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.
37. Blackpool's Earliest Days
Construction of Blackpool Tower in the 1890s ©Blackpool Council Heritage Services Photo: ©Blackpool Council Heritage Ser
38. Building Blackpool Tower
The front of the tower buildings - still so familiar all these years later - were beginning to take shape. The arched brickwork at the foot of the building was in place and there's a sign which can be read which says 'Blackpool Tower Co Eiffel Tower' Photo: ©Blackpool Council Heritage Serv