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Eric Morecambe's famous specs sold for £20,000 at auction of comedy legend's treasures

Eric Morecambe's famous glasses were lot 645 at the auction. Image credit: Hansons Auctioneers

A pair of spectacles belonging to Eric Morecambe has sold for £20,000 as the comedy legend's personal treasures went under the hammer.

The auction of a lifetime of Eric's belongings fetched record-breaking prices as fans bidded to own a piece of comedy history over the weekend.

The Eric Morecambe Collection auction took place at Burton Albion FC on Friday and Saturday, with the sale of the Morecambe and Wise star's favourite pair of glasses the highlight.

Bidding for the specs began at £9000, and they were eventually sold for £20,000 by Hansons Auctioneers.

More than 800 lots from the house Eric shared with his wife Joan and their children Gary, Gail and Steven, went under the hammer.

Many other precious items were sold for huge amounts, including a portrait of Eric by the artist Richard Stone.

The masterpiece, depicting Eric seated and smoking a cigar, was painted in 1978 for the 'Morecambe & Stone' documentary. It sold over the weekend for £15,000.

The portrait is pictured below, with Eric's daughter Gail Stuart.

The Morecambe-born showbiz icon's OBE award went for a staggering £11,000 and his stunning vintage steel cased Breitling Chronomat 217012 wristwatch from the 1960s blew past its estimated value of £1,000-£1,200, fetching an incredible £10,000.

His tailcoat and trousers, seen countless times on The Morecambe and Wise Show on television during the '60s, '70s and '80s, were sold for £4,500.

Eric's top hat, also seen in many famous TV sketches, sold for £3,200.

An oil painting of 'Winter Study with Robin', signed and dated by the great man himself, sold for £4,100, and a portrait of Morecambe and Wise themselves went for £2,400.

An award from The Society of Film and Television Arts 1970 Television Awards for Best Light Entertainment Performance—shared with his comedy partner Ernie Wise - was sold for £4,400.

WATCH as Eric's famous specs are sold for £20,000.

 

John Eric Bartholomew OBE (1926-1984), known by stage name Eric Morecambe, took his name from his home town, the seaside resort of Morecambe.

He was the co-star of BBC television series The Morecambe and Wise Show, which for the 1977 Christmas episode gained UK viewing figures of over 28 million people.

One of the most prominent comedians in British popular culture, in 2002 he was named among the top 40 Greatest Britons in a BBC poll – placed above David Beckham and Henry VIII.

Eric died in 1984, aged 58, after a heart attack following a stage show in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

His wife Joan continued to live in their home Brachefield in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, until her death last year, aged 97.

Gary, Gail and Steven decided to give Eric's fans a chance to own a piece of his legacy, through the auction.

Ahead of the auction, the Eric Morecambe Collection opened for public viewing on Sunday January 5.

It included many antiques, collectibles, pieces of art, clothing and furniture, and showbiz mementos belonging to the great man himself.

Read more: Collection of Eric Morecambe's treasures opens to public ahead of auction - Beyond Radio

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