Antiques Roadshow guest bends over in disbelief as late parents’ ‘iconic’ chairs get whopping value
Antiques Roadshow guest bends over in disbelief as late parents’ ‘iconic’ chairs get whopping value
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WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow. An Antiques Roadshow expert couldn’t help but be impressed by a woman’s set of valuable chairs that had been passed down by her late parents. Expert Will Farmer met with an American guest at Pollok Park in Glasgow who was lounging in one of the three chairs that she wanted to be valued. Farmer joked: “Well, I feel, looking at you sat here this psychiatrist’s chair, I should ask, any problems? Any issues you want to talk about?”.
She laughed: “No, I’m alright”, as he continued: “Look, I think there is only one issue and only one problem here that clearly, like me, you have a love of mid-century modern furniture. “So come on, fill in the blanks for me. Where does this amazing array of chairs come from?”. Explaining their provenance, the guest said: “Well the chairs come from my parents, actually. They grew up in the 1930s and 1940s in Detroit. And my dad was the first in his family to go to college, let alone medical school.
“He turned out to be a psychiatrist. Because he had no sense of art or design or anything, but my mum did - she was a huge fan of design - this is one of her original books. “So she trotted them off to Herman Miller in Michigan, and they kind of went to town. So they bought stuff for his office and for their home.”. Farmer replied: “So this is your father’s psychiatrist couch? So now in your home, but many people before you have sat there and talked through their problems.”.
As she agreed, he shared: “You know what? If I was going to talk through my problems, I think my problems would feel a lot better in this chair.”. The guest then teased: “Or you could sit here and have a cocktail," prompting laughter from those watching the appraisal. Pointing to the middle leather chair, Farmer said: “This is, to my mind, and to anyone’s money, an icon. “This chair was designed by Charles and Ray Eames. This is the 670 and 671 lounge chair and ottoman. First designed in 1956. Eames based the design on a 19th Century club chair. I mean, they called it a refuge from the strains of modern life.
“He always said that he loved it when the leather got worn and when they got beaten up and he wanted it to look like a well-worn baseball mitt.”. The expert then admitted: “It is such a beautiful bit of design and I will admit I’ve got one as well,” with the guest smiling: “Hey hey!”. It was then time to turn his attention to the coconut chairs on either side, designed by George Nelson with a “double credit with George Mulhauser”.
“When the design was first patented, the idea of it is, it was meant to look like a segment of coconut,” he said. “It was about ease and freedom of movement. These [two blue chairs] designed, 1955. “That [the psychiatrist’s chair] designed, 1956. Still in production today. Still considered two of the most important chairs of the 20th Century.”. The guest teased: “You’re making me feel important,” with Farmer agreeing: “You are important. These chairs are important. I love them.
“The thing I also love - do I see there the original invoice? So, this was, in 1962, $528. It’s a lot of money back then. But these are still a lot of money today.”. Sadly, when she was asked if her parents were still alive, the guest confirmed they were no longer with us but shared that the chairs felt “like my family at home”. It was then time to appraise the items: “So we need to talk numbers. They’re a little bit beaten up.
“Coconut chair, period example, without its ottoman. £2,000. Coconut chair, period example, with its ottoman, £3,000. “Lounge chair and ottoman, period example, original gorgeous, and, because it is such a lovely, lovely example, in such honest condition, I’m going to say £4,000 to £6,000.”. Bending over in disbelief, the guest exclaimed: “Wow! Honestly? In that condition, that’s amazing.”.
He continued: “I think here, because of the honesty, the history, the receipts, the story, the collective wow, you’ve got between £10,000 and £12,000.”. “Oh man!” the guest reacted as he asked: “They’re going to live with you for a long time, aren’t they?”, to which she said: “Absolutely, yeah.”. In a separate interview, she later said: “It’s great to get them in the light of day, so to speak. We admire them so much but it’s just nice to share it.”.
