Lars Tharp
Encyclopedia
Lars Broholm Tharp is a Danish-born historian, lecturer and broadcaster, and one of the longest running 'experts' on the BBC
antiques programme, Antiques Roadshow
, first appearing in 1986.
on 27 March 1954, the son of Harry Tharp and Anne Marie Broholm. He was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys
in Leicester
, England, before studying for an undergraduate degree in Archaeology
and Anthropology
at Gonville and Caius College
, Cambridge University.
in London, and Visiting Professor
at De Montfort University
, Leicester.
Tharp is also well-known for his appearances as a ceramics expert on the British antiques programme Antiques Roadshow
. Tharp explained the appeal of the programme as follows:
Apart from antiques, Tharp has a particular interest in music, having played the cello
since the age of eight. He also lists European and Chinese travel among his interests.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
antiques programme, Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
, first appearing in 1986.
Early life and education
Tharp was born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
on 27 March 1954, the son of Harry Tharp and Anne Marie Broholm. He was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys
Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College
Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College, or "Q.E" is a sixth form college in Leicester, England.-Admissions:There are 1,865 full-time 16-18 year-old students and 140 teaching staff. More than 40 subjects are offered at A Level. Somewhat against the national trend Mathematics and Sciences account...
in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England, before studying for an undergraduate degree in Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at Gonville and Caius College
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
, Cambridge University.
Career
In 1977, a year after graduating, Tharp began working as an auctioneer at Sothebys, where he specialised in European and Chinese ceramics. Tharp continued to work with Sothebys for sixteen years, becoming a director in 1983. In 2008 he was appointed the Director of the Foundling MuseumFoundling Museum
The Foundling Museum in London tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, Britain's first home for abandoned children. The museum houses the nationally important Foundling Hospital Art Collection as well as the Gerald Coke Handel Collection, the world's greatest privately amassed collection of...
in London, and Visiting Professor
Visiting scholar
In the world of academia, a visiting scholar or visiting academic is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university, where he or she is projected to teach , lecture , or perform research on a topic the visitor is valued for...
at De Montfort University
De Montfort University
De Montfort University is a public research and teaching university situated in the medieval Old Town of Leicester, England, adjacent to the River Soar and the Leicester Castle Gardens...
, Leicester.
Tharp is also well-known for his appearances as a ceramics expert on the British antiques programme Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
. Tharp explained the appeal of the programme as follows:
A joy of Antiques Roadshow is inevitably someone will bring something used as a dog's bowl or an umbrella stand which turns out to be worth a fortune.
Personal life
Tharp lives in Leicestershire with his wife Gillian Block, whom he married in 1983. They have two daughters.Apart from antiques, Tharp has a particular interest in music, having played the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
since the age of eight. He also lists European and Chinese travel among his interests.
Television
- The Antiques Roadshow (1986-present) - expert
- The Real Collector's Guide (1995) - presnter
- Antiques Inspectors (1997, 1999) - expert
- Inside Antiques (2004) - presenter
- Castle in the Country (2004-2008) - expert
Radio
- Hidden Treasures (1998-2002) - writer
- Out of the Fire (2000) - presenter
- For What It's Worth (2002-2006) - presenter
- Men in Bow Ties (2007) - presenter
- On the China Trail (2007) - presenter
- Earth to Earth: Potted Immortality (2009) - presenter
- Twenty Minutes: There's Something About the Cello (2011) - presenter
Publications
- The Little, Brown Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Antiques (ed. with Paul AtterburyPaul AtterburyPaul Atterbury, FRSA is a British antiques expert, probably best known for his many appearances since 1979 on the BBC TV programme Antiques Roadshow.-Biography:...
), 1994 - Hogarth's China: Hogarth's Paintings and Eighteenth-century Ceramics, 1997
- Reader's Digest: Treasures in Your Home (with David BattieDavid BattieDavid Battie FRSA is a British expert on ceramics with a particular emphasis on Japanese and Chinese works.After attending art school where he studied as a graphic designer, Battie joined Reader's Digest magazine for three years. In 1965, he join the auction house Sotheby's...
) - How to Spot a Fake, 1999
- A-Z of 20th Century Antiques (ed.), 2000