Kibworth & Smeeton WI
Provenance
Our March speaker, Penny Morris from Gildings Auctioneers, spoke about provenance and its part in authenticating and valuing items. Her first example was a landscape by artist A.J. Munnings, which was unusual because he famously painted horses. Given to a friend of his, a female Master of the Hunt in the 1930s (again unusual). It sold for £104,000 because of its history.
A vintage Hammond typewriter would have fetched £200-£300, but it was owned by Rev C.L. Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, which raised its value to £6,500.
A police charge sheet from the 1950s might have raised £2, but one with four signatures on the back sold for £3,000 – because a Police officer drove The Beatles to a gig in their early days and the charge sheet was the only available piece of paper he had to get their autographs! A pair of C19th stockings, worn by Queen Victoria before Albert’s death, sold for £1,000. On their tops was a crown surmounted by VR, which, together with the feel of the fabric, helped to authenticate them. Early in her career, Penny handled jewellery items from an elderly lady, which were found by assay marks to be Carl Faberge creations. A gold charm necklace hung with tiny eggs fetched £8,300, whilst a leather jewellery case stamped “Moscow” raised £1,300.
To Gildings it’s a privilege to handle such items. They do their best for clients and invest in researching the provenance of an item using the owner’s stories, genealogy and other resources. Working for an auctioneer, Penny said, is exciting because you never know what’s coming!
Leicestershire and Rutland Federation’s AGM
Some members enjoyed Leicestershire and Rutland Federation’s AGM 2026 recently. A highlight was Adam Henson of BBC Countryfile talking about working on the family farm in the Cotswolds where he was born and raised. He also co-owns the Cotswold Farm Park visitor attraction. A polished presenter,
Adam is passionate about conservation and promoting modern farming methods and careers to young people. Think driverless tractors and satellite-guided combine harvesters!
Our next meeting on Thursday 14 May meeting is Indian Cooking, 7.30pm, in Kibworth Community Hub.
Local author shortlisted
