University acquires Eric Morecambe’s handwritten joke books
Posted on Monday 10 March 2025
The collection of nine notebooks offer an unprecedented glimpse into the comedic genius of one of Britain's most loved entertainers and were acquired with support from Friends of the Library and Archives and the Friends of the Nation’s Libraries. The collection also includes two original pictures of Morecambe and Wise from their heyday in the 1970s.
The books, in Morecambe’s distinctive hand, contain material for the wildly successful Morecambe and Wise 1977 Christmas BBC Special, which attracted 28 million viewers at a time when there were only three channels in the UK.
Creative process
Some of the books bear the hallmarks of having been stuffed into a suit pocket and show how the comedian worked on his jokes and speeches - jotting down and sketching out ideas on the go and returning to the same gags over and over again to make improvements.
When the comedian's possessions were sold at auction in January, most of the 700 lots went into private hands, with Robbie Williams revealing on Instagram that he had paid £20,000 for Morecambe’s glasses and pipe. The notebooks will be held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives for the public to access and enjoy.
Pinnacle
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.”
Double-act
Morecambe met comedy partner Ernie Wise in 1940, aged 14, and despite a wartime separation, formed an enduring double-act.
They spent many years touring theatres before breaking into TV, appearing on both the BBC and ITV.
A lifetime of showbiz memorabilia and personal items from Morecambe’s former home went on sale at the auction in January, almost 10 months after the death of his widow, Joan, aged 97, and more than 40 years after the comic died of a heart attack, aged 58, in 1984.
Comedy gold
"We are incredibly proud to bring these notebooks to York" Brannan adds. "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."
The notebooks have been catalogued, and can be made available to researchers in the public search room of the Borthwick Institute for Archives. For more information about the Borthwick Institute, including current opening times and how to make an appointment, please see the Borthwick Institute website: www.york.ac.uk/borthwick.
