Magnificent Blackpool Winter Gardens An Illustrated Talk by Professor Vanessa Toulmin
This beautifully illustrated talk explores the history of Blackpool’s Winter Gardens from their opening in 1878 to the present day. The opening ceremony was attended by the Lord Mayor of London along with Mayors and Mayoresses from 68 towns across the country. They are the most amazing winter gardens in the world and their scale and architectural richness provide a vibrant entertainment experience for audience and performers.
Its aspirations as a venue since 1878 have continued to mirror the development of Blackpool as a seaside resort which expanded as part of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth century boom in leisure time. From the 1860s onwards, the appetite for a wide range of entertainment grew in the resort and The Winter Gardens developed as an entertainment complex and adapted to cope with a disparate range of visitors. Over the years holiday makers enjoyed concert parties, ballroom dancing and international stars of radio, stage and screen including Bob Dylan, Mae West, Judy Garland, Peter Kay and Frank Sinatra.
Professor Vanessa Toulmin is Director of the National Fairground Archive at the University of Sheffield and a leading authority on Victorian entertainment and early film. She is Producer of Festival of the Mind. She was Director of the Showzam Festival in Blackpool for 5 years and specialist advisor on Heritage. She is the author of four books on Blackpool covering the Tower, Pleasure Beach, Illuminations and Winter Gardens. This talk is based on her new revised edition of The Most Magnificent Palace of Amusement In The World.
In collaboration with
University of Sheffield Students’ Union
In collaboration with the
University of Sheffield Public Engagement with Research Team
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