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Andy McConnell

Andy was the first expert on the Antiques Roadshow who specialised in glass.

Fact title Fact data
Joined the Roadshow:
2005
Memorable find:
Early 18th century English wine glass

Andy started buying and selling antiques at 14-years-old and he is now a specialised glass journalist / historian. He has written three major books about glassware including The Decanter: Ancient to Modern and 20th Century Glass, which covers the more recent past. Andy lectures widely and writes for journals as diverse as The Times, Country Life, and Glass Matters. His passion for his subject is reflected in his personal collection of some 30,000 pieces of glass.

Andy joined the Antiques Roadshow in 2005 as the first specialist to deal solely with glass. He regularly keeps visitors entertained with his unique style, combining his humour and passion and which he regards as a form of ’street theatre’. Before working in antiques full-time, Andy enjoyed a successful career as a rock & roll journalist in Hollywood, California.

More recently, he spoke at the United Nations’ Palais des Nations, Geneva, at the launch of the UN’s Year of Glass, 2022. One item that sticks out in Andy’s memory came into the Roadshow at Leeds Town Hall in 2009. This large English wine goblet made from lead glass was an incredible survivor from 1710. The owners (and the watching crowd) were amazed at Andy’s valuation and it was later sold for £7,500.