Laurel and Hardy memorabilia could have you laughing all the way to the bank...

Our antiques expert, Allan Blackburn, takes a look at a funny side to the world of collectables.
This ornament is 30 poundsThis ornament is 30 pounds
This ornament is 30 pounds

Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston on June 16, 1890, so had he still been alive it would have been his 128th birthday a few days ago. It seems a fitting time to talk about collectables associated with Laurel and Hardy, who were voted one of the top ten greatest comedy acts of all time.

From “Duck Soup” in 1927, to their final cinema appearance in Utopia (aka Atoll K), in 1951, the duo left behind a legacy of marvellous celluloid that has enjoyed a considerable renaissance on DVD.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Now their legacy is being sought after by people all over the world, collecting anything to do with Laurel and Hardy.

From eggcups and figurines to pictures and framed stills from the movies, there is something to whet any collector’s appetite, out there on the market.

Stan Laurel, christened Arthur Stanley Jefferson, was raised on the boards of traditional English music hall. He first ventured across the Atlantic to the States in 1910 as a member of the Fred Karno musical troupe.

It was only when the Karno gang disbanded that Stan took the name Laurel and began to make movies. It was in 1926 that Stan began his long association with legendary comic director Hal Roach.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Stan actually partnered Oliver Hardy for several Roach movies, before the pair were officially united as the duo we know and love today.

Their first appearance together, albeit it out of character, was in The Lucky Dog.

Stan's perennial partner, Oliver (born Norvell Hardy), was already working at the Hal Roach studio when he met Laurel.

The chemistry between the two was neither obvious nor immediate, but they clicked in Duck Soup and eventually became the best-loved comedy duo of cinema history.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In 2009 a brand new statue of Laurel and Hardy, by popular sculpture Graham Ibbeson, was unveiled for the first time. It stands proudly outside Coronation Hall in Ulverston, where Stan Laurel was born.

Collecting Laurel and Hardy memorabilia is more than just a hobby for a lot of people and the market is vast, therefore you should be aware that there are many imitations and reproductions, out there, which are worth very little.

Collectors need a keen eye to avoid modern memorabilia and concentrate on getting a genuine original piece.

Related topics: