'Antiques Roadshow' guest says 'it becomes a horrible problem' after her painting gets appraised
The guest couldn't believe that her collection was worth so much money.
July 11 2025, Published 11:45 a.m. ET
"Antiques Roadshow" has raised awareness among people about old artworks lying around in their homes being valuable items. But that doesn't mean they can come up with an accurate estimate for these artifacts. One such guest got a major shock after learning the value of her prized paintings. The owner of a collection of L. S. Lowry artwork left the appraiser, Hugh Scully, in disbelief, as he had never seen pieces of art like that on the show before. While he told the guest that the paintings needed to be authenticated, he left her speechless with an appraisal of over £100,000 or about $136,014.
In the episode, Scully mentioned that he was amazed to see the collection from the renowned artist on the show. "I must say when this popped out, I mean I couldn't have been more surprised and delighted because as far as I'm concerned it's absolutely right," he said. He further explained that while the artwork needed to go to the Lowry Museum for authentication, he was confident that it was absolutely "spot on."
The owner told the expert, "I bought it from a friend of mine, an elderly gentleman about 79 years of age. They (the paintings) belonged to his wife, who passed away," she told Scully. The expert then noted that all the features of the painting indicated that it was from L.S. Lowry, and it was probably created around 1937. "I just love the color and the business of the streets, and for my own taste it is not too melancholic, it's not too brooding, it has a busyness and kind of optimistic air," he added.
He noted that the style and impasto in the painting were signs that it was the real deal, but it still needed a little bit of "a gentle clean." Coming to the next item in the collection, Scully asked the guest to explain what it was. "This is a cigarette packet, and you can see that because here the folds of it are going across. This lady was in a show with him (L. S. Lowry), and he was sitting in the car, and he started to sketch this. And then when he finished, he was about to throw it through the window, and she said, 'Don't do that' and he said, 'Well, I'll sign it for you if you want it,'" she shared.
The expert noted that it was a lovely story, and it added to the value of the collection. "He really was going to throw it out the window? He didn't realize the value of his paintings," he noted. He explained that the sketch was actually the subject of the painting, which makes the two items complementary.
Before coming to the appraisal, Scully asked the owner if she had any idea of the value of the collection. When the guest said she had no idea, Scully went on to nearly knock her out of the chair by sharing a whopping £100,000 (~$136,014). "Oh gosh, now! It now becomes a horrible problem!" the guest said in response.
In the end, Scully told the guest that while a conservative estimate would be around £60,000 to £80,000 (~$80,000 to $100,000) but he was confident that the item could easily bring £100,000 at auction.
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