Browse Exhibits (23 total)

Trailblazing Women of Trafford

Through this virtual exhibition, you can learn about the significant women who have called the Trafford area home, and shine a light on their pioneering exploits.

Each week you can learn about a different woman, from articles researched and written by Trafford Local Studies staff and volunteers. 

The Liberty to Read: A History of Libraries in Trafford

To celebrate the Manchester City of Literature's Festival of Libraries, Trafford Local Studies Centre brings you a brand new virtual exhibition exploring the histories of the borough’s libraries.

Trafford on Screen

Trafford is the star of the show as we take you on a tour of filming locations in the borough. 

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Holocaust Memorial Day

Holocaust Memorial Day encourages remembrance of the six million Jews and millions of others who lost their lives at the hands of Nazi persecution. The 27 January was chosen as this date marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in 1945.

Trafford Local Studies have searched for local connections to the Holocaust, to both aid remembrance and acknowledge this dark moment in history.

Remembering the Manchester Blitz

Between August 1940 and May 1941, the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) inflicted heavy and frequent bombing attacks on British cities, ports, and industrial areas. The campaign became known as the ‘blitz’: a term first used by the British press and a shortening of the German blitzkrieg (‘lightening war’).

At first, aerial raids took place during daylight hours. In October 1940, however, the Luftwaffe switched its methods to night attacks. As an important inland port and manufacturing centre, the city of Manchester, together with the nearby industrial estate in Trafford Park, were both prime targets.

While the Manchester-area endured a number of bombing raids throughout the autumn of 1940, the most devastating attack took place in the days immediately preceding Christmas.

The Essoldo, Stretford

The eye-catching Essoldo Cinema has been a prominent figure of the Stretford landscape since the 1930s. Let's take a look at its many identities over the last eighty-four years.

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Trafford Pub Crawl

Many of Trafford's public houses have long and rich histories. We have carried out research by looking at archive records, local history books and the British Newspaper Archive which has unearthed a wealth of information and stories. Each week, we will be focusing on a different pub in the Trafford area.

Fancy a pub crawl? Our first port of call is the Church Inn in Flixton.....

Morris Dancing in Stretford Before the First World War

This article explores the history of morris dancing in Stretford and its social context. Morris dancing, associated until the mid-nineteenth century with the rush-bearing at Stretford Wakes, was revived in 1910 after the establishment of an annual Rose Queen Festival, centred on the Gorse Hill district, which was to become the annual Stretford Pageant. As well as the Gorse Hill Morris Dancers there were other troupes formed in Stretford and Trafford Park.

Research into programmes from the Rose Queen Festival and newspaper reports has provided insight into the strong relationship between the Rose Queen event and the Morris dancers, the social background of the dancers and their history of dancing with the troupe. Examination of the close community from which the Gorse Hill dancers came, and of the large scale participation of that community in the annual Rose Queen Festival, has demonstrated why pride in taking part in the morris was created.

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The Linotype Works, Broadheath

Since setting up shop in Broadheath’s industrial park, the Linotype works have been a significant feature of the local area, employing many local people. Find out more about this revolutionary piece of technology and the company’s journey through the twentieth century.

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'All in it Together': Commemorating 80 years since the End of the Second World War

This year marks the 80th anniversary since the end of the Second World War. This exhibit was created to both remember and commemorate its end, through the use of photographs, images and other materials from the Trafford Local Studies Centre’s Art, Archive and Heritage Collections. 

Organised into a series of short commentaries and essays, 'All in it Together' retraces life during the war; looking back at the ways that residents of Trafford came together, to support each other as well as the national war effort. This exhibit also looks back at the local celebrations which took place in May and August 1945, marking the end of the conflict.