Blackpool’s collections go online for the first time with Showtown Backstage
Blackpool’s remarkable heritage collections are going online for the first time with the launch of Showtown Backstage, a brand-new way to search, explore and discover the objects, photographs and stories that make Blackpool unlike anywhere else.
From legendary performers and circus curiosities to dazzling Illuminations, old photographs and some wonderfully strange objects, Showtown Backstage opens up Blackpool’s collections for anyone to explore online, wherever they are in the world.
And you don’t need to know what you’re looking for, you just need to be curious.
Search for a person, a place or an object, follow whatever catches your eye and see where Blackpool’s collections take you.
More than 100,000 items, and plenty of stories to tell
Blackpool Heritage & Museum Trust cares for more than 100,000 items of local and national importance, together telling the extraordinary story of Blackpool’s development as one of the world’s most famous seaside resorts and centres for popular entertainment.
Until now, only a fraction of the collection could be seen at any one time. Hundreds of objects can be discovered throughout Showtown, while thousands more are cared for behind the scenes or can be accessed through the Showtown History Centre at Blackpool Central Library.
Showtown Backstage gives us a completely new way to open those collections up.
The first collections available online include highlights from the Charlie Cairoli Collection of Circus and Performance and Blackpool’s internationally recognised Illuminations collections, with more objects and stories being added regularly.
And because this is Blackpool, these aren't your average museum objects.
You might discover Charlie Cairoli's trick chair with its removable back, a can of fly spray transformed into a musical instrument, sequined clown costumes, an invisible dog lead, unusual instruments, photographs of a Blackpool you barely recognise and plenty more besides.
Blackpool's stories, wherever you are
Jill Carruthers, Head of Heritage at Showtown, said:
“Blackpool has shaped British popular culture for generations. Its performers, its people, its creativity and its unmistakable spirit have reached far beyond the boundaries of the town, and the collections we care for tell that remarkable story.
“We love this town, and we want the world to see just how extraordinary its history is. Showtown Backstage opens up Blackpool’s collections as never before, giving people everywhere the chance to discover its objects, photographs and stories and see the town in a whole new light.
“This is about taking Blackpool’s history beyond our walls, getting it out of storage and sharing it with the world. And we’re only just getting started.”
And this is just the beginning
New objects and collections will be added to Showtown Backstage regularly as we continue digitising and cataloguing Blackpool’s collections.
Future developments will include Culture Connect, a new series of specially curated digital exhibitions. One of the first will give a new digital life to Through Our Eyes: Little People Beyond the Circus, Showtown’s 2026 temporary exhibition.
Further developments will include downloads and print-on-demand, creating an ever-growing digital home for Blackpool’s collections.
So whether you're searching for something you remember, researching Blackpool's past or simply fancy disappearing down a historical rabbit hole, take a look and see what you discover.