Please note that as from 21 August 2010 the Central Library, including the Local and Family History Centre, will be closed for around 12 months for a major refurbishment. We regret there is no local history service at present, although staff will continue to reply to emails. The Local and Family History Centre will be offering a skeleton public service from Blackpool Council's Lightworks (Illuminations depot) on Amy Johnson Way, and we will reopen there as soon as possible. Opening times and directions will be posted here as soon as the details are confirmed.
How can I access Local History material?
The Local and Family History Centre is on the first floor of the Central Library on Queen Street. Opening hours are Mon 9-5, Tues 9-7, Wed 10-5, Thu 9-7, Fri 9-5, Sat 10-5.
The department holds a comprehensive collection of material for those with an interest in local or family history. Amongst the most important sources are:
- Historic Ordnance Survey maps of the area
- Fylde area trade directories 1816 to 1969
- Blackpool electoral registers 1930 to date
- Fylde area Census records 1841 to 1901
- Comprehensive parish records from Lancashire parishes
- Local newspapers from 1845
- Local newspaper indexes & cuttings
- Historic local holiday guides
- Blackpool area local photograph collection
For family historians the department has free access to the following websites: Ancestry, FindmyPast and OriginsNetwork. Please enquire if you require advice about your research. Visitors, especially those travelling long distances, are advised to contact us in advance as some research may require advance booking of PCs, reader-printer machines or microfiche readers.
The Local and Family History Centre now holds the Cyril Critchlow Collection of Blackpool entertainment ephemera. Cyril Critchlow was a founder member of Blackpool Magic Club, proprietor of Coronation Street Theatre and at one time had his own museum of entertainment in Blackpool. He was author of a number of books on Blackpool’s entertainment past. For sixty years he collected and recorded all aspects of Blackpool’s entertainment heritage from the nineteenth century to the present day. The collection is housed in over 200 volumes, and includes local historic theatre programmes, hand bills, photographs and posters relating to local entertainment venues. Please click on "Publications" in the right-hand column to access the catalogue of the collection.
Enquiries are welcome on 01253 478090 or you can email the library at localstudies.library@blackpool.gov.uk
Local Historian Nick Moore has created a chronology of Blackpool and Fylde history.
Click here to access this link.
Approximately 500 photographs from the Blackpool area local collection can be viewed & purchased at http://www.blackpoolimagegallery.org.uk |