'So, you think you know Blackpool?' - Discover the history that makes resort unique with Showtown Backstage

For the first time, people anywhere in the world can step backstage and discover the objects, photographs and stories that make Blackpool unlike anywhere else.

Showtown has launched a brand-new digital collections portal, called Showtown Backstage.

From the props of legendary performers and circus curiosities to dazzling Illuminations and photographs of a town you might barely recognise, Showtown Backstage opens up Blackpool’s remarkable heritage collections for people to search, explore and discover online.

And you don’t need to know what you’re looking for - you just need to be curious!

Search for a person, a place, an object or simply something that catches your imagination and see where Blackpool’s collection takes you.

The launch marks the latest development in Showtown’s Unlocking Collections project, which has been made possible thanks to National Lottery funding through Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants programme. The project is finding new ways to bring more of Blackpool’s collections out from behind the scenes and make them accessible to more people.

Blackpool Heritage & Museum Trust cares for more than 100,000 items of local and national importance, together creating an extraordinary record of Blackpool’s development as an iconic seaside resort and centre for popular entertainment.

Until now, only a fraction of this vast collection could be seen by the public at any one time. Hundreds of objects can be discovered throughout Showtown, while thousands more are cared for behind the scenes and can be accessed for research and in-person viewing through the Showtown History Centre at Blackpool Central Library.

Now, Showtown Backstage opens the collection up to everyone. Whether you’re in Blackpool or on the other side of the world, you can start searching online and uncover objects and stories that reveal new sides to a town you might think you already know.

Not your average museum objects

And this is Blackpool, so these aren’t your average museum objects.

Among the weird and wonderful treasures waiting to be discovered is a trick chair with a removable back which featured regularly in legendary clown Charlie Cairoli’s Tower Circus routines, alongside a can of fly spray ingeniously converted into a slide whistle, one of many examples of his ability to turn everyday objects into musical instruments.

There’s also King Rat’s crown, made from one of Cairoli’s famous bowler hats for his pantomime performances, and an extraordinary range of musical instruments, from violins and clarinets to the unusual Martinshorn trumpet. The collection also includes beautifully sequined Whiteface clown costumes worn by Cairoli’s famous sidekick Paul, alongside photographs, posters and programmes documenting his remarkable career.

Elsewhere, you might stumble across an invisible dog lead, a dazzling piece of Illuminations history or a photograph of a Blackpool you barely recognise, reminders of the ingenious, eccentric and sometimes downright bizarre ideas that have helped make the resort what it is.

Earlier this year, objects from the Charlie Cairoli Collection were redisplayed at Blackpool Tower Circus, bringing part of the collection back to the place where Charlie entertained generations of audiences during almost 40 seasons at the Tower.

Those objects can now also be discovered through Showtown Backstage, creating a new connection between the collections people encounter around Blackpool and the thousands of items cared for behind the scenes.

Step Backstage

The first collections available through Showtown Backstage include highlights from the Charlie Cairoli Collection of Circus and Performance and Blackpool’s internationally recognised Illuminations collections, with more material to be added regularly.

The Charlie Cairoli Collection documents the life and career of one of the twentieth century’s most celebrated clowns, who spent almost 40 seasons performing at Blackpool Tower Circus.

It includes everything from costumes, props and musical instruments to programmes, handbills, correspondence and photographs, charting Cairoli’s journey from his childhood and early circus training through to his Blackpool career, wartime performances and international recognition.

You might start with a name you recognise and end up somewhere completely unexpected. Search for a person, a place or an object, follow what catches your imagination and see where the collection takes you.

And this is just the beginning.

New objects and collections will be added regularly as the team continues the work of digitising and cataloguing Blackpool’s collections, meaning there will always be something new to discover.

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. As custodians of Blackpool’s public collections, we are dedicated to improving access and shining a light on these amazing assets. 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 them out of storage and sharing it with the world. And we’re only just getting started.”

More than a museum

Showtown’s wider Unlocking Collections project is transforming how Blackpool’s heritage collections are cared for, shared and discovered, bringing more material out from behind the scenes and making it accessible to new audiences.

The work has included upgrading Showtown’s collections management system, developing new digital

infrastructure, redisplaying collection objects at Showtown and Blackpool Tower Circus and creating new ways

for people to explore Blackpool’s heritage both physically and digitally.

Members of Blackpool’s communities, volunteers and performers have also contributed to the project, helping to capture new knowledge, memories and interpretations connected to the collections.

Together, this work is creating a lasting digital resource that connects Showtown, the Showtown History Centre and Blackpool’s wider collections, opening them up to local people and audiences across the UK and beyond.

See it online or see it for yourself

Showtown Backstage doesn’t replace the opportunity to experience Blackpool’s collections in person.

Objects from the collection can be seen throughout Showtown and in displays around Blackpool, including the new Charlie Cairoli displays at Blackpool Tower Circus, while the Showtown History Centre, based at Central Library, provides public access to the wider collections and archives.

Visitors can book to see collection material in person at the History Centre, meaning something discovered online could be the starting point for a much closer encounter with Blackpool’s history.

What’s next for Showtown Backstage?

The launch is only the beginning.

New objects and collections will continue to be added to Showtown Backstage, gradually revealing more of the extraordinary material cared for in Blackpool’s collections.

The next stage will also see the launch of Culture Connect, bringing a new series of specially curated digital exhibitions to audiences online.

One of the first digital exhibitions will revisit Through Our Eyes: Little People Beyond the Circus, Showtown’s 2026 temporary exhibition created to challenge stereotypes and explore the lives and experiences of people with dwarfism beyond the circus ring.

Taking the exhibition online will give it a new life beyond its original run at Showtown, making its stories and collection material available to audiences wherever they are.

Further digital exhibitions will follow, giving Showtown another way to delve deeper into Blackpool’s collections and share stories which might otherwise remain behind the scenes.

Future developments for Showtown Backstage will also include download functionality and print-on-demand, giving people the opportunity to order prints featuring images from Blackpool’s collections and have them delivered directly to their door.

Showtown Backstage will become an ever-growing digital home for Blackpool’s collections. A place to search, discover, explore and keep coming back to as more of the town’s stories are unlocked.

Think you know Blackpool?

Start searching. Visit http://backstage.showtownblackpool.co.uk