These fascinating photographs chart the remarkable 132-year history of Blackpool Tower — and for anyone proud to call Blackpool home, they are bound to stir more than a little emotion.
Standing an incredible 518ft above the promenade, the mighty structure remains every bit as commanding today as when it first rose above the town skyline in the Victorian age.
Its story began after Blackpool’s mayor, John Bickerstaffe, visited Paris and was captivated by the new Eiffel Tower. Determined that Blackpool should have a landmark to rival it, plans were drawn up for a tower of its own beside the sea.
The foundation stone was laid on September 29, 1891, with a time capsule buried beneath it - it is obviously still a curious mystery. Designed with Blackpool’s coastal winds in mind, the tower was engineered to sway gently in strong breezes, a remarkably advanced idea for its era. In total, it contains 2,500 tonnes of iron and five million bricks.
Since opening to the public in 1894, Blackpool Tower has become the resort’s most iconic symbol and undoubtedly its most photographed attraction.
7. Blackpool Coloured-In
Blackpool Tower is the focal point of this colourised black and white picture with the Winter Gardens to the right and construction work in the foreground Photo: Submit
8. Blackpool Tower memories
Blackpool Tower aquarium closed in 2010 after 130 years | Warren Smith
9. Blackpool Tower memories
And we thought these Instagrammable style poses were new! This was back in 1937 | Getty Images
10. Blackpool Tower memories
An early picture of Blackpool which shows a busy beach and seafront | submit
11. Blackpool Tower memories
The Sands Express in 1911 was a temporary steam railway on the seafront. Here it is, chugging along in teh shadows of the tower. | library
