Fiona Bruce visited Helmingham Hall in Suffolk this weekend for the latest instalment of Antiques Roadshow.
Antiques expert Mac Allum was tasked with evaluating a unique collection of Native American clothing items.
Discussing the collection, he began: “Over the years I’ve filmed quite a few Native American bead work items.
“But I have to say today when I opened the suitcase I was absolutely staggered by how much I was confronted with and I think what is more interesting is the fact you arrived here today and you didn’t come with any of this stuff at all, did you?
“You just happened to mention it so we sent you back home to get it and what an incredible selection of material you bought back.
“How did you come to have this incredible collection and what are your associations with it?”
“Well this came from my grandfather,” the owner explained. “He was the eighth of ten children and he went out to seek his fame and fortune in America, round about the 1890s.
“He ended up in the rocky mountains where he tried his hand at temporary extraction, mining and in the end was the president of the Kootenay central railway.
“In expanding the railway line he developed very close relationships with the Native American Indians on both sides of what is now the Canadian.”
Marc continued: “There are some incredible albums here, I had a quick look before and just extracted a couple of photographs here and I can see encampments with some very well armed hard working chaps and also this fabulous photograph of them all on horseback.
“Do you know if he’s in any of those photos?” Marc asked.
The owner revealed: “He’s not in those, he may well have taken these photographs, he was a rancher as well.
“He had ranch lands around Cranbrook in the Canadian rockies and indeed we actually visited some of his lands when we went over there five years ago.”
“You literally followed in his footsteps,” Marc quipped.
The couple then explained they had tracked down the rancher’s log cabin after recognising it from a photograph in the collection.
Marc went on to point a number of items in the collection, including beaded gloves, belts and jackets.
But he explained one item was problematic for the pair as a bonnet in the collection contained eagle feathers which are illegal to import or export.
Kicking off the valuation, he said: “If we start with that little papoose, a really great little item, fabulous beadwork and I can imagine that with a tiny little baby cocooned inside it…”
He revealed it was worth between £2-3000 before pointing to a pair of trousers and giving then a valuation of £4-6,000 a pair.
“So grandchildren shouldn’t play in them,” the owner’s wife remarked as Marc laughed.
The antiques expert then revealed the entire collection was worth between £60-80,000 leaving the couple speechless.
Regaining composure the owner’s wife said: “Oh golly. Glad we went home to get it for you.”
Antiques Roadshow airs Sunday at 8pm on BBC One.
