1886 Southport is a wealthy and thriving seaside town, full of culture and philanthropy. The year starts with a fancy dress ball given for the town’s children by the newly elected mayor John Unwin. It ends with another ball given by the re-elected mayor that is interrupted by a distress call from a ship caught off the Southport sands….
This talk covers the beautiful and fascinating album given to the mayor to mark the juvenile ball, and gives a chance to see images of some of the amazing costumes worn. It draws on local newspaper reports of the time and the path towards the end of the year and the worst lifeboat disaster in the history of the RNLI.
This talk is delivered by Lisa Stanway, an Atkinson volunteer and local history enthusiast.
Object of the Month
The Object of the Month lunchtime talks take place on the second Wednesday of every month and highlight different objects from our fine art and social history collections. Join us as we discover the hidden histories of items across our collections, from painting, print and sculpture to craft, costume and ceramics. The programme is delivered by Museum and Gallery staff as well as a wide range of outside expert speakers.
Object of the Month talks are free. Donations to The Atkinson Development Trust are welcomed.
See the full talks programme here.
