Monday, July 11, 2016

FROTHY HATS AND OTHER HEADGEAR ON ROADSHOW

The  BBC's Antiques Roadshow never ceases to entertain and  turn up items of extreme interest . Last night the show produced  the above  collection of  hats  which  had  belonged to the  romantic novel writer  Barbara  Cartland, bought by a woman's husband  at auction in 2000  for slightly more than 2000 pounds . Another unusual  item was an album of paintings in the 1810-1840s period , valued at 10,000 pounds ,  of a Quaker household  in which the gardener, Lockwood, wearing a  top hat , was  raking   leaves . Strange indeed  was the  caul, the  membrane  which  covered the head of  a baby when  he was born . It was supposed to be buried with him  later in  life , but he and his wife  died within  a short time of each other  and were  buried  in  a  mass  grave .