Eric Morecambe’s glasses sell for £20,000 at an auction

• A pair of Eric Morecambe’s glasses sold for £20,000 at an auction.
• The sale included treasures from Morecambe’s former home.
• The glasses were made by Metzler in imitation tortoiseshell.

A pair of Eric Morecambe’s iconic glasses sold for £20,000 at an auction featuring memorabilia from the late comedy legend’s life. The sale included treasures from Morecambe’s former home, Brachefield, in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, held nearly 10 months after the death of his widow, Joan, aged 97, in March 2024.

The glasses, an integral part of Morecambe’s comedic persona, were made by Metzler in imitation tortoiseshell. They were sold alongside his Barling briar pipe and two black-and-white photographs of him wearing the glasses. Another lot included a collection of Morecambe’s pipes, fetching £1,100.

Other items showcased his personal and professional life, such as a Breitling watch, a tailcoat and trousers, and a writing desk. Morecambe’s OBE medal, awarded by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976, sold for £11,000, exceeding estimates by £8,000.

Art and collectibles also made a mark, with a Richard Stone oil painting of Morecambe smoking a cigar selling for £15,000, and a ventriloquist dummy he used on The Ed Sullivan Show fetching £6,200. A personal letter from King Charles III went for £2,500, while a vintage Luton Town tracksuit with “Eric” stitched on the back sold for £5,500.

Charles Hanson of Hanson Auctioneers remarked, “We were thrilled with the extraordin results achieved at this auction. Eric Morecambe’s legacy lives on in the hearts of millions.” The auction spanned Janu 10-11, offering 700 lots, more than 40 years after Morecambe’s death in 1984 at age 58. Prices exclude buyer’s premiums.