Antiques Roadshow

Not all readers of the blog will be able to see this, but if you live in the United Kingdom or can otherwise figure out how to access BBC Player, you can see the son of Geoffrey Lawrence, who was the presiding judge at the Nuremberg trial, on – get ready for this – Antiques Road Show. It starts at about 25 minutes.

Antiques Road Show normally interviews people who have an old Chinese vase in their attic, and they come to learn that it is worth 20 grand or that it is worthless.

Lawrence’s son came with three scrapbooks that were kept by his mother during the trial. They include many original snapshots, including family photos, and a collection of sketches of the defendants made by the Soviet prosecutor Nikotchenko. Lawrence fils said he found Nikotchenko to be quite charming.

He was a boy of about 17 at the time, and spent his summer vacation in 1946 at Nuremberg. He describes attending some of the hearings. Judging by appearances, he is certainly the son of Geoffrey Lawrence.

Besides the three scrapbooks, Lawrence produced the British flag that flew in the courtroom.

We were told that these materials are available to the public at the Galleries ofJustice Museum, in Nottingham.

The interviewer suggested the value might be 30,000 pounds, but said that was a meaningless number, and the real value was the contribution that the Nuremberg trial made to the modern world.

Thanks to Rick Lines.