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British antique expert From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hilary Marion Kay (born 16 December 1956)[1] is a British antiques expert, author and lecturer, probably best known for her many appearances on BBC TVs Antiques Roadshow programme on which she is a member of the team of experts.
Hilary Kay | |
|---|---|
Kay receiving her certificate of Australian citizenship from Tony Abbott, January 2015 | |
| Born | 16 December 1956 |
| Nationality | British, Australian |
| Occupation(s) | Antiques expert, television presenter, author, lecturer |
| Television | Antiques Roadshow |
Kay's first job was working for fine art and antique dealers Spink & Son in St. James's.[2] In 1977, Kay accepted an offer to join Sotheby's Collectors’ Department. Later that year Kay became head of that department and, aged 21, became the company's youngest ever[citation needed] auctioneer. A rock and roll fan, in 1981 Kay held the world's first[citation needed] rock and roll memorabilia auction, handled the sale of Elton John's collection in 1988 and in 1992 wrote Rock ’n’ Roll Collectables: An Illustrated History of Rock Memorabilia, the first[citation needed] textbook on the subject.
As well as working on television as an expert on Antiques Roadshow from 1979 onwards,[2][3] Kay presented a landmark series for BBC One, Brilliantly British, which explored the lives of Thomas Chippendale, Josiah Wedgwood and William Morris. Kay has written or contributed to a number of books on the subject of antiques and collectables and has appeared in numerous television and radio programmes.
Kay is a fan of mechanical antiques, having been born into a family of Engineers. She is also a car enthusiast; one of her early influences was the James Bond film Goldfinger, where she loved the Aston Martin DB5. In 2009, for a special episode of BBC TV's Priceless Antiques Roadshow, Kay was behind the wheel of the Aston Martin DB5 driven by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.
Kay, by then a Senior Director, left Sotheby's in 1999. She now runs Art & Antique Events, a corporate entertainment company which provides antiques-based events and entertainments to corporate and private clients.[4] She created and produces a stage show with fellow Antiques Roadshow expert Paul Atterbury called 'Have You Had it Long Madam?' (Tales from the Roadshow),[5] which has toured the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
On 27 December 2010 Kay won an edition of BBC One's Celebrity Mastermind, with a score of 36 points,[6] having chosen 'The Life and Works of Josiah Wedgwood' as her specialist subject.[7]
Currently Kay presents and curates the online art appreciation course, The Art Institute,[8] operating in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and Ireland.
Kay has joint British and Australian citizenship.[9]
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