Rory’s Stories
Rory Lushman took part in our Heritage Open Days event by bringing the past to life with a very personal guided tour of the places and spaces in the building.
Check it out
History Detectives
Stories from our past
Still got the badge, got the t-shirt…
Our first Heritage Open Days event in September 2017 was a very special day.
Majestic Hairdressers Cuttings
This is a photo from Bernie Gostling who worked at the Majestic Hairdressers in the basement as a Saturday girl for Margaret Whittaker. She was then given an apprenticeship in the 1980s. Bernie said: ‘I am the blonde one on the right hand side. The lady at the front to the left of the photo…
Happy Birthday to The Exchange!
It was a momentous day for Blackburn when the doors of the Cotton Exchange opened for the first time on 26th April 1865. 94 years later, the Essoldo cinema marked the anniversary and the screening of High Society with a full page history article in the Blackburn Times on 26 April 1957, along with…
CINEMA STAFF UP ON THE ROOF ESCAPE PRISON
CINEMA STAFF UP ON THE ROOF ESCAPE PRISON On this day in history, 17 August 1954, the Lancashire Evening Post reported on the court case of cinema staff prosecuted for stealing tiles off the roof of The Majestic Cinema at The Exchange, Blackburn. ‘Fines totalling £33 were imposed at Blackburn today on cinema projectionists…
Majestic Wide Screen Reopening
On this day in history, 2 November 1953 the Mayor of Blackburn reopened The Majestic Cinema at The Exchange, Blackburn after extensive refurbishment. Looking ahead to the ceremony, Kinematograph Weekly reported: The kinema is being renovated, redecorated and refurnished and it is being equipped with wide screen—the first in the district. The Mayor of…
Goodbye Major Yorke
DEATH OF WELL-KNOWN BLACKBURN CINEMA MANAGER AT THE EXCHANGE This is how death of the manager of the Majestic Cinema at The Exchange, Blackburn made the headlines in theatre circles in 1935. There will be general regret in Lancashire kinema circles on the news of the death, at the age of 51, of Major Reginald…
Majestic £25k Catalogue Purchase
Whilst researching the era of The Exchange, Blackburn as The Majestic Cinema, our archivists stumbled across an entry in a 1932 edition of The Era.
Majestic Cheque Ceremony 1928
£20,000 is an amazing amount of money to win on the football pools by today’s standards, but when Tom Hartley of 121 Higher Audley Street, Blackburn received his winner’s cheque on the stage at The Majestic Cinema in September 1928 it was a record breaking achievement that made the pages of the Sunday Mirror. For…
Football Hero’s Cinema Court Case
FROM THE BRITISH NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES: Kinematograph Weekly – Thursday 10 June 1920 A Kinema Tenancy. Three days were devoted in the Chancery Court at Manchester to the hearing by Vice. Chancellor R. Lawrence, K.C., of an action arising out of leasing of a picture hall at Blackburn. The plaintiffs were the Exchange (Blackburn) Ltd.,…
More space ‘to swing the proverbial cat’ 1898
On this day in history, 30 April 1898, news was announced of modernisations and building alterations to the Exchange, Blackburn. These included relocating the stage to create a gallery to increase capacity to 350 people and moving internal pillars to improve the spectators’ view. This would also make better use of new exit doors to…
Exchange Audiences Shun Piano Great
One of the world’s greatest pianists of the day, Alfred Reisenauer – a pupil of the composer Franz Liszt performed at The Exchange, Blackburn on 2 January 1896 to a disappointingly poor crowd according to the reviews in the papers of the day which described a ‘meagre attendance’. Reisenauer led a highly successful career as…
Whistling Celebrity Alice Shaw
Known as ‘La Belle Siffleuse’ (The Beautiful Whistler) since her 1886 debut at a New York charity ball, Alice Shaw was a touring sensation in the late 1880s and performed in Blackburn at the Exchange Assembly Room on 29 November 1889. Her doctors decided the high, narrow roof of her mouth produced her dazzling talent,…
The Exchange as an Art Sales Room
In October 1889 this painting was the property of the Thwaites family and black and white artist’s proofs of this painting were exhibited for sale in The Exchange by a company called Messrs Thomas Agnew and Sons. The original of this painting was gifted to the Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery in 1919 after the First…
Swiss Choir’s Sobriety Show
Professor Andre’s Alpine Choir performed annually for several years at The Exchange as part of a UK tour. Dressed in Swiss costume, they performed a mix of sacred and non-religious tunes with some musical sketches. This was part of a programme of events promoted by the Temperance Movement. The Blackburn Times advertised the show which…
Mesmerising Miss Annie De Montford
February 26th 1877 for six nights only, Miss Annie De Montford appeared at The Exchange, pronounced by the press and public of the time as ‘the greatest mesmerist in the world’. According to researcher, writer and performer, Christopher Green ‘she was also called a ‘psychological star’ and an ‘electro-biologist’, and occasionally a hypnotist. Her bill…
Right On Cue …
RIGHT ON CUE … 11 Feb 1871: The Exchange hosted a championship billiard match between the world’s greatest players of the time, rivals, John Roberts junior and William Cook. You can read all about Cook here: https://www.snookerheritage.co.uk/normans-articles/past-masters/william-cook-senior/ the image of John Roberts junior is from the National Portrait Gallery digital collection.
Days of Wine and Roses
The basement and cellar spaces of The Exchange were once used by wine and spirit wholesalers, Addison & Co who also had premises on Church Street. Here’s an advert from the 1870s. In the more recent past, this was where families celebrated milestone birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas works dos at Tiggis Italian restaurant. Do you have…
History & Mystery of Tablecloth
Bill McKeich is looking forward to the forthcoming wedding of his granddaughter, Anna Thomson when a beloved family heirloom from Blackburn will take pride of place, the other side of the world in New Zealand.
THE EXCHANGE HOTEL
Three weeks after the laying of the foundation stone, a notice was placed in the local press by the secretary of the Exchange Committee advertising that a property called “The Exchange Hotel” was to be let with possession on the 12th of May 1863. The property was advertised as a capital hotel centrally situated opposite…
Foundation Stone Official Poster!
Following the closure of libraries due to Covid, we were delighted when restrictions began to be lifted in May 2021 and we were able to access the archives of our Local Studies section in Blackburn Library. Mary Painter from Blackburn with Darwen Library and Information Service has been helping us find out more about…
Laying the Foundation Stone – A Day to Remember
Tuesday 10 March 1863 Almost two and a half years after the designs for the Exchange had been chosen, the foundation stone for the Blackburn Exchange building was finally laid. The day chosen, Tuesday the 10th of March, 1863, coincided with a general holiday for the celebration of the wedding of Prince Albert Edward, the…
Architecture Competition was a RERUN!
On the 31 March 1860 the Blackburn Times carried an advertisement and editorial article promoting a competition for architects and builders to submit designs for the building of The Exchange. The winning design by Brakespear of Manchester was commissioned and the northern range and octagonal tower was built between 1863 and 1865. The southern range was…
Early beginnings, original plans
We are very grateful to M K Penberthy for his detailed research into the early history of The Exchange building The beginnings of the Blackburn Exchange building can be traced back to at least the early months of 1846. On the 4th of February of that year, an advert appeared on page 1 of…