I’m a huge fan of antique prints. Yes, I know most dealers or auctioneers groan when presented with one unless it’s by an internationally known master, but I think they’re an undiscovered treasure trove. Partly because they are typically extremely affordable and allow us to own an original work by a major artist, or they […]
Antiques expert Mark Hill looks at a battered antique 1920s Steiff teddy bear bought in Berlin. Worn by love but still full of character, think about the stories he holeds within him.
Antiques expert Mark Hill examines a rare 19th century German or Bohemian enamelled glass painter’s advertising or promotional goblet.
Antiques expert Mark Hill considers a Georgian patch box or snuff box, bought for a song in Brighton, and then rescued by a heroic drag queen.
Antiques expert Mark Hill examines a Inuit soapstone sculpture by internationally respected sculptor John Kavik
Antiques expert Mark Hill travels to the German city of Leipzig, and check out some of its antiques and vintage shops, the Grassi Museum and the Alte Messe flea market.
Visiting the ‘OstBerlin‘ exhibition in the Museum Ephraim-Palais in Berlin last weekend, I was impressed by the quality and quantity of period paintings, drawings and prints of the developing East German part of the city, dating from the 1950s-80s. So, when I stumbled across an etching of a notable West German building from the same […]
The discovery of a group of architectural sketches by the Arts & Crafts architect Philip Webb in Bogota leads antiques expert Mark Hill to consider why they are there as he walks around the city.
This Christmas and New Year (December 2018 & January 2019), the banker and I decided to continue the holidays we’ve taken in South America over the years and cashed in our air miles to make a trip to Colombia. Despite what you may think, and the large numbers of policemen and soldiers on many streets, […]
I’m a great believer in supporting contemporary glassmakers and artists where I can. After all, they’re creating the treasures that future generations will treasure. Visiting Belfast to film for the Antiques Roadshow at the Stormont Parliament Buildings late last year, I managed to find some time to visit the city’s historic St George’s Market early […]
It’s all about the first look, and then about identifying and questioning what first made you think “Oh, that looks like a good thing”. It’s instinctive, even if you don’t quite know what or why. But there’s usually a feature or two that mark something out from the rest. We were visiting Saugatuck in rural […]
Last Thursday Alfie’s Antiques Market in Church St, Marylebone, London hit a major anniversary when it turned 40. It’s almost as old as me! A day of festivities, including a lecture on 20thC Glass given by me, culminated in an intimate party, held as part of the London Design Festival. Exhibiting in a pop-up shop […]