A pair of Eric Morecambe’s heavy dark-framed glasses have sold at auction for £20,000.
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.
A record-breaking online crowd watched the auction. The total amount raised during the sale has yet to be announced.
Morecambe’s tailcoat and trousers from the Morecambe and Wise Show sold for £4,500 while his Breitling watch sold for £10,000. A vintage Luton Town FC tracksuit with Eric stitched on the back sold for £5,500 and the star’s OBE sold for £11,000.
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 and Wise (Ernest Wiseman) first appeared together at the Liverpool Empire in 1941 and in 1948, when he was 22, Eric’s mum Sadie encouraged him to change his name because she considered Bartholomew to be unsuitable for theatrical bills.
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