The Frankie Howerd Archive

Frankie Howerd comes home

We are delighted to be the new home of the Frankie Howerd archive. This previously unknown and unexplored collection of scripts, correspondence and contracts from one of our comic greats came up for sale in early 2021 and is believed to be the only archive personally curated by Frankie, alongside his management and estate. The archive spans his entire professional career, from the 1940s to the 1990s, and also includes correspondence following his untimely death in 1992.

The archive is a brilliant addition to our 20th century British comedy and performance collections. We already hold the archives of writers Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Marks and Gran and Barry Took, with each of those archives containing material relating to Frankie Howerd in the form of scripts or correspondence.

We are very grateful for the support of Friends of National Libraries, the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Storey Fund for Library and Archives, and the Friends of the University of York Library and Archives for their generous help in securing the future of this archive for the nation.

Click on the links below to discover more about the archive, why York is the perfect home for it, and how you can access the collection for your research and enjoyment. You can also explore the archive on our catalogue site, Borthcat.