Archives now available to researchers

York University has acquired a collection of Eric Morecambe’s handwritten joke books.

The nine books contain material for the wildly successful Morecambe and Wise 1977 Christmas BBC Special, which attracted 28 million viewers, and notes for one-liners like: ‘I won't believe in colour TV until I’ve seen it in black and white.’

The university says 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. 

They were bought at an auction of the comedian's possessions in January. Most of the 700 lots went into private hands, with Robbie Williams revealing he had paid £20,000 for Morecambe’s glasses and pipe. 

Gary Brannan, from 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.’

The notebooks have now been catalogued, and available to researchers in th  public search room of the Borthwick Institute, which already holds the archives of Ernest Maxin, producer of he Morecambe and Wise Show from 1974 until 1977. 

Brannan added: ‘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.’

The collection, which also includes two original pictures of Morecambe and Wise from their 1970s heyday, was acquired with support from Friends of the Library and Archives and the Friends of the Nation’s Libraries.

Published: 10 Mar 2025