London's V&A Museum will display a major collection of memorabilia relating to British comedian and magician Tommy Cooper (1921-1984).

The museum recently acquired the collection for an undisclosed sum.

Tommy Cooper was a much-loved British comedian

The centrepiece will undoubtedly be the comic's famous gag collection, a meticulously organised box containing all his celebrated one liners.

Headings include "landladies", "bull fighting" and "remarks overheard on planes".

Simon Sladen, senior curator of modern and contemporary performance at the V&A, says: "The Tommy Cooper Collection offers a fascinating insight into one the best-loved entertainers of the 20th century and reveals much about his practice, process and legacy."

The collection is available to see from this autumn.

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