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00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,040
visible and can be personalised,
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so it's really not surprising
that the ring has been
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at the core of marriage
for centuries.
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00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:44,400
This one's brilliant because it has
a secret surprise hidden inside.
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It's got a little poem. It says,
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"Hearts content cannot repent."
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It's known as a poesy ring,
poesy being a word then for poetry.
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So this is a 17th century gold ring
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00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,640
and a gentleman would give this
to a lady
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as a little token of his affections.
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00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,960
The tradition of wearing a wedding
ring on the fourth finger
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00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,080
goes back thousands of years.
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00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,200
There was a Roman medical idea
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00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,320
that there was a vein that ran
all the way from that finger
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00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,160
to the heart
and I'm brandishing my right hand
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00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,160
because that was more significant.
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00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,080
Then people realised it was
impractical to have your ring
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00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,480
on the hand that you're going to
use, so you move it to the left.
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00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,600
Have you seen these before? This is
a brilliant little thing, isn't it?
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Quite ingenious. It's a pair of hands
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which makes it a fede ring.
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Mani in fede. Exactly.
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Hands in trust.
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Hands in trust and the two hands
clasp each other
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00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,960
and can be unclasped if you slide
the two parts of the ring apart.
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00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:48,760
Isn't that brilliant?
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00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,600
This is actually
an early 19th century one.
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00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:56,120
It's a long tradition of ring design
that the two hands clasped together.
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00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:00,200
But the modern engagement would
seem incomplete to most of us
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00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,000
unless accompanied by a diamond.
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00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,080
This is my favourite so far.
I do like this one.
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00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,000
It's from the 17th century,
which is my favourite century.
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00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:10,720
And it's got a sort of...
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00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,200
Oh, it's just so luxurious.
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00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:18,000
It's like an encrustation of
brilliance to wear on your finger,
don't you think?
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00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:19,640
I do rather, and of course
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00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,200
diamonds extend that entire
sort of love enduring.
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00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,200
They're a solid, hard,
durable rock
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00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:28,960
and one that's been associated with
royalty and nobility for centuries.
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00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:33,200
Well, the word's adamantine.
It means in Latin invincible,
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00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,960
indomitable, goes on forever.
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00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,200
So that's the symbolism of diamonds
as a gem, I suppose.
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00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,520
If you like that one,
what do you think of this
rather brash little number?
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00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:44,960
I like that one too.
Yes, yes, I'll have that.
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00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,640
1920s, 1930s,
good Art Deco period piece.
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00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,880
I can imagine wearing that
on a liner crossing the Atlantic,
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sipping a cocktail in the bar!
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00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,920
So, if you're a nervous young man
coming into this shop,
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what are the different prices?
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00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,080
Our 17th century poesy ring
is worth about £3,000.
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00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,480
Our early 19th century fede ring...
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00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,840
The secret double ring
with the hands. Absolutely.
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00:06:10,840 --> 00:06:12,720
That's worth between £3,000-£5,000.
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00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:14,480
We're ramping up the prices
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00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,960
with our beautiful 17th century
rose cut diamond ring,
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00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,160
which is worth around £70,000.
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00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:26,360
But I would have to sell
my apartment to buy this.
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00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:29,720
£180,000. You have good taste.
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SHE CHUCKLES
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00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,120
It is amazing, that one. I love it.
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00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,760
Hatton Garden in London
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has been the centre
of England's diamond industry
since the mediaeval period.
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There are still some expert
diamond cutters
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who use traditional methods that have
changed little in hundreds of years.
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00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,640
Come on down. I'll show you
where it all takes place.
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00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,600
'Gary's family have
been cutting diamonds since 1890.'
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This is the centre of operations.
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00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:06,040
This is our little cubbyhole
where we hide out from the world.
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00:07:07,280 --> 00:07:10,480
And we've just got
a stone here which...
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00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,200
A stone? That's enormous!
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00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:18,360
It's 36 carat. Just bought that in
South Africa about three weeks ago.
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00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:23,320
That's absolutely huge. It's got
a yellow tinge to it. Well, yes.
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It's unusually yellow.
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00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,880
It's what they call a fancy yellow
or a fancy intense yellow diamond.
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00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,160
'The job of the diamond cutter,
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'is to get the highest yield
from the rough rock.
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00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:40,960
'To help him do this, he uses a 3D
scanner to build a digital model.'
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And there it is.
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'Most rocks are cut in half
to make two diamonds,
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'and the vital decision
of where to place this cut
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00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,600
'is still down to human expertise.'
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00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,120
See, what I can do here now,
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is I can actually place
a line on the stone
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where we think we're going to saw
the stone into two.
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'Once the design of the two diamonds
has been chosen,
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'the computer then fits both parts
inside the rock.'
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Oh, my goodness! I see.
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But they're so small. It's not small.
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00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,120
But there's so much...
Perhaps I should rephrase that.
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There's so much wastage
on the outside, by the looks of it,
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00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,680
because they're hiding
right inside it.
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00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,960
I've got to tell you, that,
actually, is a phenomenal yield
by our standards. Really?
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Normally we get wastage of over 50%.
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But this stone is going to give us
a yield of... 66%.
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66%, which is exceptionally high.
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00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:39,640
So what happens to all this
excess material?
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Is that just cut away
and used for smaller, tiny diamonds?
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No, no, that is just ground away.
That goes into the air.
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So 34% of your diamond - poof! Gone!
Yes. To get to the finished product.
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'The rough diamond is clasped
inside the cutting machine,
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'which uses a paper-thin metal disc
to slice through the rock.
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'It can take days or even weeks,
to cut through a diamond,
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'as too much pressure could
cause it to shatter.'
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00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:13,080
What do you use to cut it? It looks
like it's a sort of steel or iron.
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00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:15,920
That's a very, very thin
phosphor bronze disc. OK.
166
00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,480
Why phosphor bronze?
Because it's absorbent on the end.
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And what do you need to absorb
into it? Diamonds. Diamond powder.
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The only thing that can cut a diamond
is a diamond. Correct.
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The hardest material known to us.
Yes.
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A small amount of diamond paste
mixed with a little oil,
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that's placed on this
little bit of leather
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and we just place it on the roller.
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And then we just put this onto
the tip of the phosphor bronze disc.
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And you see it just spinning round.
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It's just taking the diamond powder
off there.
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And that will carry on slicing
through the stone.
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The most skilled part of diamond
cutting is known as polishing,
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and uses a machine that was first
invented in Germany
during the 15th century.
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00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,120
This scaife has a spinning
abrasive turntable
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00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:09,800
which gives the diamond
its final sparkle.
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And, again, we put diamond powder
inside this plate.
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So basically you have
a plate of diamond,
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with the diamond which we're
polishing being lowered onto it.
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00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:28,360
So this is where the diamond becomes
a diamond that we would recognise,
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bought from a jewellers,
or set into a ring. Yes.
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00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,480
This is the final process
where we break the facets down.
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So the facet is the flat plane
that's cut at an angle
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all the way round the diamond?
189
00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,480
Yes, to get the full
refraction on the diamond.
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00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:47,080
The majority are cut into a design
known as brilliant diamonds,
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00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:48,720
which have 58 facets.
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The skill of polishing is to get
the angles of the different facets
perfectly aligned.
193
00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,040
There's still an enormous amount
of experience. Of course.
194
00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,800
We've been doing it
for over 40 years each,
195
00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,040
so you get to see and know
an awful lot by your own...
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00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,120
Even just by looking, you can tell
things are wrong or right.
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00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:13,000
40 years! Yeah, over 40 years.
Gary and I started this together.
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00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,520
But I'm still down the bottom
and he's still at the top.
199
00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:20,400
We'll meet in the middle one of
these days. Oh, I don't think so.
200
00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:24,360
So you can see, this has got all
the full 58 facets on it.
201
00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,040
It really is stunning, isn't it?
202
00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:30,040
What factors do you use
to appraise a diamond?
203
00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:36,400
We use the four C's - colour, cut,
clarity and carat weight,
204
00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,680
which determine
the value of the stone.
205
00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:43,040
So the carat term, which you
see in jewellers across the land,
that's actually the weight.
206
00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:44,640
That's the weight, yes.
207
00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,560
A carat was actually
taken from a carob bean.
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00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:52,040
They're fairly uniform weight,
so in the bush in Africa
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00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,240
when they were valuing
diamonds in the old days,
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00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:56,880
they'd be weighed
against one of those.
211
00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,600
That's how the word carat
came about. From carob beans?
From carob beans.
212
00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,840
70% of engagement rings sold today
now contain a diamond,
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00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,440
thanks partly to a highly successful
diamond marketing campaign
214
00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:14,280
in the 1930s.
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00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:19,480
But the ring isn't the only part
of the marriage ceremony
that's changed over time.
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00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:23,320
The custom of having a special dress
just for your wedding
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00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,200
is also relatively new.
218
00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,800
It wasn't until the 19th century
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00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:33,440
that wealthy brides started to
choose light-coloured dresses to be
worn only once, on the wedding day.
220
00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,080
It was when Queen Victoria
wore white
221
00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:41,440
for her marriage to Prince Albert
that it really took off.
222
00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:50,920
Antique and vintage clothes
have become increasingly popular
in recent years,
223
00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,640
and I've come to Dalston in east
London to meet Meg Andrews.
224
00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,400
She's been selling antique dresses
for 25 years.
225
00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,880
Lucy, this is my studio.
226
00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,360
Ooh! It's Aladdin's cave!
227
00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:06,360
Who are your clients, Meg?
228
00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:08,800
What kind of people
are buying your dresses?
229
00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:14,640
I'm selling to museums and I sell
to collectors, here and abroad.
230
00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:21,240
And people who would just like
an item of Victorian
or 18th century,
231
00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:25,840
just to perhaps frame
or put in a case in their rooms.
232
00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,800
Beautiful wedding dress.
233
00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:31,760
1840s, similar to Queen Victoria's,
234
00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:33,880
worth around £500.
235
00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,840
Queen Victoria really set the trend,
didn't she,
236
00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,840
for the very simple, white wedding
dress that survives till today?
237
00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:44,120
Yes. Sometimes people wore white
dresses before that,
238
00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:46,040
but yes, she set the fashion.
239
00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:49,480
How would she have accessorised it?
This is a Honiton lace wedding veil.
240
00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,440
Oh, look at this.
241
00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:55,800
She would have worn all Honiton
lace. She was trying to encourage...
242
00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,760
British industry! Exactly, exactly.
243
00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:02,280
Do you know an extraordinary thing
about the lace on Victoria's dress?
244
00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,880
She actually commissioned it
before proposing to Albert.
245
00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:07,640
Oh, did she? Yes! Oh, right.
246
00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:11,440
Of course it's her prerogative
to propose because she's going
to be the Queen.
247
00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,760
I guess she didn't have it in mind,
necessarily, as a wedding dress
248
00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,680
and that indicates to me that people
249
00:14:18,680 --> 00:14:23,480
weren't so hung up about wedding
dresses as a special thing
at that time
250
00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:27,600
because before that they would've
just worn their very best dress.
Yes, they would.
251
00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,280
And not necessarily white,
just a really smart dress
252
00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,560
that you could go on wearing and
using afterwards. That's right.
253
00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:37,200
And also, not with Victoria,
but people who were less well-off,
254
00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,400
they would've worn the dress
as an evening dress
255
00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,120
and accessorised it
slightly differently.
256
00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,480
Do you think that it's sort of
the modern wedding industry
257
00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,960
that's encouraged the idea that
you wear it JUST for one day?
258
00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,280
It's quite a disposable fashion
thing to do in a sense. Yes, very.
259
00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:56,120
What a waste when you've spent
thousands on the dress
260
00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,080
and thought and thought about it
and looked and looked.
261
00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:03,120
Victorian brides would have to go
to painful lengths to acquire
262
00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,080
the fashionable figure
of the period.
263
00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,480
What I find quite interesting
about the dress
264
00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:11,680
is that it was VERY restrictive.
For instance,
265
00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:13,960
this has whale bone or baleen
266
00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:17,240
which was from the roof
of the mouth of the whale.
267
00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,760
Whale bone's a remarkable material,
isn't it?
268
00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,560
It can twist and bend.
It's very pliable, sort of elastic.
269
00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,160
Sucking you in. Yes.
270
00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,120
And so not only did she have
the whale bones here,
271
00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,680
the shoulders were quite low
272
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,520
and the sleeves were very tight,
273
00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:35,560
so you had very little movement.
274
00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,760
When we talk about
women's liberation,
275
00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,640
we often mean politically,
economically,
276
00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,280
but actually physically as well!
Clothes like this restrict.
277
00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,600
They keep you in your place,
don't they? Very much so.
278
00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:52,560
Collectors aren't just interested
in Victorian dresses.
279
00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,880
Vintage clothes from the 1920s
are incredibly popular,
280
00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,200
especially cos you can still
wear them.
281
00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,040
Lovely!
282
00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,320
I am wearing my dream dress.
283
00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,120
It looks really good.
284
00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,480
So it's 1925 this, is it? Yes.
285
00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:10,400
Now, this truly was somebody's
wedding dress!
286
00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,920
Yes, then she would have worn it
for evenings.
287
00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,480
She'd have got a lot of wear
out of that.
288
00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,640
There's a real change in style
here in so many ways,
289
00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:19,720
not least in ease of movement.
290
00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:23,040
I'm now a liberated, voting,
emancipated woman.
291
00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:27,680
But also, at THIS period, weddings
had to take place in the morning,
292
00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:31,600
that was the rule, and that's why we
still call it the wedding breakfast
293
00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:33,760
because it took place
in the morning.
294
00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,600
By the 20th century they could take
place in the afternoon,
295
00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:38,200
shading on into the evening,
296
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,040
so the style of dresses reflects
later times of day as well.
297
00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,280
This is definitely an evening dress.
For dancing, yes.
298
00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,200
You can do the Charleston
in this dress.
299
00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:48,800
You can have a wild old time!
300
00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,360
This wedding dress also reflects
one of the most dynamic
styles of the time -
301
00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,600
Art Deco.
302
00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,840
Symmetrical lines and geometric
patterns are classic features
303
00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:08,560
of a style that emerged
from the age of jazz.
304
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:11,640
This modern look originated at
305
00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:15,520
the Paris International Exhibition
Of Decorative Arts in 1925
306
00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,120
and used bright colours
contrasting with chrome and silver.
307
00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:24,200
This 1920s wedding ring
also demonstrates
308
00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,040
the angular style of Art Deco.
309
00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,600
After a wedding, the next major
ceremonial event
310
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,240
is traditionally the welcome given
to a newborn child.
311
00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,760
Gifts to celebrate a birth
date back millennia...
312
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,440
..but the traditional silver cup
has its origins in the 1600s.
313
00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:04,480
This looks nice.
Have you had this before?
314
00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:06,600
It looks a little like porridge
315
00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:09,680
but I don't feel that I'd be the
sort of person who'd be having this.
316
00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,920
No, this is a special alcoholic
sort of porridge.
317
00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:17,720
It's got beer, it's got grain,
it's got spices and sugar in it.
318
00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,520
And do you know
when you eat/drink it? Mm-hmm?
319
00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:22,920
Eugh!
320
00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:24,880
Just after you've given birth!
321
00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,480
Yes, this would bring you back to
life, I'm quite sure,
322
00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:29,120
but that was its point, wasn't it?
323
00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:33,240
It's a way of reviving a half-dead
mother after she's just had
324
00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,560
an arduous Tudor labour without
any painkillers, basically.
325
00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:42,000
Traditionally caudle was served
in one of these little caudle cups.
326
00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:47,120
Later they become known as
porringers for slurping
your porridge out of.
327
00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:50,240
And this is a very cute
little 17th century one, isn't it?
328
00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:54,800
It is and this one, very small,
dating from 1640, is a functional one
329
00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,720
and would've been used by a mother
to perhaps even feed her child.
330
00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:03,000
It's made out of pewter
which is a metal alloy
331
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,080
made up primarily of tin.
332
00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:09,560
This one is 60 years later,
also pewter.
333
00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:12,840
It's much bigger and grander
and fancier
334
00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,520
and it is still possible
that somebody would
335
00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,160
slurp their porridge out of it
but it also has
336
00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,920
more of the qualities of a
decorative, commemorative piece.
337
00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,720
As they're associated with the birth
of a child and christenings,
338
00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:29,560
they become the gift that godparents
often give to their godchildren
339
00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:31,920
to mark the occasion of the birth.
340
00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,760
Early pieces like this, particularly
connected to a very popular subject
341
00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:38,840
like childbirth will naturally be
of great interest.
342
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,880
Something like this is worth £450,
thereabout.
343
00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:47,760
And a piece like that would fetch
somewhere around £1,000-£1,200.
344
00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,080
Pewter has been made in Britain
since the Middle Ages.
345
00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,760
Compared to silver, pewter was
relatively cheap and was very popular
346
00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:02,240
until mass-produced glassware
became available in the 19th century.
347
00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:07,080
I've come to A E Williams,
a family-run pewter factory
348
00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:11,960
in Birmingham which has been
handcrafting pewter since 1779.
349
00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,560
Steve Johnson is the
great-great-great-great-grandson
350
00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:17,880
of the original owner.
351
00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,800
What you're looking at here
is the largest collection
352
00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,200
of antique moulds
in the world today.
353
00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,000
As you can see we've got everything
from candlestick moulds
354
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:29,760
to goblet moulds to tankard moulds.
355
00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:34,040
It's amazing. When you say antique,
do you mean really antique?
356
00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:35,600
Are they old moulds or new?
357
00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,080
Well, if you have a look
at antique pewter,
358
00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:40,800
these are the moulds
that actually made the pewter
359
00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:42,920
so these are older
than the antiques.
360
00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,120
So you've got 18th century,
19th century...?
361
00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:48,800
Just behind you there
are some large plate moulds,
362
00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:53,360
one dated 1729,
the other dated 1762. Good Lord.
363
00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:56,440
So these have been in continuous use
for hundreds of years?
364
00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,600
Even today.
So you still use those today?
365
00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,720
Yep, yep. Do you have
any porringers? Yes, we do.
366
00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,920
Here's an old mould here.
367
00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,040
It's probably a couple of hundred
years old. What's it made of?
368
00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:10,280
That's cast iron.
369
00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:14,760
So this would've been used to make
porringers in the 18th, 19th century?
370
00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:16,120
Absolutely.
371
00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:18,680
Pewter is made from 90% tin
372
00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:23,440
while small amounts of copper
and antimony help it to harden.
373
00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:27,080
It melts at 240 degrees,
which is low for metal,
374
00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:29,800
meaning it hardens very quickly.
375
00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:33,560
Do you want to have a go?
I would LOVE to have a go.
376
00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:37,120
I'll get a ladle of metal for you.
Thank you. Oh, it's heavy, actually!
377
00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:39,640
You forget. You sort of imagine
it to be like water.
378
00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,240
Do I just go for it? That's right.
379
00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,840
Here we go. Straight in, Mark.
380
00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:46,520
OK. There we go.
381
00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:50,480
And even when it's filling up and it
comes out, keep it running in. OK.
382
00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,600
That gets rid of all
the impurities out of it.
383
00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,520
And that's great. That's it? Yep.
384
00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,440
If you keep your eye down there,
385
00:21:57,440 --> 00:21:59,880
you can see that that's set now.
386
00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:02,800
That quick? Yep.
387
00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:07,520
We want to keep it moving,
so if you grab the pillar there,
388
00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:12,280
and get this mallet. When you
pull that back, if you hit...
389
00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:17,120
That bit? I'm notoriously bad
at sport. Stand well back!
390
00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:22,680
You have to be
relatively tough with it. Just a bit.
391
00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,840
If you tilt that back towards you.
There it is! There you go!
392
00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:31,160
Nothing happens... Oh! There you go.
393
00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,560
I've made part of a porringer.
394
00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:36,440
And that looks pretty good to me.
395
00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,080
Excellent. Thank you very much!
There you go.
396
00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,240
Once the porringer has cooled down,
it needs to be turned
397
00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:47,880
which involves shaving
the rough edges
398
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,880
to create a smooth, shiny surface.
399
00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:54,080
This is the most skilled part
of creating pewter
400
00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,400
and John Morris has been turning
pewter for over 30 years.
401
00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:01,680
Want to try?
402
00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,280
I'll give it a go. Bye-bye, bowl!
403
00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,880
Oh, there it is!
404
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:14,240
Go further down the bowl.
Oh, yes!
405
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:20,720
It's not the beautiful sort of flow
that you had.
406
00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:25,120
You're getting there.
What you need is confidence. Yes.
407
00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:30,640
MARK CHUCKLES
408
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,200
Oh.
409
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,880
That's quite good, that is.
Is that all right? Yes.
410
00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,600
This is much, much harder
than it looks.
411
00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:42,080
The handle is then soldered onto
the porringer before the maker's mark
412
00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:44,960
is hand-stamped
onto the finished item.
413
00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:49,960
Oh! Lovely.
414
00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:51,760
Hey-hey! And there we go,
415
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:54,440
my finished porringer!
Very good, that.
416
00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:56,000
First attempt.
417
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,920
In the same way that gifts are often
given to welcome a new life
into the world,
418
00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:08,720
the passing of a life
is marked by its own rituals.
419
00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:30,280
The average life expectancy in
Victorian Britain was the late 30s.
420
00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,800
With death so present,
mourning was a normal part of life.
421
00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,600
For married women, Victorian
society's expectations
422
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,280
were especially strict
if your husband died.
423
00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:46,160
Widows were required to withdraw
from public life, wear black,
424
00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,920
veil their heads
and cover mirrors with black drapes.
425
00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:55,120
There was even special jewellery
made to suit the occasion.
426
00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:00,360
I've been one year
and 11 months in black now
427
00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:02,680
and I'm desperate to wear
coloured clothes again!
428
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:07,040
Only one month to go. Two years
and you'll be able to free yourself.
429
00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:09,440
Then two years are up.
Actually, I won't.
430
00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,880
Then I'll be in half-mourning
for my Victorian late husband
431
00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:17,880
and that means grey or lavender
or mauve for another six months.
432
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:21,760
And thank goodness I don't
work for Queen Victoria
because if I was in her household
433
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:25,040
I would've been in half-mourning
for the rest of her life.
434
00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,600
How many years was it?
After Albert died in 1861
435
00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:29,960
she spent pretty much most of
her life in mourning.
436
00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,000
She went into black
for the rest of her life.
437
00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:35,440
This wasn't uncommon for Victorian
mothers who, if you think about it,
438
00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:38,200
probably experienced quite a lot of
infant mortality.
439
00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,760
Probably they'd lost a lot
of their children along the way.
440
00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:43,360
It's almost a cliche to say it
441
00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:45,560
but the Victorians had this
CULT of mourning.
442
00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,200
They were very comfortable
talking about death and mourning
443
00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:51,200
which we're not at all today.
We're uncomfortable with it.
444
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:53,720
The Victorians had
a hang-up about talking about sex.
445
00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,520
They were very reticent about that
and the opposite today.
446
00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:02,680
I sort of feel rather sorry for you.
You have to amass this enormous,
complex clothing
447
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:04,640
whereas I just don this simple band.
448
00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,560
Well, there also seems to be a bit
of an imbalance between male
mourning and female mourning.
449
00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:11,440
I'm supposed to mourn my husband
for two-and-a-half years,
450
00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:15,080
but if you had a wife, you could
get away with only mourning her
for three months!
451
00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,720
Well, I've got to go out and do
some work to earn money
452
00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:21,520
to buy all of this garb and this
fantastic necklace that you have,
453
00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:24,600
which is made out of perhaps
the most popular material
454
00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:27,800
of the Victorian period for mourning,
which is jet.
455
00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:29,960
Jet was this mysterious material,
456
00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,240
only washed up on a particular part
of the coastline
457
00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,520
where you find the town of Whitby.
458
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,480
It's actually
a form of fossilised wood,
459
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:39,440
so I suppose in a way
very similar to coal.
460
00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:44,080
Very popular
from the 1860s to the 1880s.
461
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,800
The industry in Whitby
became so thriving and popular
462
00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:48,840
that 1,000 people
were employed there.
463
00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,360
It was said that in Whitby
even the dogs are black.
464
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:54,280
Absolutely, it was worn slightly
earlier than the 1860s.
465
00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,120
In fact, when George IV died in 1830
466
00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:00,680
there was a decree that jet
will be the ornament.
467
00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,440
Certainly Victoria took this up
with a great passion,
468
00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:05,440
as did ladies who could afford it.
469
00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:09,160
It was a very expensive material
and widely imitated.
470
00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:13,200
The values then and now really
depend on how well-worked they are.
471
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:17,080
The more skill that went into it
from the craftsman side of it,
472
00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:18,560
that raised the value.
473
00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,440
A piece like this today
would fetch around £600,
474
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,160
if you had to buy it from a dealer.
475
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,120
Now, there's one problem with jet.
476
00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:27,440
Some people said that
it was a bit too shiny
477
00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:29,200
to wear in the first year
of mourning,
478
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:31,720
but as I've now officially reached
the second year,
479
00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:33,520
I think I can put this on.
480
00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:36,720
I think I can help you with that,
if you will allow me.
481
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:41,000
Just plunge me a little bit further
into gloom.
482
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,720
Black jet was not
the only jewellery worn in mourning.
483
00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,800
In a time before photography,
people still wanted
484
00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:55,520
a tangible reminder
of their lost loved ones.
485
00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:00,800
'I've come to North London
to meet Anne Louise Luthi.
486
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:04,240
'Over the past 20 years,
she has become a major collector
487
00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:05,800
'of hair jewellery,
488
00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:09,160
'and now owns over 250 items.'
489
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:13,560
This is probably the earliest piece
and that has platted hair.
490
00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:17,920
On the back, turn it over,
and you will see that it says
491
00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:21,080
"my father and my husband".
492
00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:22,680
So this is the hair of two people?
493
00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,040
That's the hair of two people,
494
00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:29,000
probably at the end
of the 17th century.
495
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,320
The idea was to commemorate people,
496
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:37,600
and the only part of the body
you can use after death is hair.
497
00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:39,680
What else could you do, in a way?
498
00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,800
You could have a portrait or
miniature. That was more expensive.
499
00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:48,280
There was no photography, either.
No, not until the middle
of the 19th century.
500
00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:49,960
Absolutely.
501
00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:54,160
So this was the way that people
commemorated the loved ones.
502
00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:56,000
By keeping them literally close,
503
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,640
by taking a part of their body
to wear close to them. Yes.
504
00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,760
This one looks much more decorative.
505
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:04,760
What we have here is
a lady cradling her child,
506
00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:06,320
near an urn on a pedestal,
507
00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:12,280
and it says "JC OBT",
so died "July 21st 1785,
508
00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,200
"aged two years and seven months.
509
00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:18,880
"Not lost, but gone before."
There it is.
510
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,240
And the idea that she would be
reunited with her child...
511
00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:24,680
How sweet.
..when she herself died.
512
00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:27,400
It's terribly touching, isn't it?
513
00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:31,360
If you look closely here at the
bottom, that's where the hair is.
514
00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,040
And also, the artists
who did these miniatures
515
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:37,360
used to chop up hair
and mix it with the paint.
516
00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,520
That's quite incredible.
517
00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:41,600
It's also interesting
that this is a pin,
518
00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:45,160
so it would have been pinned close,
physically, to her heart.
519
00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:46,520
'In the 19th century,
520
00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:50,360
'hair jewellery stopped being worn
only for mourning,
521
00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:52,960
'and became fashionable
in its own right.'
522
00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,440
The most valuable of all
was white hair.
523
00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:58,040
And then, you can see...
524
00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,560
Why was that?
I suppose because it was beautiful.
525
00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:03,760
You can see the butterfly there.
526
00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:07,160
There you get
a beautiful hair bouquet.
527
00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,360
Didn't people find it rather
squeamish and strange
528
00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:13,800
to wear hair that wasn't connected
to you or your family?
529
00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,960
Not really, no,
because it was a material.
530
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:22,560
It wasn't necessarily thought of
as being associated
with a particular person.
531
00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:32,640
Wearing hair jewellery may seem
slightly macabre to us now,
532
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,800
but in the past,
the ceremonial marking of death
533
00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,160
was much more part of everyday life.
534
00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,600
Even executions
were once ceremonial events,
535
00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:45,360
carried out in public
until the mid-19th century.
536
00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,600
One of history's
most shocking executions
537
00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:53,680
was the beheading of Anne Boleyn,
the second wife of Henry VIII,
538
00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,040
on the 19th May, 1536.
539
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:01,480
It was the first execution
of a Queen of England.
540
00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:24,400
This is what you might call
a ceremonial sword.
541
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,280
Certainly not for use
on the battlefield.
542
00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:31,800
It's a German beheading sword
of about 1750.
543
00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,440
And it's got a picture on it
544
00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,800
that shows exactly how you use it.
545
00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:39,640
He's lifting it up
right over the head,
546
00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:41,720
and he comes down with
a great big swoosh,
547
00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:43,600
and takes the head off.
548
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:46,640
This was the privilege given
to Anne Boleyn, in 1536.
549
00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,000
Because she was the queen,
550
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,240
she wasn't going to be beheaded
with the axe, like everybody else.
551
00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,120
A special French swordsman
was brought over,
552
00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,200
to give her a nice, clean ending.
553
00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,640
Actually, your sword
is better than mine,
554
00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:01,760
because yours has a point
on the end of it.
555
00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:03,600
Tell me a bit more about
your rapier.
556
00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:05,440
Nice and light. Very nimble. Long.
557
00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:07,240
As you say,
with this very sharp point.
558
00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,840
This was all about
the art of swordsmanship.
559
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:11,960
With this
rather fine hand guard, here.
560
00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,800
It was made in Britain
in the early 17th century
561
00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:16,520
and is a rather fine example.
562
00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:19,920
I think it would be creepy to
collect a beheading sword like this.
563
00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,800
I think it would show that
you're slightly disturbed.
564
00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,040
There's a certain...
Not romance, I suppose,
565
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,760
but there's a certain gory interest
in it, isn't there?
566
00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,440
These are quite collectible today.
567
00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:31,840
Something like this could fetch
a couple of thousand.
568
00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:33,920
Similarly, my rather fine rapier.
569
00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:35,960
Anything from £2,000
to £10,000 or so,
570
00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:38,960
depending on the date,
the quality of it, and who made it.
571
00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:44,040
Though there is considerably less
demand for swords these days,
572
00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:48,080
there are still a few people making
them, using traditional methods
573
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,640
that have been practised
by blacksmiths for centuries.
574
00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,920
Simon Fearnhamm specialises
in making historical swords,
575
00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:04,360
as well as repairing antiques,
at his factory
576
00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:06,160
in the Essex countryside.
577
00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:11,120
Simon, tell us what you are doing.
578
00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,520
At the moment,
I'm drawing the metal down,
579
00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,680
thinning it off, tapering it,
shaping it.
580
00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,800
So you're making the sword
longer and thinner?
581
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:20,040
Longer and thinner, and
giving it the right shape.
582
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:21,760
What metal are you using there?
583
00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:24,000
This is a carbon spring steel.
584
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:25,640
What kind of sword are you making?
585
00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:29,640
This is based on an original tomb
effigy carving in Westminster Abbey.
586
00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:31,840
The sword of Sir Giles Daubeney.
587
00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:33,440
Nice medieval sword.
588
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,000
Do you know how to use
a sword yourself
589
00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,880
so that you can tell
if you've made a good one?
590
00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,760
I've played with swords.
You've played with swords?!
591
00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,920
I've been making swords
for 30-odd years, so yes.
592
00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:48,400
I've handled a lot
of original medieval swords,
593
00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,200
so you get a good feel
for the heft of the sword,
594
00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:53,480
and how it should feel.
What does "the heft" mean?
595
00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:55,000
It's the balance in the hand.
596
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,760
If you use it for hours on end,
you want something
597
00:33:57,760 --> 00:33:59,880
that doesn't put
too much strain on your arms.
598
00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:02,840
Ooh, look at that!
599
00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:05,560
'Forging is the first stage
of making a sword
600
00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:07,960
'and it requires
considerable skill.'
601
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:13,120
OK. Strike while the iron's hot.
Come on. Oh, yeah, yeah.
602
00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:17,560
Am I making any difference there?
603
00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:19,320
Ooh, look. You can see it.
604
00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:21,600
You're putting a bend on it.
MARK LAUGHS
605
00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,920
You don't want that, do you?
I'll straighten it out in a minute.
606
00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:31,800
So it's curved up at the end now?
That's not right, is it?
607
00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:35,520
I'll put it into the forge... Did
I do that? Oops. Just a little bit.
608
00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:42,280
Once Simon has forged the sword,
609
00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:46,000
the next stage is to grind it down
to a sharp edge,
610
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,480
something that was historically
done by hand,
611
00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:50,600
but is now helped
by modern technology.
612
00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:55,200
Eventually this piece of metal
will become a sword,
613
00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:56,760
like this.
614
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:00,120
So that is ground?
615
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,600
The very, very beginnings, yeah.
It's hot!
616
00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:04,920
The very beginnings
of a rough grind.
617
00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,520
What's the next stage
to get it looking like that?
618
00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:09,440
Hours more of the rough grinding,
619
00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:12,320
and getting all the lines
and everything all true.
620
00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:16,560
And then days on the sanding
and finishing... Days?
621
00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:18,000
Days.
622
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:23,000
So this is your nearly complete,
double-handed broadsword.
623
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:27,040
A replica of Sir Giles Daubeney's,
from the 15th century? Yeah.
624
00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:29,520
Can I ask how much it would cost?
625
00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:32,760
With scabbard, the sword itself
is around £6,000.
626
00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,040
£6,000 is a lot of money,
627
00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:38,440
but if you were looking
for a scarce, historical sword,
628
00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:40,360
from centuries ago,
629
00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:42,360
it's a fraction of the cost.
Definitely.
630
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:46,120
A sword with provenance,
that sort of style,
631
00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:49,840
tens, even hundreds of thousands of
pounds, depending on who owned it.
632
00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:00,040
These days, swords are mainly used
for ceremonial purposes,
633
00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,680
notably when the Queen
bestows knighthoods.
634
00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:06,560
And when a new monarch is crowned,
635
00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:10,400
a number of swords are carried
in the coronation procession.
636
00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:16,480
So Westminster Abbey's
been used for coronations
637
00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:19,640
since William the Conqueror,
in 1066,
638
00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:23,520
right up to 1953, last time round
with the current Queen.
639
00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:27,200
You think it's all about the moment
when the King or Queen is anointed,
640
00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:30,040
becomes crowned,
starts their official job.
641
00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:33,880
But really, the whole point of it
is the spectacle.
642
00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:38,280
Traditionally, the coronation
was preceded by a procession
from the Tower of London,
643
00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:42,200
all through the city,
lined with cheering crowds.
644
00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:46,760
For over 300 years,
645
00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,720
people have been buying mementos
of these royal events.
646
00:36:49,720 --> 00:36:52,120
By the time Edward VII
was crowned in 1902,
647
00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:55,360
after the death of Queen Victoria,
648
00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:58,400
royal memorabilia had become
incredibly popular,
649
00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:01,760
and remains an inexpensive way
to own a piece of history.
650
00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:15,000
This is from the coronation
of Edward VII,
651
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:19,000
but, ha-ha-ha, it's got
the wrong date on it, hasn't it?
652
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,200
June 26th, 1902.
653
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:24,880
When it was supposed to be but
then the poor guy got appendicitis
654
00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:29,360
and he couldn't show up, so they
had to put the whole thing back.
It went back to August 9th.
655
00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:31,280
What a lot of people don't realise,
656
00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,760
ceramics like these were produced
many months - if not a year -
in advance.
657
00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:38,480
As soon as the date was announced,
the ceramics industry
swung into gear,
658
00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:41,240
and started producing
vast quantities of these things.
659
00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:44,080
When it was announced
that he had appendicitis,
660
00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:47,120
and the coronation
would be postponed to August 9th,
661
00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:49,960
quite a lot of these
were already in existence,
662
00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:53,800
which means they only had
a little bit of time
to catch up with the correct date.
663
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,560
Consequently, the ones with
the wrong date are very common,
664
00:37:56,560 --> 00:37:58,720
the ones with the correct date
are much rarer.
665
00:37:58,720 --> 00:38:01,440
That's worth probably around £30.
666
00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:04,400
And what about my mug here?
667
00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:07,200
Probably about the same as the tea
you're going to put in it.
668
00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:08,960
Aw, but it has sentimental value.
669
00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,000
When Charles II was restored
to the throne,
670
00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,280
after the Commonwealth in 1660,
671
00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:20,920
he rode a wave of affection
for the monarchy.
672
00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:25,000
The occasion saw the first pieces
of mass market royal memorabilia
673
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:26,640
being produced.
674
00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:31,720
Pretty much every royal event since
has been marked with souvenirs.
675
00:38:31,720 --> 00:38:34,640
I'm meeting Steven Jackson,
676
00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:37,520
who's collected so many
royally-related items
677
00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:40,600
that he's built a mini museum
in his back garden.
678
00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:42,520
Oh, my goodness!
679
00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:46,760
You like royal memorabilia,
don't you?! Yes, yes!
680
00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:50,120
How did you get started
on this subject matter, then?
681
00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,760
I was left by my grandfather
quite a little collection.
682
00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:55,960
I've always been fascinated
by history
683
00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:57,400
and the two go together.
684
00:38:57,400 --> 00:38:59,720
How many pieces have you got now?
685
00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:02,440
Oh, well.
Ceramics, around about 8,000.
686
00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:06,040
8,000 ceramics. And then
you've also got textile items.
687
00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:09,440
Oh, yes, there's textiles...
688
00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:12,440
Biscuit tins, box of matches. Yeah.
689
00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:17,200
The Royal Family usually stand
for stability and continuity,
690
00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:20,880
but sometimes royal memorabilia
can reflect times of rapid change
691
00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:23,080
and uncertainty.
692
00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:26,360
So this is your
Edward VIII cabinet.
693
00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:30,240
All the people making commemorative
goods must have been pretty pleased,
694
00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:35,320
in 1936 and 1937,
because we've got two kings coming
along very quickly, haven't we?
695
00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:39,640
They started to sell commemoratives
for Edward in the September.
696
00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:42,440
Harrods and Selfridges
were full of them.
697
00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:45,880
So this is a little plate
that was planned to be
698
00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:49,480
for the coronation of Edward VIII,
699
00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:52,560
which was planned to be
in May, 1937.
700
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:56,120
But, in the event, he abdicated
to get married to Mrs Simpson.
701
00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:59,080
He abdicated on December 11th
and then, of course,
702
00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:01,400
the manufacturers
with things left over...
703
00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,960
"What are we going to do
with all of our unsold stock?"
704
00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:05,520
They added very quickly,
705
00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:09,400
"acceded the throne and abdicated,"
with the date on.
706
00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:13,120
I like that. That's quick thinking.
That's waste not, want not.
707
00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:16,040
I think that, as a collector,
you're quite unusual.
708
00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:19,960
You're not really looking for
quality, high-end, beautiful stuff,
709
00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:21,560
are you?
710
00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:24,960
You're interested in things that
are quite cheap and mass-produced.
711
00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:27,040
Well, if it isn't mass-produced,
712
00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:30,040
invariably,
it's not a commemorative.
713
00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:33,720
That's the definition? That's
the secret to the whole subject.
714
00:40:33,720 --> 00:40:36,600
It had to be mass-produced,
for people at large.
715
00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:39,680
I guess items like this,
although cheap and cheerful,
716
00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:43,880
represented a significant investment
for normal people.
717
00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:46,720
They were engaged in the life
of the nation. Yes, they were.
718
00:40:46,720 --> 00:40:49,200
Why do you think
people have the urge
719
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:52,760
to get these tangible memory items?
720
00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:55,200
I think it's a point of reference
in their own lives.
721
00:40:55,200 --> 00:41:00,520
There's a great expression
from Macaulay, the great
Victorian historian,
722
00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:04,120
who, when he was examining
a mug at the factory,
723
00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:06,040
described them as,
724
00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:10,560
"Reflections of men's souls.
A window into men's minds."
725
00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:13,880
That is so poetic and lovely.
It was a lovely expression.
726
00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:16,800
You may think it's a little piece
of junk but, actually, no.
727
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:20,800
This will mean a lot to a lot of
people who were alive in 1936.
728
00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:25,240
King George VI, who succeeded
Edward after the abdication,
729
00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:28,400
saw Britain through
the Second World War.
730
00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:35,080
On 29th July, 1948,
he attended the opening ceremony
731
00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:39,360
of the 14th Olympic Games
at Wembley Stadium.
732
00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:41,280
It was only the second time
733
00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:43,960
the modern Games
had been held in Britain,
734
00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:46,360
and it would be the last
until 2012.
735
00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:51,800
The differences between
then and now are startling.
736
00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:57,360
The 2012 Games is estimated to be
costing at least £12 billion,
737
00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:01,200
while in 1948,
they cost a modest £750,000.
738
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:20,480
There were great hopes for Britain
in the first post-war Games.
739
00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:24,400
But in the end, we only achieved
gold medals in one event.
740
00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:28,480
'The rowing.'
741
00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:31,400
There we go. One, two, three.
Slow down.
742
00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:34,320
One, two, three, four.
743
00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:36,600
Why have you got your legs crossed?
744
00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,680
Hm? Why have you got your legs
crossed? I always cross my legs.
745
00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:41,720
SHE LAUGHS
746
00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:43,120
All the time.
747
00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:45,280
What, when you're rowing? Yes.
748
00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:47,080
HE LAUGHS
749
00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:54,280
We're recreating the 1948
coxless pairs at the Olympic Games.
750
00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:56,120
Gold for Britain.
751
00:42:56,120 --> 00:43:00,800
One of three medals that the rowing
team won in what they called
the make-do-and-mend Games.
752
00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:03,400
Because it was after the war,
they were a bit short of money
753
00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:05,520
and everybody had
to bodge things together.
754
00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:08,960
They had the rowing events
down at Henley. Yes.
755
00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:12,600
The winners of the coxless pairs
were called John Wilson
and William Laurie.
756
00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:16,800
You've heard of Mr Laurie
because he was the dad of
Hugh Laurie, the actor.
757
00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:19,440
What I can't believe
is that the athletes
758
00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:25,560
had to get through their training
on 2,600 calories a day.
That's what you got in your ration.
759
00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:31,320
I think the ration itself
was one piece of bacon, an egg,
and a small bit of cheese.
760
00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:34,080
But once they had been selected
for the team that went up,
761
00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:35,880
they got 3,400 calories a day,
762
00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:41,320
which is the same as a docker got.
That was the ration for dockers,
people doing heavy work.
763
00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:45,480
But today the athletes
eat 8,000 calories a day.
764
00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:49,280
'Sports-related antiques
are extremely popular.
765
00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:53,040
'And we have a rare
1948 Olympic medal.'
766
00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:54,680
This is a bronze medal, is it?
767
00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:58,080
Yes, bronze, silver and gold -
the medals that we know today -
768
00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:02,240
were first awarded
in that combination in 1904.
769
00:44:02,240 --> 00:44:04,640
Were they true gold, true silver?
770
00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:09,560
Well, the last time true gold medals
were awarded was in 1912.
771
00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:13,600
What? Since then it's been a bit of
a swizz and they haven't been gold?!
772
00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:17,440
I don't necessarily think so! It's
still the event, the taking part,
773
00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:20,120
that's the important part,
not the medal itself.
774
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:23,360
It has a rather lovely design
of athletes lifting each other up.
775
00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:25,280
Have you noticed they're all naked?
776
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:28,040
To take part in the original
Olympic Games, you had to be naked.
777
00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:30,680
The ancient Greek word
for that is "gymnos",
778
00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:33,760
and that leads us
to have our term today, "gymnasium".
779
00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:41,200
Stretch your arms out, put your back
into it. I'm still no good at this.
780
00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:43,440
It's just as well I wasn't
in that Olympics team.
781
00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:46,080
SHE LAUGHS
782
00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:48,440
The Austerity Games
was the second time
783
00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:50,520
Britain had hosted the Olympics.
784
00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:54,240
The first time, in 1908,
we came top of the medal table,
785
00:44:54,240 --> 00:44:56,680
winning 56 golds.
786
00:44:56,680 --> 00:44:59,840
But female athletes
didn't get much of a look-in.
787
00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:03,120
At the 1908 Olympic Games,
788
00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:06,840
there were 2,000 competitors.
Only 37 of them were women.
789
00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:09,640
But one won gold for Britain,
in the archery.
790
00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:12,880
And, quite amazingly,
she was 53 years old.
791
00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:16,280
'Her name was Queenie Newall.
792
00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:18,560
'In an attempt
to step into her shoes,
793
00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:22,440
'I'm having a longbow lesson
with the archer Maggie Woolf.'
794
00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:24,800
Aim towards the top of the target,
and away. Go!
795
00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:26,720
Woo! Nearly!
796
00:45:26,720 --> 00:45:29,640
Not bad. Good for a first shot.
797
00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:32,600
'We're using traditional longbows,
798
00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:34,640
'but Maggie's brought along
an antique
799
00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:38,520
'to point out one noticeable
difference from those used today.'
800
00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:44,720
The bow that they would have used
in 1908 is pure yew.
801
00:45:44,720 --> 00:45:47,080
This one is pre-First World War.
802
00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:49,160
This is the outer wood of the yew,
803
00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:51,400
and the soft belly wood of the yew,
804
00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:53,560
so it's got a nice flex and spring.
805
00:45:53,560 --> 00:45:58,120
The yew contains all the elements
one needs in a good shooting bow.
806
00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:01,000
But it's a bit dangerous.
Isn't it poisonous, yew wood?
807
00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:04,600
Yes. All parts of the yew
are poisonous.
808
00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:06,720
A lot of bowyers
went slightly crazy.
809
00:46:06,720 --> 00:46:09,040
It caused some problem in the brain.
810
00:46:09,040 --> 00:46:12,240
So I don't think they had a very
long life, making these bows.
811
00:46:12,240 --> 00:46:16,360
'Joining our archery lesson is the
Olympic historian Rebecca Jenkins,
812
00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:19,480
'author of the book
on the 1908 Games.'
813
00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:21,320
Let it go. Oh!
814
00:46:21,320 --> 00:46:25,720
What did the main organiser
of the Games think about
the female athletes?
815
00:46:25,720 --> 00:46:29,440
Baron Pierre de Coubertin, whose
idea it was to revive the Games,
816
00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:32,040
was a Parisian aristocrat.
817
00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:35,680
He thought that ladies performing
in public before strangers
was really...
818
00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:37,800
He said something
along the lines of,
819
00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:42,400
"Impractical, uninteresting,
anaesthetic, and incorrect."
820
00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:45,840
Therefore, he really didn't
want women to be involved.
821
00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:50,120
Drawing back to the eye.
Keep drawing. More, more, more.
822
00:46:50,120 --> 00:46:52,760
BOTH: Yay!
823
00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:56,720
Yeah, you got it.
You're getting good, you know.
824
00:46:56,720 --> 00:47:01,840
The thing I really like about
Queenie is she was 53 years old.
825
00:47:01,840 --> 00:47:05,000
And she was a gold medal winner
at that age.
826
00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:09,160
The point about archery is
you can look like a lady
and still excel at your sport.
827
00:47:09,160 --> 00:47:11,880
You don't have to be 24
and be able to jump very high.
828
00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:14,720
And they all had to be wearing
proper clothes, long skirts.
829
00:47:14,720 --> 00:47:17,760
ladies are supposed
to be private creatures,
830
00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:20,000
so you appear properly dressed.
831
00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:22,480
So there's no way they could
take part in the swimming,
832
00:47:22,480 --> 00:47:24,560
because the rules said
you must wear a skirt.
833
00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:28,480
Exactly. They wouldn't even dream
of having women swimmers by 1908.
834
00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:31,240
They did come in in 1912,
but you're in Sweden by that point.
835
00:47:31,240 --> 00:47:35,480
I think it was the Scandinavian
influence. They're more liberated
in Scandinavia!
836
00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:39,160
They seemed much more egalitarian
about the idea of the healthy body.
837
00:47:39,160 --> 00:47:42,480
Long reach forward.
Back to your cheek.
838
00:47:42,480 --> 00:47:45,200
ALL: Oh! Look at that.
839
00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:48,240
In the red! In the red!
That is absolutely fantastic.
840
00:47:48,240 --> 00:47:50,400
Just outside the gold.
841
00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:53,120
I can see you taking
this sport up seriously.
842
00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:59,000
Antique bows and medals are just
some of the collectible items
843
00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:02,600
associated with popular
sports memorabilia.
844
00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:08,560
'In the Cotswolds, Manfred Schotten
sells antique golf clubs,
845
00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:10,200
'tennis rackets,
846
00:48:10,200 --> 00:48:13,960
'cricket bats, and other highly
sought-after sports items.
847
00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:19,880
'Even this Victorian golf ball
is worth around £5,000.
848
00:48:19,880 --> 00:48:23,840
'But there are cheaper ways
to own a piece of sporting history.'
849
00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:26,320
If you haven't got
thousands of pounds
850
00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:28,400
to splash out on an Olympic medal,
851
00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:30,680
why not consider some
of the paperwork,
852
00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:34,160
known as ephemera, that was
produced around the Games?
853
00:48:34,160 --> 00:48:37,280
Something like this,
the London Olympic Games programme,
854
00:48:37,280 --> 00:48:38,920
is a brilliant place to start.
855
00:48:38,920 --> 00:48:42,040
This can fetch up to
around £70 or so,
856
00:48:42,040 --> 00:48:44,360
and it's crammed with information.
857
00:48:44,360 --> 00:48:47,800
Everything from events,
to athletes, to photographs.
858
00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:50,680
There's really everything you need
to know about the Games,
859
00:48:50,680 --> 00:48:55,400
including some rather interesting
information about restaurants.
860
00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:58,880
These were known as
the Austerity Games in 1948.
861
00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:01,040
I find this particularly fascinating.
862
00:49:01,040 --> 00:49:03,920
We're told that, "Eating
in the West End at present
863
00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:08,160
"is not a matter about which
Londoners feel particularly happy.
864
00:49:08,160 --> 00:49:11,440
"Visitors from abroad are likely
to be even less content.
865
00:49:11,440 --> 00:49:14,400
"But the food situation
is one that must be accepted
866
00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:17,520
"as an inevitable result
of the nation's economic position."
867
00:49:18,560 --> 00:49:20,720
The contents are fascinating,
868
00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:23,840
but what really does it for me
is this fantastic cover.
869
00:49:23,840 --> 00:49:26,080
If you can look
for colourful artwork
870
00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:29,000
that really sums up
the design ethics of the day,
871
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:33,440
that really adds to the appeal and,
in many cases, the value as well.
872
00:49:36,360 --> 00:49:39,720
Three years after the 1948 Olympics,
873
00:49:39,720 --> 00:49:43,720
Britain was ready to put austerity
and the war behind it.
874
00:49:43,720 --> 00:49:45,840
A ceremonial event for the nation
875
00:49:45,840 --> 00:49:49,040
would focus people's attention
on a brighter future.
876
00:49:50,520 --> 00:49:54,520
The Festival Of Britain of 1951
was intended to celebrate
British design,
877
00:49:54,520 --> 00:49:59,280
and to cheer everybody up
after the war and the recovery.
878
00:49:59,280 --> 00:50:03,240
The director of the festival
described it as
a tonic for the nation.
879
00:50:03,240 --> 00:50:05,240
It was based here on the South Bank,
880
00:50:05,240 --> 00:50:07,880
and its centrepiece
was the Royal Festival Hall.
881
00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:14,640
8.5 million people attended
the exhibition on the South Bank.
882
00:50:14,640 --> 00:50:18,880
Many of the designs on display
were ultra-modern in style,
883
00:50:18,880 --> 00:50:22,000
including the chairs
for the terrace.
884
00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:39,800
Hello. Hello.
885
00:50:39,800 --> 00:50:42,880
You're sitting on one of the chairs
that they actually used
886
00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:45,720
on the terrace at the festival,
aren't you?
887
00:50:45,720 --> 00:50:49,080
That's it. This is a reproduction
of the antelope chair,
888
00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:51,480
which was designed
for this very purpose.
889
00:50:51,480 --> 00:50:53,800
It was placed outside
the Royal Festival Hall,
890
00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:56,440
so you could sit and enjoy
the festival and the river.
891
00:50:56,440 --> 00:50:58,360
It's such a 1950s-looking thing,
isn't it?
892
00:50:58,360 --> 00:51:01,880
It is, and it sums up so much
of what the festival was about.
893
00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:04,960
After the disasters
and privations of World War Two,
894
00:51:04,960 --> 00:51:07,240
this was all about
our positive future,
895
00:51:07,240 --> 00:51:09,560
which was meant to be delivered
with technology.
896
00:51:09,560 --> 00:51:11,680
If you look at the form
and structure of it,
897
00:51:11,680 --> 00:51:13,800
with these ball feet,
898
00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:15,880
and these cylindrical steel rods,
899
00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:20,560
it's almost like a molecular model
that you might find in a school
or a scientific laboratory.
900
00:51:20,560 --> 00:51:24,280
At this time, of course,
you had interest in microscopes,
901
00:51:24,280 --> 00:51:28,080
cells, molecules, and that's all
reflected in this chair.
902
00:51:28,080 --> 00:51:31,680
It also launched a new
colour palette, as well,
903
00:51:31,680 --> 00:51:34,000
which was so much more
vibrant and positive
904
00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:36,560
than the austerity
of utility furniture.
905
00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:39,760
It's a beautiful chair
that speaks so much for the period.
906
00:51:39,760 --> 00:51:42,320
Do you think it's called the
antelope because it looks like
907
00:51:42,320 --> 00:51:44,720
it could go boing
on its springy little legs?
908
00:51:44,720 --> 00:51:48,080
It does have a certain
lightness of form, I suppose.
909
00:51:48,080 --> 00:51:50,960
This whole look launched
a new look on the high street.
910
00:51:50,960 --> 00:51:53,240
It really was, in its own way,
a trendsetter.
911
00:51:53,240 --> 00:51:55,640
This one's a reproduction,
so it's brand new,
912
00:51:55,640 --> 00:51:58,680
but vintage examples
depending on condition and date
913
00:51:58,680 --> 00:52:01,920
can cost you anything
from £80 to £500.
914
00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:04,920
The Festival of Britain
had been staged
915
00:52:04,920 --> 00:52:08,400
exactly 100 years
after another ceremonial event.
916
00:52:08,400 --> 00:52:11,800
To many, it represented the pinnacle
of Britain's power and influence
917
00:52:11,800 --> 00:52:13,840
across the world.
918
00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:16,920
On 1st May, 1851,
919
00:52:16,920 --> 00:52:19,640
Queen Victoria attended
the opening ceremony
920
00:52:19,640 --> 00:52:24,480
at the Great Exhibition of the
Industrial Nations in Hyde Park.
921
00:52:24,480 --> 00:52:26,160
The brainchild of Prince Albert,
922
00:52:26,160 --> 00:52:29,760
the exhibition was housed
in a massive iron glasshouse
923
00:52:29,760 --> 00:52:32,480
designed by Joseph Paxton.
924
00:52:32,480 --> 00:52:35,000
Amazingly, it was
a temporary structure,
925
00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:37,800
and was pulled down
after only six months.
926
00:52:39,960 --> 00:52:43,240
'But to this day, the Victoria
& Albert Museum in London
927
00:52:43,240 --> 00:52:46,880
'remains as a permanent memorial
to the exhibition.'
928
00:52:55,800 --> 00:53:01,520
So up there is a picture of
the Great Exhibition of 1851,
929
00:53:01,520 --> 00:53:03,320
and there's Queen Victoria,
930
00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:06,320
giving out the prizes
for best exhibit.
931
00:53:06,320 --> 00:53:08,520
They had 13,000 exhibits,
932
00:53:08,520 --> 00:53:11,600
the fruits of industry
from all over the world,
933
00:53:11,600 --> 00:53:16,560
brought to this massive greenhouse
up there. Absolutely.
934
00:53:16,560 --> 00:53:19,840
This building was built
after the exhibition closed,
935
00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:21,280
to house many of the objects.
936
00:53:21,280 --> 00:53:23,560
It was known then as
the South Kensington Museum,
937
00:53:23,560 --> 00:53:27,040
but it's much more
familiar to us today as
the Victoria & Albert Museum.
938
00:53:27,040 --> 00:53:30,240
Fair enough as it was Prince Albert
who was really behind this.
939
00:53:30,240 --> 00:53:32,560
The Great Exhibition
was hugely successful.
940
00:53:32,560 --> 00:53:35,920
It made over £16 million,
in today's money.
941
00:53:35,920 --> 00:53:38,160
And they used it to buy land
942
00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:41,520
all up and down Exhibition Road,
here in South Kensington.
943
00:53:41,520 --> 00:53:45,600
So the Victoria & Albert Museum
and the Science Museum
and Imperial College
944
00:53:45,600 --> 00:53:48,720
were all built on the profits
of the Great Exhibition.
945
00:53:48,720 --> 00:53:53,280
This part of town became known,
in homage to Prince Albert,
as Albertopolis.
946
00:53:53,280 --> 00:53:55,440
This is the book of the show, is it?
947
00:53:55,440 --> 00:53:59,240
Effectively, yes. It's a special
edition of The Art Journal.
948
00:53:59,240 --> 00:54:01,120
The Art Journal
Illustrated Catalogue.
949
00:54:01,120 --> 00:54:05,240
This showed many of the best things
exhibited in the exhibition itself.
950
00:54:06,440 --> 00:54:09,120
It's all very much in
the sort of latest tastes.
951
00:54:09,120 --> 00:54:12,640
It's all very Victorian, very ornate.
Look at something like this.
952
00:54:12,640 --> 00:54:16,560
Statues, other fountains...
953
00:54:16,560 --> 00:54:18,600
And some shoes. These are funny.
Look.
954
00:54:18,600 --> 00:54:22,520
"Mr J Sparkes Hall of London
exhibits many improvements
955
00:54:22,520 --> 00:54:26,400
"in modern boots and shoes,
together with a curious series
956
00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:29,640
"of well-executed facsimiles
of ancient ones."
957
00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:31,560
Here we've got a display of shoes.
958
00:54:31,560 --> 00:54:34,120
Look, it's a shoe
of vulcanised India rubber.
959
00:54:34,120 --> 00:54:36,560
Rubber had only just appeared.
960
00:54:36,560 --> 00:54:38,440
Also in the exhibition,
it was used to make
961
00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:41,960
a more comfortable pair of false
teeth, in which you could yawn.
962
00:54:41,960 --> 00:54:43,600
They had a new spring mechanism
963
00:54:43,600 --> 00:54:45,520
that made them
a lot more comfortable.
964
00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:48,040
This book is actually
quite a collectible piece,
965
00:54:48,040 --> 00:54:50,440
as well as a fascinating guide
to the exhibition
966
00:54:50,440 --> 00:54:52,040
and Victorian tastes of the time.
967
00:54:52,040 --> 00:54:55,640
It's worth between £200 and £400,
in really nice condition.
968
00:54:55,640 --> 00:54:58,080
The original catalogues
can fetch an awful lot more,
969
00:54:58,080 --> 00:55:00,200
up to around £12,000 or so.
970
00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:03,080
But it's the objects that
commemorated the exhibition,
971
00:55:03,080 --> 00:55:04,680
the souvenirs, if you like,
972
00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:07,200
that really form
the backbone of the market.
973
00:55:07,200 --> 00:55:10,120
Ceramics, glass. All manner of
different pieces were produced
974
00:55:10,120 --> 00:55:13,920
to satisfy the desires of those
six million people who visited
975
00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:17,760
to remember
and to commemorate their visit.
976
00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:23,800
Although the exhibition
was temporary,
977
00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:27,360
the glasshouse was rebuilt
in an area of London
978
00:55:27,360 --> 00:55:29,080
now known as Crystal Palace,
979
00:55:29,080 --> 00:55:32,520
where it remained until it was
destroyed by a fire in 1936.
980
00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:40,240
But it is antiques
from the original 1851 exhibition
981
00:55:40,240 --> 00:55:44,840
that are some of the most
sought-after items
at this auction in Macclesfield.
982
00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:47,120
Pictures, vases,
983
00:55:47,120 --> 00:55:49,800
even pot lids,
that commemorate the exhibition,
984
00:55:49,800 --> 00:55:51,760
are all going under the hammer.
985
00:55:51,760 --> 00:55:53,960
£65, gentlemen, again.
986
00:55:55,000 --> 00:55:57,440
This ornate silver
fish knife and fork set
987
00:55:57,440 --> 00:56:00,120
is one of the more unusual items.
988
00:56:00,120 --> 00:56:03,360
551. Fabulous pair
of cased fish servers, there.
989
00:56:03,360 --> 00:56:06,280
£280. Here with me at £280.
990
00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:09,480
£300. £320. £340, I'm out.
991
00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:11,120
At £340 stands at the back now.
992
00:56:11,120 --> 00:56:15,080
At £340. With us in the room now
at 340.
993
00:56:17,600 --> 00:56:19,600
But there's one particular piece
994
00:56:19,600 --> 00:56:21,720
that has really grabbed my attention.
995
00:56:21,720 --> 00:56:23,800
For me, this has enormous appeal
996
00:56:23,800 --> 00:56:26,000
as a souvenir
of the Great Exhibition.
997
00:56:26,000 --> 00:56:28,920
For a start, it has this fantastic
painting on glass,
998
00:56:28,920 --> 00:56:31,280
of the Crystal Palace itself.
999
00:56:31,280 --> 00:56:34,520
Open it up, and you discover
it's a tea caddy.
1000
00:56:34,520 --> 00:56:36,640
So it's functional
as well as decorative.
1001
00:56:36,640 --> 00:56:38,640
It's also made from papier-mache,
1002
00:56:38,640 --> 00:56:42,080
which was a very popular material
for making all manner of items,
1003
00:56:42,080 --> 00:56:44,400
from small pieces of furniture,
such as tables,
1004
00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:47,440
to tea caddies and even perhaps
pen boxes and trays.
1005
00:56:47,440 --> 00:56:50,800
This would have been an ideal
souvenir for the middle class visitor
1006
00:56:50,800 --> 00:56:52,400
to the Great Exhibition.
1007
00:56:52,400 --> 00:56:55,640
A rather exceptional Victorian
papier-mache tea caddy.
1008
00:56:55,640 --> 00:56:58,800
Great Exhibition, 1851.
Interest, as you'd imagine.
1009
00:56:58,800 --> 00:57:02,440
The tea caddy is estimated
to go for £150.
1010
00:57:02,440 --> 00:57:06,360
£320, I'm bid. 340. 360. 380.
1011
00:57:06,360 --> 00:57:08,240
400. 420.
1012
00:57:08,240 --> 00:57:11,960
But there are several interested
bidders both in the room and online.
1013
00:57:11,960 --> 00:57:13,360
Still on the internet.
1014
00:57:13,360 --> 00:57:15,920
At £540.
1015
00:57:15,920 --> 00:57:17,800
At 540.
1016
00:57:17,800 --> 00:57:19,720
Are you sure, online?
1017
00:57:19,720 --> 00:57:23,160
We give you it at 540.
The best is online now.
1018
00:57:24,720 --> 00:57:27,760
£540 was a fantastic price for that.
1019
00:57:27,760 --> 00:57:30,640
And the reason?
It was in fantastic condition.
1020
00:57:30,640 --> 00:57:32,920
Papier-mache can be
very easily damaged.
1021
00:57:32,920 --> 00:57:35,120
If it's dropped,
the glass would break.
1022
00:57:35,120 --> 00:57:37,920
Even the insides
of the tea caddy compartments
1023
00:57:37,920 --> 00:57:40,120
were still lined with their tinfoil.
1024
00:57:40,120 --> 00:57:44,120
An absolutely fantastic buy for
whoever was lucky enough to get it.
1025
00:57:50,920 --> 00:57:55,840
Many of these items on sale
are not of great intrinsic value.
1026
00:57:55,840 --> 00:57:59,040
Like inexpensively-produced
royal ceramics, they prove
1027
00:57:59,040 --> 00:58:03,360
you don't need deep pockets to own
a piece of ceremonial history.
1028
00:58:03,360 --> 00:58:07,640
Antiques associated
with weddings and funerals
1029
00:58:07,640 --> 00:58:09,440
give us a fascinating insight
1030
00:58:09,440 --> 00:58:13,680
into how we've changed the way
we mark personal milestones.
1031
00:58:13,680 --> 00:58:17,040
Today, many of these objects look
like they no longer have a function,
1032
00:58:17,040 --> 00:58:19,280
but actually they do.
1033
00:58:19,280 --> 00:58:21,800
Their purpose
is to commemorate an event,
1034
00:58:21,800 --> 00:58:24,680
and to give us something
to remember it by.
1035
00:58:51,360 --> 00:58:54,400
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.
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