Antiques Roadshow expert Frances Christie refused to value a Second World War painting.
The popular BBC antiques show took a surprising turn during a previously aired episode on Sunday (April 28). It saw host Fiona Bruce visit Ulster Folk Museum and a guest show expert Frances Christie a portrait of a priest, their uncle.
The antiques buff asked the guest: “This is an incredibly striking portrait of a priest in watercolour and I love how the artist has captured the glint on his glasses. Can you tell us a bit more about the sitter?”
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Revealing their connection to the subject in the painting, the guest replied: “The sitter is my uncle, Father Dan Cummings. And he was a Redemptorist priest.
(Image: BBC)
“And when World War II broke out, Ireland was neutral. But then, they got a request for chaplains. So, Dan volunteered and joined the British Army. He was part of the liberation forces at Belsen.”
Stating the link to a German concentration camp during the war, Frances explained: “And of course, as we now know, Belsen was one of the very large concentration camps in the north of Germany, and it was one of the first to be liberated by British troops. Once the liberation happened, he stayed on in the hospital for one year. And during that period, this was painted by one of the inmates, presumably as part of his recuperation and rehabilitation.
(Image: BBC)
The expert saw that it was signed at the top with “Baumeister, Hans” and dated 1946, which was one year after the liberation of the camp. She went on: “As you say, it must’ve been part of the period directly afterward when, you know, we all know the story now, (but) it was such a shocking discovery when they liberated Belsen.
“What I think is incredible about this portrait though is that it brings alive – and you’re sharing with us – the experiences of clearly someone, from here, who devoted his services and clearly made a real difference.” She then told the guest that she wouldn’t value the item as it held more importance than that.
(Image: BBC)
She said: “In terms of value, I mean, this is the Antiques Roadshow, so we usually do put a value on things but I’m not going to put a monetary value on it today because it is so much more important than that.
“Because of its connection with Belsen, because of your uncle being someone from Belfast who was there at the moment of liberation… it has so much more of an important social (and) historical content.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
