Comedy legend Eric Morecambe’s glasses have sold for £20,000 at auction – far exceeding their estimate of £2,000 to £4,000.
A lifetime of showbiz memorabilia and personal items from the comedian’s former home, Brachefield in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, were put up for sale after his widow, Joan, died aged 97, in March.
A 1978 portrait of the star by the artist Richard Stone went for £15,000, while his ventriloquist dummy Charlie achieved £6,200, twice its highest estimate, during the two-day event.
Charles Hanson, of Hanson Auctioneers in Derbyshire, said: “The prices reflect not only the quality and uniqueness of the items but also the deep affection fans continue to hold for him.”
Morecambe met comedy partner Ernie Wise in 1940, aged 14, and despite a wartime separation formed an enduring double-act.
They had many lean years touring theatres before they broke into TV and by 1977 their Christmas special was watched by 28 million viewers.
Morecambe’s three children, Gail, Gary and Steven, decided to give fans of the comedy star the opportunity to own some of his belongings, 700 of which went under the hammer.
A letter from Wise to Morecambe which revealed he wished to end their partnership sold for £3,200.
Other highlights of the sale included:
- His tailcoat and trousers from the Morecambe and Wise Show sold for £4,500
- His Breitling watch sold for £10,000
- A vintage Luton Town FC tracksuit with Eric stitched on the back sold for £5,500
- His OBE sold for £11,000
- His pipes sold for £1,100
The auction house said the sale attracted a room full of fans and collectors and a record-breaking online crowd tuned in from all around the world.
A total amount for the sale has yet to be announced.
Before the auction, the comedian’s daughter Gail Stuart, who lives in Northamptonshire, said she and her siblings had a “real sense of it being the end of an era”.
Meanwhile, her brother Gary Morecambe, an author from London, said the family were “genuinely excited” about the auction of their parents’ lifelong possessions.
Jonathan Powell called into BBC Radio 5 Live to tell them he was the person who bought Morecambe’s tailcoat and trilby hat.
He explained to presenters Jeanette Kwakye and Gordon Smart that the tails reminded him of André Previn’s appearance in the comedy duo’s 1971 Christmas Show.
Mr Powell said: “The bid went way beyond where I expected it to be… It’s such an iconic piece, I had to have it.”
He explained that his parents had passed away in March and he used the inheritance he received from them to buy the tailcoat and trilby.
While his wife knows he bought the items, he admitted that he has not yet told her how much they cost.