Showtown History Centre to reopen

Blackpool’s Showtown History Centre is set to reopen to the public on Friday 25 April, following extensive repairs and refurbishment.

Located on the first floor of Central Library on Queen Street, the history centre has been closed since February 2020 due to significant roof damage. With a full roof replacement and other structural repairs now complete, the heritage collections have been safely returned and the centre is ready to open its doors again to the public.

The history centre is home to more than 100,000 unique items and is split into three departments: print and visual, archives and manuscripts, and costume and material culture.

There is also a support collection for local studies material such as microfilmed newspapers, books and maps.
Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council and Cabinet Member for Tourism, Arts and Culture, said: “I’m delighted that the Showtown History Centre is ready to welcome residents and visitors to explore Blackpool’s rich heritage.

“It’s a fantastic resource for local and family history as well as a place for curious people to uncover the stories of Blackpool’s past and discover how they have helped to shape our unique town.

“There are several new additions to the collections which people won’t have had the opportunity to explore until now. 

“The Showtown team and volunteers have worked tirelessly to ensure that the collections could be safely returned ready for the history centre to reopen, and I would like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work.

“We look forward to welcoming people to the history centre over the coming months.”

New items
Several new items have been added to the collections during the closure including the Charlie Cairoli Collection of Circus and Performance, which celebrates one of Britain’s most famous clowns and Blackpool’s legacy in British entertainment.

A rare 18th-century handbill is part of the Cairoli Collection. Acquired with support from the V&A/ACE Purchase Grant Fund and Friends of the National Libraries, the handbill from 1775 documents an extraordinary performance by two sets of twins, brothers and sisters. They married each other and performed before King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.

Another new acquisition is the original wig and schoolboy cap worn by Wee Jimmy Krankie, which is part of a larger donation to Showtown (Blackpool’s museum of fun and entertainment) of costumes from the popular comedy duo, The Krankies.

A costume worn by Sir Norman Wisdom is also a new addition. Sir Norman Wisdom was a significant figure in entertainment from the 1940s to the 1980s and he performed many times in Blackpool. The suit was part of the iconography of his 'Gump' persona in the 1950s to 1980s and was produced in June 1956 by W. Snape & Son, Wolverhampton.

Archive and ancestry access
Newspaper archives are accessible to the public on microfilm via new electronic readers. This machine allows people to read the papers and save their research as digital files. The microfilm readers are based on the ground floor of Central Library and are available by appointment.

Visitors to the history centre can access online resources to research their family history or ancestry by using the computers available in all Blackpool libraries. This service is managed by the Library Service and requires a Blackpool library card.

Background
The history centre was first opened in 2008 by Sir Ken Dodd when the Cyril Critchlow Collection was donated to Blackpool Council. This collection contains printed materials and collectable items relating to the entertainment industry in Blackpool for over a century.

Originally called the Local and Family History Centre, the service was allocated to be a hub for local and family history and a place to access the town’s special collections.

In 2017, it was renamed the History Centre following a restructure of the council’s heritage service, which made the centre the access space for the wider council’s historic collections.

A further change was made in October 2022 as part of the project development with the Showtown museum resulting in the new name, Showtown History Centre.

Future plans include a proposal for the creation of a culture hub with Central Library and Grundy Art Gallery at the heart of the culture-led regeneration.

These changes would include an extensive refurbishment to Central Library and a new extension for the Grundy Art Gallery.

A feasibility study for the investment has been completed alongside detailed architectural designs that now have planning consent. The feasibility and design stage was supported by £178,500 from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The overall capital scheme is estimated to cost £11m and funding opportunities will be sought.

Opening hours
Opening hours for the history centre will be Wednesday to Friday from 10am – 4pm, and on alternate Saturdays starting from 26 April.

Visits must be booked in advance. To book an appointment, email historycentre@showtownblackpool.co.uk or telephone 01253 478090.

For more information, visit www.showtownblackpool.co.uk/historycentre