Eric Morecambe’s glasses fetch £20,000 at auction

A pair of Eric Morecambe’s glasses have fetched £20,000 at an auction filled with treasures belonging to the comedy legend.

A lifetime of showbiz memorabilia and personal items from the comic’s former home, Brachefield in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, went up for sale almost 10 months following the death of his widow Joan, aged 97, in March 2024.

Morecambe’s glasses were synonymous with his comedic persona and a pair in imitation tortoiseshell by company Metzler sold alongside his Barling briar pipe and two black and white photographs of him with the spectacles.

A tailcoat and trousers, writing desk, and Breitling watch were among the other auctioned items previously owned by the comic who formed one half of double act Morecambe and Wise.

Morecambe was made an OBE in 1976 and his medal, awarded by the late Queen Elizabeth II, sold for £11,000, which was £8,000 above its highest estimate.

A Society of Film and Television Arts award for best light entertainment performance which went to Morecambe and Wise in 1970 also sold for £4,400.

An oil on canvas painting by royal portrait artist Richard Stone depicting Morecambe sitting down smoking a cigar sold for £15,000, while a version of his ventriloquist dummy Charlie, which he took to America to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, sold for £6,200.

Elsewhere, a personal letter from King Charles III, who was then the Prince of Wales, fetched £2,500, while a vintage Luton Town Admiral tracksuit with Eric stitched on the back, given to him by the football club, sold for £5,500.

“Eric Morecambe’s legacy lives on in the hearts of millions, and the prices reflect not only the quality and uniqueness of the items but also the deep affection fans continue to hold for him. It’s been an incredible two days!”

The auction house offered his belongings in 700 lots on January 10 and 11, more than 40 years after Morecambe died of a heart attack aged 58 in 1984.

The prices do not include the buyer’s premium.