The University of York has acquired a collection of Eric Morecambe’s handwritten notebooks containing the comedian’s material.
Morecambe, with his long-term stage partner Ernie Wise, ruled the light entertainment airwaves for decades, first honing their craft on stage and radio.
The handwritten collection of books is said to show signs of how a joke would be improved (Image: University of York) Handwritten material in the nine notebooks includes lines used for the Morecambe and Wise 1977 BBC Special, which drew an audience of 28 million TV viewers, according to a University spokesperson.
The books are said to detail how a joke would be formed and returned to again and again to make improvements and also bore signs of being carried around to be on hand for when an idea struck.
Following the death last year of his widow Joan, aged 97, Morecambe’s personal items and memorabilia from down the years went on sale at auction in January, more than 40 years since the comic died aged 58, in 1984.
The collection also includes two original pictures of Morecambe and Wise from their heyday in the 1970s.
Two of the comic’s most recognisable items in the lot – his spectacles and pipe – were acquired by singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.
Gary Brannan, keeper of archives and research collections at the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York, said: “When Robbie Williams won his bid at the auction he said he thought of Morecambe as ‘an uncle of sorts’ and I think a lot of us can identify with feeling that way.
“Eric’s clean humour was the pinnacle of British light entertainment and these joke books are more than just notes.
“They’re a window into the mind of a comedic master.
“You can really hear his voice as you read through the jokes he was working on in his books.
“We are incredibly proud to bring these notebooks to York.
“They provide invaluable insight into the creation of British comedy gold and complement our existing collections, such as the archives of Frankie Howerd and Ernest Maxin.
“This acquisition solidifies the Borthwick as a leading resource for the study of British entertainment history.”
For more information visit the Borthwick Institute website www.york.ac.uk/borthwick.
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