New heights in expertise

[Peter Brydon]

I dont know if anyone else was watching the Antiques Roadshow last night, their militaria " expert" ( he with the Blue Peter badge ) was looking at a painting which depicted an incident in the Battle of Waterloo.

One of his comments about the British officer in the picture was "he is wearing a sabretache the mark of a despatch rider ". I think the remark might have been influenced by a description on the painting about the officer being intercepted on the way to deliver some despatches.

Pleased to have learnt something new: " officers wearing sabretaches are despatch Riders ".

P.B.

[manchesters]

I half expected to see a motor bike moving in from the right!

[tynesideirish]

That expert Graham Lay was always wrong. His values were always way out, including important medal groups, valued in the hundreds of pounds instead of the thousands on a regular basis. I say were because he died last year.

[Peter Brydon]

Sad to hear about anyone's death. Looking at this:

http://www.wallisandwallis.co.uk/graham-lay

I can now understand why he appeared to be making it up as he went along. It seems anyone can become an expert in any subject if they are in the right place at the right time.

P.B.

[bewley]

Originally Posted by Peter Brydon

Sad to hear about anyone's death. Looking at this:

http://www.wallisandwallis.co.uk/graham-lay

I can now understand why he appeared to be making it up as he went along. It seems anyone can become an expert in any subject if they are in the right place at the right time.

P.B.

Not sure that is a fair comment under the circumstances.
Are you saying that because he started life as an auctioneers porter, spent a great deal of time working within the industry, alongside some very knowledgable people, at several specialists auction houses, picking up a fair bit of knowlledge on the way, cataloguing sales, attending sales, meeting and advising the collectors disposing of their hard built collections, he was not qualified to 'step up' when the opportunity arose?

ps
i do agree that some of his valuations were a bit wayward.

[Jelly Terror]

I saw this episode. I seem to recall the 'expert' in question might have been Paul Atterbury:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Atterbury

[Peter Brydon]

Bewley,

No I am not saying that at all, I am saying that with some knowledge of Antiques generally and being the expert on the A.R. as the Miscellaneous items expert can you suddenly become the "Militaria " expert ?


I know many of the household names on the Antiques programmes on the telly started their careers as Porters in auction houses.

In the professional body of which I am a retired member you are not allowed to carry out valuation work in locations or on properties of which you have no knowledge or experience.

Peter