London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Pair of glasses belonging to Gandhi left in auctioneer's letterbox

Pair of glasses belonging to Gandhi left in auctioneer's letterbox

A pair of spectacles belonging to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi will go on sale this month after being left in a local auctioneer's letterbox. Employees of East Bristol Auctions discovered the glasses in a plain envelope on Monday morning, accompanied by a note saying they belonged to Mr Gandhi.

A pair of spectacles belonging to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi will go on sale this month after being left in a local auctioneer's letterbox.



Employees of East Bristol Auctions discovered the glasses in a plain envelope on Monday morning, accompanied by a note saying they belonged to Mr Gandhi.

The glasses were left by a man who inherited them from his ancestor, who was given them in the 1920s when visiting South Africa, where Mr Gandhi lived for more than 20 years.

The spectacles go on sale on August 21 with an estimated price of £10,000-£15,000 - but auctioneer Andrew Stowe said he expected them to sell for much more than that.

Mr Stowe told the Standard: "This is probably the most high-profile find we've had and we've already had an overwhelming level of interest from potential buyers."

He went on: "It's terrifying in a way, to have responsibility for something that belonged to someone so iconic and beloved."

Asked if he could be completely sure the glasses belonged to Mr Gandhi, he said: "No, it's never totally possible to absolutely prove where something came from.

"But in this case we've carefully been through the story of the gentleman who gave the glasses to us to sell and everything completely checks out."

The glasses are still in good shape and could even be worn by someone today - although they are quite small, Mr Stowe said.

Mr Gandhi, whose real name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was a leader in the decades-long Indian campaign for independence from British rule in the first half of the twentieth century.

His style of non-violent protest has inspired many other social justice movements around the world. A statue of Mr Gandhi has stood in London's Parliament Square since 2015.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×