'World's humblest Christmas tree' bought for 6p in 1920 sells for £3.4k

15 December 2023 , 15:56

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The tree dates back to the 1920s and has been a member of the Grant/Hall family for two generations (Image: Hansons / SWNS)

A modest Christmas tree first purchased in the aftermath of the First World War at the rate of 6p has been sold at auction for more than £3,400.

The tree found its first home with the family of eight-year-old Dorothy Grant in 1920 – and served as Dorothy's Christmas tree for 94 Christmases up until her death at the age of 101. Baubles were an expensive extravagance in post-war Britain but Dorothy was resourceful, decorating it instead with cotton wool to mimic snow.

After she passed away in 2014, the precious festive heirloom was handed down to =daughter Shirley Hall. The 84 year-old, who lives near Loughborough, Leicestershire, said she wanted to sell the tree to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy it this festive season.

Dorothy's daughter, Shirley, wanted the tree to find another loving home (Hansons / SWNS)

The artificial 31-inch tall tree, which features 25 branches, 12 berries, and six mini candle-holders, was expected to sell for between just £60 and £80 but sparked a surprising bidding battle and eventually sold for a staggering £3,411 when it went under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers on Friday. Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: "The magic of Christmas lives on! The humblest Christmas tree in the world has a new home and we're delighted for both buyer and seller.

"It would have been bought for pennies originally but it's sold for thousands and that's astonishing. I think it's down to the power of nostalgia. Dorothy's story resonated with people."

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Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, believes the story of the tree teaches a powerful lesson about the spirit of Christmas (Hansons / SWNS)

And Hanson insists the story of the tree contains a powerful lesson, adding: "As simple as it was Dorothy loved that tree. It became a staple part of family celebrations for decades. The fact that it brought her such joy is humbling in itself. It reminds us that extravagance and excess are not required to capture the spirit of Christmas. For Dorothy it was enough to have a tree."

He believes the tree closely resembles the first mass-produced artificial trees sold by department store Woolworths, but the red paint decoration on its wooden base marks it out as different to Woolworths examples sold previously. A similar Christmas tree purchased for the equivalent of 6p in 1937 was sold for £150 at Hansons in 2019, while another hammered at £420 in 2017.

Mizy Judah Clifton