By Kathy Hull
There are few things more exciting in the world of dusty antiques than finding a “gem” of unexpected value, as attested by the continuing popularity of PBS’s “Antique Roadshow.” On Tuesday, March 14, the Beacon Hill Women’s Forum (BHWF) welcomes Lucy P. Grogan, local fine art and jewelry appraiser and auctioneer, who has appeared several times as an expert on the popular TV show. The upcoming event, dubbed “Going Once, Going Twice: The 21st Century Auction House,” will be held at 6-8 pm at Hampshire House, 84 Beacon Street.
Beacon Hill has long been known as an antique-rich neighborhood—and Grogan and Company’s Charles Street location reminds us of Boston’s enduring role within America’s history of fine arts and furniture. But today, an auction house can bring in bidders from across the world via long-distance technology, so that even a small family firm has international reach. Ms. Grogan comes from a family of art and antique specialists—she and her parents all hold degrees in Art History—but Lucy has become the gem expert. In a dramatic auction last month of a platinum, diamond and sapphire ring, Grogan sold it for fifteen times the estimate due to buyers’ expectations that it might be that rarity, a Kashmiri sapphire.
A graduate of Trinity College, Lucy was once a curatorial assistant at Brooklyn Museum of Art and, during a time in Wyoming, worked at Jackson Hole Art Auction and at Trailside Galleries in that beautiful city before returning to Boston.
BHWF is a local social group dedicated to welcoming new faces, developing community, and encouraging women of all ages in the Beacon Hill area to connect, inspire, and enjoy; Sandra Gilpatrick of Ridgeway Lane is current President. The group meets monthly from September through May and also sponsors dinners out, new mother’s get-togethers, tours of Boston, a cooking group and many other activities. To join and for more information, go to https://beaconhillwomensforum.org.