| Eric Knowles | |
| Honorific Suffix: | FRSA |
| Birth Date: | 19 February 1953 |
| Birth Place: | Nelson, Lancashire, England |
| Nationality: | British |
| Occupation: | Antiquarian Television personality |
Eric Knowles FRSA (born 19 February 1953 in Nelson, Lancashire, England)[1] is a British antiquarian and television personality, whose main interests are in ceramics and glass.
Knowles joined the London auction house Bonhams as a porter in the ceramics department in 1976 and became head of the department in 1981.[2] By 1992 he had set up Bonham's offices in Bristol. He returned to London to continue with directing the Decorative Arts Department.[3] He was appointed non-exective director of scottishantiques.com (The Hoard Limited) a "decorative art and design emporium" in the Corn Exchange in The Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells in July 2021. He retired in November 2023. [4]
He first earned fame as a ceramics expert on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow. He has also appeared in such programmes as, Going for a Song, Going, Going, Gone, Noel's House Party, Call My Bluff and 20th Century Roadshow. He has presented the 20 episodes of Restoration Roadshow on BBC for several weeks in the summer of 2010 (ending 3 September).[5] He is the challenger setter and adjudicator on BBC Two's Antiques Master assisting host Sandi Toksvig. As of 2012, he is on the UK TV show Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.[6] After Tim Wonnacott left Bargain Hunt, Knowles became one of a number of 'guest presenters' hosting the show. He also appeared in the series Clash of the Collectables, which he co-hosted with Alan Carter.
Knowles is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an Ambassador for the Prince's Trust. Knowles is associated with several other charities including Headway, FABLE (For a better life with epilepsy), the New Mozart Orchestra and Wycombe Scanappeal.[2] He has lectured at the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum, and important national museums in Australia, Canada, the US, South Africa, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
Knowles had the Freedom of the City of London bestowed in 2000.
He is a published author on subjects such as Victoriana, Royal memorabilia, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and René Lalique.
His son Seb was killed in a road accident in May 2015.[7]