Looking back: Charlie Chaplin – in pictures

1931: Chaplin in one of his most well-known films, City Lights Photograph: John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

Charlie Chaplin in England with fellow members of Casey's Circus music hall comedy troupe in 1906 Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Charlie Chaplin dressed as his most famous creation The Tramp Photograph: Alamy

Charlie Chaplin And Jackie Coogan in The Kid which was released in 1921 Photograph: Cinetext/Allstar

1919: Charlie Chaplin and co-founders sign legal documents to create their new studio, United Artists. Left to right in the foreground are the founders: American director D.W. Griffith, Canadian-American actress Mary Pickford, British actor, director, screenwriter and producer Charles Chaplin and American actor, director, screenwriter and producer Douglas Fairbanks Photograph: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis

Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times, 1936 Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext

Charlie Chaplin in his satire, The Great Dictator, 1941 Photograph: Cine Text / Allstar

Chaplin's family attend his funeral. His death at 88 on Christmas Day, 1977 led to a service at home with the burial in the cemetery at Corsier-sur-Vevey, near Lake Geneva, Switzerland Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images

Charlie Chaplin's stolen coffin which was found after being missing for 11 weeks following the arrest of two car mechanics in Lausanne in 1978. The pair were charged with attempted extortion and disturbing the dead Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images

The false moustache worn by Charlie Chaplin, sold by auction at Christie's, London in 2004 Photograph: Frank Baron/Guardian