BBC Antiques Roadshow expert dampens guest's hopes over mysterious portrait as he admits 'value isn't huge'

On Sunday evening, BBC Antiques Roadshow fans got another chance to see the array of hidden treasures on show from guests at Stonor Park.

In the episode, which originally aired in 2021, Fiona Bruce and the team headed to Oxfordshire where they examined artefacts such as ancient wooden carvings, an antique from Pearl Harbour and an LS Lowry painting.

But a portrait from one guest with a deep familial connection caught expert Chris Yeo's eye.

"You brought this in today. What can you tell me about it?" the expert asked.

The Antiques Roadshow guest replied: "My father recently passed away and we've been going through sorting out his house, under the stairs we found about 30 pictures, nearly all by people called Stead which is my surname! This chap particularly appealed to me."

Delving into the intricacies of the portrait, Yeo said: "Well if you look at the picture itself, it's an engraving and the gentleman in question is probably a minister, possibly a pastor, and holding what we imagine to be a bible or prayer book, possibly.

BBC Antiques Roadshow: Chris Yeo

"We can date this picture absolutely accurately because it is dated, 1934, along with the signature, Leslie Stead. What relation was he to you?"

"He would've been my grandfather's brother so my great-uncle I believe," the guest answered.

"I know a little bit, Leslie Stead was an illustrator, he famously illustrated the Biggles books -" the guest added, prompting Yeo to interject: "So a big Biggles connection?"

The guest continued: "Yes. And I just liked the picture, I thought it was interesting and thought someone else might like to see it."

BBC Antiques Roadshow: Chris Yeo

Sadly for the guest, as the conversation turned towards putting a price on the portrait, the numbers underwhelmed.

Yeo admitted: "It's a great image. I mean, value-wise it isn't huge.

"What are we talking? £80 to £120, that sort of figure," Yeo conceded as the guest nodded along.

However, Yeo was keen not to end on a flat note, insisting there was more to the portrait than a monetary value.

He said: "In so many ways, the real story here is who is this man? Is there anyone watching now who could perhaps help us identify him because there's a story to be told here and it would be lovely to know more.

"Definitely," the guest replied before the valuation was brought to a close.

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BBC Antiques Roadshow: Chris Yeo

Bruce then urged viewers to get in touch if they had any information about the subject of the portrait.

Elsewhere in the show, there was better news for an owner of a piece of 18th-century craftsmanship when expert Marc Allum slapped a huge price tag on a "staggeringly intricate" wooden artefact.