TUESDAY 2 JUNE 2026

THE GENIUS OF RENE LALIQUE 

PRESENTED BY ANDY MCCONNELL

René Lalique was the 20th century's greatest glass designer/entrepeneur. Lalique's extraordinary work was unrivalled, combining his unique visual sense with a perfect understanding of glassmaking technologies and revolutionary approach to marketing. This talk is a visual feast, covers Lalique's early work in jewels and furniture before he dedicated the remainder of his life, c1905-45, to glass. His output spanned simple, pressed cosmetic pots through car mascots and stemware to the unique cire perdu [lost wax] vases that today can command tens and even millions of pounds.

Andy has dealt in antiques since adolescence, but served an apprenticeship in journalism. After working in music, film and television, he returned to writing in 2004 as the author of the acclaimed tome The Decanter, An Illustrated History of Glass From 1650. He followed this in 2006 with Miller's' 20th Century Glass. He has written for journals as diverse as The Times and Glass Circle News and ran Britain's largest antique and vintage glass gallery in Rye, Sussex. He is best known as the glass specialist on BBC's evergreen Antiques Roadshow.