With the completion of Blackpool tower in 1894, the town became a symbol of modern entertainment. Illuminations lit up the promenade, while electric trams, introduced in 1885, transported visitors along the coast. The piers, theatres and ballrooms thrived, attracting working-class holidaymakers from industrial northern England. The beach provided simple pleasures. It was an era of progress and recreation.
!['Blackpool - A Rough Day', 1895. From Round the Coast. [George Newnes Limited, London, 1895]Artist Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/11/20/14/15/GettyImages-918909836.jpeg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
1. Blackpool, 1890s
'Blackpool - A Rough Day', 1895. From Round the Coast. [George Newnes Limited, London, 1895]Artist Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images) | Getty Images
![Blackpool - View of the Front, Showing the Tower', 1895. From Round the Coast. [George Newnes Limited, London, 1895]Artist Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/11/20/14/30/GettyImages-918909842.jpeg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
2. Blackpool, 1890s
Blackpool - View of the Front, Showing the Tower', 1895. From Round the Coast. [George Newnes Limited, London, 1895]Artist Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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3. Blackpool, 1890s
circa 1893: Regent Terrace, with the Blackpool Tower in the background, on the seafront at Blackpool, Lancashire. (Photo by London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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4. Blackpool, 1890s
Talbot Square in Blackpool, with the Theatre Royal and Talbot Dining Rooms in the background, circa 1893. (Photo by London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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5. Blackpool 1890s
The promenade at Blackpool, Lancashire, August 1895. Holidaymakers throng the seafront at the resort of Blackpool in Lancashire. It's famous tower, completed in 1894, is in the background. (Photo by English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images) | Heritage Images/Getty Images
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6. Blackpool, 1890s
St John's Church, Blackpool, Lancashire, 1890-1910. St John's Church from the south east. It was built in 1878 by Garlick, Park and Sykes. (Photo by English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images) | Heritage Images/Getty Images