04-07-2025
BBC Antiques Roadshow expert taken aback as guest admits nearly binning JFK poster with big price tag
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An Antiques Roadshow guest insisted her husband tell "the truth" about their discovery of a historic and valuable newspaper poster.
BBC expert Clive Farahar was taken aback at Roundhay Park, Leeds, when a couple brought forward an intriguing banner from the 1960s, which starkly announced: "'Kennedy dead' I mean, this is absolutely shocking announcing stark news just like that.
"Evening Standard, London newspaper, where did you find this?" Farahar inquired.
The husband began his tale: "Well growing up in London in the 1950s, my parents had some utility furniture", only to be interrupted by Farahar who clarified that utility furniture referred to items made during wartime.
The man resumed: "And one of the items was a sideboard which I inherited. Earlier this year, we needed some space in the garage -"
In a surprising twist, his wife interjected with a demand for honesty: "The truth."
Farahar, puzzled, asked for clarification, prompting the wife to explain: "I decided the garage was a tip. And we needed to tidy it up.
"And he said the sideboard was just full of old paintings and you know, the sort of stuff you keep."
(Image: BBC)
Her husband then continued: "The drawers were properly lined. The last one was this [newspaper banner] folded over.
"It was probably laying there for 60-odd years."
The expert inquired about their whereabouts during the assassination of former President John F Kennedy, to which the man responded: "I was at school but it was sort of the event where one world stopped another another world started I thought."
His wife then shared: "Well in 1963, I was eight, and I was hiding behind the sofa and I heard my mother say 'Will there be another war?'"
"And that was it, wasn't it? That was the scary thing and you were in the right place, you were behind the sofa, absolutely right," the expert commented.
"As far as poster art is concerned, it is so stark isn't it? As a piece of poster, it's hard to think of it being valuable."
The woman then interjected to add: "That nearly went in the recycling bin.
(Image: BBC)
"Oh no you didn't?" Farahar asked with a shocked expression.
Referring to her husband, she elaborated: "You came out the garage and went 'Ooh look at this! This is really -' and I went 'put it in the recycling bin.'".
With a smile, Farahar said: "But instead you brought it to have it valued on the Antiques Roadshow. I'm going to put £1,000 on this."
Upon hearing the figure, the couple burst into laughter with her exclaiming "My God!"
"You nearly got rid of it! You nearly dismantled it!" Farahar joked, causing the pair to laugh even harder.
The wife excitedly exclaimed: "£1,000!" as the expert added: "And here it is on the Antiques Roadshow."
In unison, the couple simply stated: "Wow."
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
