Henry Sandon
{{Short description|British antiques expert (1928–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Henry Sandon
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}
| image = Henry & John Sandon (4960622505) (Henry cropped).jpg
| caption = Sandon in 2010
| birth_name = Henry George Sandon
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|8|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = London, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|12|25|1928|8|4|df=y}}
| death_place = Malvern, England
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| education = Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe
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| occupation = {{hlist|Antique expert|television personality|author|lecturer}}
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| known_for = Authority on Royal Worcester porcelain
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| television = Antiques Roadshow
| spouse = {{marriage|Barbara Starkey|1956|2013|reason=died}}
| partner =
| children = 3, including John
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}}
Henry George Sandon {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (10 August 1928 – 25 December 2023) was an English antiques expert, television personality, author and lecturer who specialised in ceramics and was a notable authority on Royal Worcester porcelain. He was the curator of the Dyson Perrins Museum for many years.
Early life
Sandon was born on 10 August 1928 in the East End of London. He was the son of Italian-born Augusto Sandoni and his English wife Clara (née Mellish). Due to his father's background as a dog trainer for films, he had an early career as a child actor in silent films, with a leading role in The Cockney Kid.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jan/03/henry-sandon-obituary|title=Henry Sandon obituary|first=Anthony|last=Hayward|date=3 January 2024|newspaper=The Guardian}} Sandon was evacuated to Buckinghamshire during the Second World War and finished his schooling at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. He then studied at the Guildhall School of Music and became a singer and music teacher at the Royal Grammar School Worcester and a lay clerk in the Worcester Cathedral Choir.{{cite book|date= 2005|editor-first=David|editor-last=Battie|first=Fiona|last=Malcolm|isbn=1-84533-060-9|title=The Antiques Roadshow|publisher=Mitchell Beazley|pages=51–52, 94}}
Career
File:AntiquesRoadshowHenrySandon.JPG
He began his career as an archaeologist and became interested in the history of ceramics after discovering Roman pots in his garden in Worcester. During the 1950s, he collected ceramic art from buildings in Worcester that were being demolished. He was appointed curator of the Dyson Perrins Museum at the Royal Worcester factory in 1966 and held that position until 1982. He was described as "the world's leading authority on Worcester porcelain."
Sandon joined BBC One's Antiques Roadshow for its second series in 1979 and made many appearances on the programme across 40 years.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/dec/26/antiques-roadshow-pottery-expert-henry-sandon-dies-at-95 |title=Antiques Roadshow pottery expert Henry Sandon dies at 95 |first=Helen |last=Pidd |date=26 December 2023 |newspaper=The Guardian}} One of his projects was an excavation at the Royal Worcester factory site. He was also a former curator of the Gardiner Museum in Toronto.
On 3 April 2002 Sandon was the subject of Thames Television's This is Your Life with Michael Aspel.{{cite web | url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/7710885.henry-sandon-on-this-is-your-life/ | title=Henry Sandon on This is Your Life | date=4 April 2002 }}
Personal life and death
Sandon was married to Barbara Starkey for 56 years, before her death in 2013.{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/12/26/henry-sandon-antiques-roadshow-porcelain-obituary/ |title=Henry Sandon, Antiques Roadshow expert and leading authority on Worcester porcelain – obituary |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=26 December 2023 |url-access=subscription}} They had three sons together, including John Sandon, also a well-known antiques expert and television personality.{{Cite web |date=9 February 2013 |title=Antiques expert Henry loses his beloved wife |url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/10217071.antiques-expert-henry-loses-his-beloved-wife/ |website=Worcester News}}
Sandon died from a stroke at a care home in Malvern, Worcestershire, on 25 December 2023, at the age of 95.{{cite news |last1=Madden |first1=Sophie |title=Antiques Roadshow's Henry Sandon dies aged 95 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-67822747 |access-date=26 December 2023 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 December 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Hayward |first1=Anthony |title=Henry Sandon obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jan/03/henry-sandon-obituary |access-date=3 January 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=3 January 2024}} Following his death, the Museum of Royal Worcester wrote "It is with great sadness we share the news that Henry Sandon passed away on Christmas morning. Our curator and then patron of the Museum for many years, a much-loved expert who shared his knowledge and enthusiasm for pots and Worcester in person, in books & on tv. Sorely missed."
The episode of Antiques Roadshow broadcast on 14 January 2024 included a short tribute to Sandon.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001vfkx/antiques-roadshow-series-46-11-alexandra-gardens-cardiff-2|title=Antiques Roadshow - Series 46: 11. Alexandra Gardens, Cardiff 2|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}
Honours
In 2000, he was voted Antiques Personality of the Year by the readers of BBC's Homes & Antiques magazine.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/antiquesuk/aboutseries/appraisers/sandon_h.html |accessdate=11 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418075925/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/antiquesuk/aboutseries/appraisers/sandon_h.html |archivedate=18 April 2009 |website=PBS |title=Antiques Roadshow UK: Appraisers: Sandon, H }} He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to broadcasting, the ceramics industry, and to charity.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3MjcCQFCY23HqPgbPDrcQPm/henry-sandon|title=BBC One – Antiques Roadshow – Henry Sandon|website=BBC}}
The Henry Sandon Hall at the Royal Porcelain works in Worcester is named in his honour.{{cite web |title=Our Spaces |url=https://www.royalporcelainworks.co.uk/our-spaces/ |website=Royal Porcelain Works |access-date=26 December 2023}} He opened the centre for the arts in 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/16325481.video-watch-worcester-porcelain-expert-henry-sandon-officially-open-royal-porcelain-works/|title=VIDEO: Watch Worcester Porcelain expert Henry Sandon officially open the Royal Porcelain Works|date=30 June 2018|website=Worcester News}}
Selected publications
- {{cite book |year=1969 |title=British Pottery and Porcelain for Pleasure and Investment |location=London |publisher=John Gifford Ltd |isbn=978-0707102917}}
- {{cite book |year=1980 |orig-year=1969 |title=The Illustrated Guide to Worcester Porcelain 1751 – 1793 |location=London |publisher=Barrie & Jenkins |isbn=978-0091421106}}
- {{cite book |year=1974 |title=Coffee Pots and Teapots for the Collector |location=New York |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn= 978-0668033374}}
- {{cite book |year=1975 |orig-year=1973 |title=Royal Worcester Porcelain 1862 to the Present Day |location=London/ New York |publisher=Barrie & Jenkins / Clarkson N. Potter |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0214201066}}
- {{cite book |year=1997 |title=Living with the Past |location=London |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |isbn=978-0340694268}}
- {{cite book |year=1999 |orig-year=1978 |title=Flight and Barr Worcester Porcelain 1783-1840 |location= |publisher= ACC Art Books |edition= |isbn=978-0902028753 }}
- The Sandon Guide to Royal Worcester Figures, 1900-1970 by David Sandon, Henry Sandon, and John Sandon (1986)
- Miniature Baptismal Fonts by Henry Sandon and Julian Wheeler (2016)
- Dictionary Worcester Porcelain, 1852-1952 by Henry Sandon (1995)
- Landscapes on Derby and Worcester Porcelain by Henry Sandon and John Twitchet (1984)
- Worcester Porcelain-Seventeen Fifty-One to Seventeen Ninety-Three by Henry Sandon (1983)
- Grainger's Worcester porcelain by Henry Sandon (1989)
See also
References
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090204172929/http://dfmanagement.tv/Henry_Sandon.html Henry Sandon] at David Foster Management
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08clswj Henry Sandon's Memories of VE Day], Antiques Roadshow website
- {{imdb name|0762065}}
- {{discogs artist|Henry Sandon}}
- [https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/henry-sandon-obituary-bsl63qd8t Obituary] at The Times (subscription required)
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Category:English antiques experts
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:People educated at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe