Blackpool Postcards

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5 August 2010

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The aim of these pages is to provide a visual history of the Fylde coast. Starting with the town of Blackpool, more images will be added, including Cleveleys, Thornton, Fleetwood, Poulton-le-Fylde, St. Annes, Lytham, Knott End, and other rural parts !

Welcome to Blackpoolpostcards.co.uk..we hope that you enjoy having a look around. Items which are displayed include postcards, cabinet cards, carte de visites, programmes, photographs, tickets, medals, badges, booklets plus more items associated with Blackpool

You can browse around the site or use the Search to find a particular street or building. Where possible we have added the date of the picture, if known. The ‘street scenes’ are listed under Streets A-Z . To make the promenade easier to view, it has been divided into North, Central and South at the recognised area. As the promenade began to grow, the areas changed name, i.e. South Parade became Central Beach, Central Parade became Central Promenade, then the individual terraces became one continuous promenade as the numbering system changed. So, on this site they have been placed where they would be today

Blackpool : A Pictorial History

An excellent book full of superb early Blackpool photographs in brilliant detail

All the pictures in this book have appeared on a Facebook page, but sadly in poor quality, and no credit given to the author

This official publication offers superb quality images, detailed captions and much more by the local historian, Ted Lightbown

The profits from proceeds of the sale of this book went to a worthy charity

View of the North Pier in 1863

All items which show the images are owned by myself, unless credited to a third party

Every picture is clear and easy to see, and described in detail where possible

More detailed descriptions will be added in time !

Blackpool in 1840

A more accurate representation of Central Beach in the 1840′s showing the path down to the front of the Lane Ends Hotel. The latter’s small bath house adjoins it to the south and from it extends Hygiene Terrace (Lewis’s old site) to Flagstaff at Victoria Street

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Blackpool, a favourite destination for many millions of visitors over the past 250 years or so !

In 1990 Blackpool was officially pronounced “Europe’s Busiest Resort”.

The picture postcard craze started just as Blackpool began to become the No. 1 Seaside resort to visit by the Lancashire folk !

Kay Street

Coronation Celebrations – 2/6/1953

An amazing advert placed in the BLACKPOOL HERALD in June 1887 !

Colour covers from the 1899 edition of the Blackpool holiday guide

The Wheel, the Gigantic Wheel, the Big Wheel , the Great Wheel and the Jolly Wheel are some of the names given to this huge attraction. Open on the 22nd August 1896

The Gigantic Wheel was opened at the corner of Adelaide Street and Coronation Street by James Pearson. Built by Arrol Brothers, it was 220 feet high with 30 carriages, each holding 30 passengers, and featured a car equipped with a ping-pong table

A view from Coronation Street which shows how big this attraction was

The advertisement for FELDMANS on the carriages

The buildings look much the same today

89 Albert Road – 1915

“ALBANY HOUSE”

Inside, above the door reads, ‘Mrs Pilling’

Early view of St. Annes Pier – Included in the Fylde category

In 1876 Blackpool received a charter of incorporation and became a Borough, and William H. Cocker was the first Mayor of Blackpool

First Mayor of Blackpool 1876-7-8. William. Henry Cocker Esq. J.P.

William was born on December 9th 1836 in a house built by his father at Hygiene Terrace on the promenade where the Lewis’s store was located a few years ago, later Woolworths, now T.J. Hughes. In 1858, he married Betsey Pilling of Rochdale, who died in 1908. Their marriage was childless, as was his brother’s. William’s father was Dr John Cocker, who came to Blackpool from Tockholes, near Darwen, in 1828

He too had been a Blackpool pioneer, erecting the resort’s first public entertainment hall, the Victoria Promenade, in 1837. It survived at the corner of Victoria Street and Bank Hey Street until demolished just 11 years ago. It is now the site of a fancy jewellery shop. John Cocker married Jane, the younger daughter of Henry Banks, whose estate stretched up Church Street in the early years of the 19th century. In 1851, Dr John Cocker bought Bank Hey House at the top of Victoria Street. In 1875, three years after John’s death, William was able to offer his late father’s house and other former Banks’ land for the site of the Winter Gardens and, in fact, part of the 1846 house survives inside the Winter Gardens today

1875 was also the year that Dr Cocker gave up his practise as a surgeon and opened a menagerie and aquarium to the public in what had been the Prince of Wales Arcade and previously the large mansion West Hey

It became the site of the Tower and the aquarium was incorporated into the Tower Buildings, an area which survived until Merlin’s current work of turning it into a dungeon attraction. The fish and other aquatic creatures are said to have gone down the promenade to the Sea Life centre

The man who was Blackpool’s first mayor and first freeman died on Good Friday April 14th 1911, and was buried on April 18th. Buried at St. John’s church in the town centre, and relocated during recent work in the area known as St. John’s Square

His philosophy was that money was there to be used, and he spent much on entertaining, most famously when he picked up the tab for the lavish banquet held for the Lord Mayor of London and the mayors of 68 towns at the opening of the Winter Gardens in 1878

Having once lived in large bungalows on Bond Street and at Bloomfield Road, now the site of a Lidl store, he ended up in relative poverty in a modest house on Whitegate Drive

Blackpool received its Charter of Incorporation and became a Municipal Borough on January the 21st 1876 and “Progress” was chosen as the town motto

County Borough of Blackpool – Jubilee of Incorporation Certificate – 1876 – 1926

The first Municipal Election was held on the 11th of april 1876. Doctor William H Cocker became first Mayor

The Mayor’s Chain of Office was made in September 1876, but was not worn to a meeting of the Council until the 4th of December 1897

The first Mayor donated it to the Council

An early colour postcard showing the Early Blackpool badge

Crested mug made by Foley China for Mrs. Jones, China Rooms, South Shore

The original Town Badge was also donated by the Cocker family in 1876. The Badge, which depicts a lifeboat, a sailing ship, a bathing hut and a pier, could not be described correctly in heraldic terms and was therefore never formally adopted as the town’s Coat of Arms

Replaced in June 1899 by the Coat of Arms below

An early colour ‘Ja Ja Heraldic Series’ postcard showing the later Blackpool Crest and ‘Progress’ motto

Granted by Heralds’ College Blackpool County Borough Corporation was given its Coat of Arms on the 10th of June 1899
They are officially described as follows:

ARMS: Barry wavy of eight Sable and Or a Seagull volant proper on a Chief Argent a thunderbolt also proper between a Fleur-de-Lis and a Lion rampant both Gules

CREST: On a Wreath of the Colours on the Battlements of a Tower or the Sails of a windmill saltirewise proper surmounted in the centre by a Rose Gules barbed and seeded also proper

MOTTO: “Progress”

The black wavy bars represent the waves of the sea at Blackpool and the golden bars the bright shining sands of the beach. The seagull is an emblem suitable for a seaside resort .The thunderbolt depicts the enterprise of Blackpool as a pioneer in the adoption of electricity for lighting and traction. The fleur-de-lis and the lion were distinguishing features in the arms of the Banks and Cocker families respectively, and their inclusion perpetuates the close association of those families with the early history of the town. The battlements of a tower represent “corporateness” and are the emblem of grandeur and solidity. The sails of a windmill refer to the Fylde, which had many windmills, and to the healthgiving breezes for which Blackpool is so well known. The red rose refers to the County of Lancashire

Jubilee of Incorporation Badge – 1926

The Civic Flag was hoisted over the Town Hall for the first time on the 9th of March

Jubilee of Incorporation Badge – 1926

Shows Tom Bickerstaffe , the Mayor in the Jubilee Year

Superb programme for the Diamond Jubilee of Blackpool’s Incorporation – 1936

In 1898 the Town Council was enlarged from 18 Councillors and 6 Aldermen to 36 and 12 respectively. Then in 1904 Blackpool became a County Borough. In 1917, Bispham was incorporated as a new ward of Blackpool, with 3 Councillors and 1 Alderman.

The rapidly developing town of Blackpool was constituted as a County Borough on the 1st of
October 1904 - a status the town retained until the 1974 reorganisation of local government

Wilfred Ashley, Lt. Colenel, Born 1867.

He held the office of Member of Parliament for Blackpool between 1906 and 1918

The registration AA35 is now on a Nissan Navara Pickup !

Blackpool beach during the 1880′s

Candy Town Carnival

Blackpool Tower Children’s Spectacular 1949 Ballet

Church Parade, North Pier – How many people are there ??

A selection of postcards with the Blackpool crest

Three Raphael Tuck cards from the ‘Heraldic‘ series with colour embossed crests. The first shows ‘The Tower’ and dated 1902. The second is called ‘Low Tide’ and has a Victorian stamp dated 1901. The third is called ‘High Tide’ and dated on the reverse 1903