Photo: a Victorian postcard of Belle Vue, which was open for over a century. Courtesy of Brian Selby.
Manchester Central Library is giving people the opportunity to hark back to the heyday of the famous Belle Vue Zoological Gardens at the exhibition, Belle Vue's Back in Town.
Running until September 25, the exhibition celebrates the vibrant atmosphere of the famous park, with a collection of original posters, postcards, circus programmes, zoo guides and souvenirs, all amassed by local collector Brian Selby.
"I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that there was this 98 acre site just outside Manchester," he said. "This was the mecca of the North!"
Photo: a zoo guide from 1933. Courtesy of Brian Selby.
Belle Vue holds a special place in the hearts of those who spent fun times at its zoo, speedway, circus and King’s Hall concerts. Many will also fondly remember firework displays, wrestling, boxing, brass band competitions and the boating lake, not to mention the funfair on Saturday nights.
Brian informed 24 Hour Museum that over a Bank Holiday weekend Belle Vue would draw between 150,000 to 180,000 pleasure-seekers at its height in the 1940s and 1950s.
During the war years, Belle Vue played a major part in people’s lives, with people meeting their future partners at outdoor dances. Those were the days! The principal attractions at the amusement park were the enjoyably sedate bobs, the caterpillar and the scenic railway.
The park’s circus was reputedly world-famous, drawing acts from all over Europe to its big top, King’s Hall. Visitors were treated to shows by all sorts of talented animals: horse-riding tigers, pony-riding poodles, performing pigeons and prancing pigs. The human acts were similarly fantastical, with performers like Strongest of the Strong Men, Samson, and the Delectable Delilah!
Photo: a programme from 1960. The circus was renowned for pulling in performers from all over Europe. Courtesy of Brian Selby.
Founded in 1836, Belle Vue was one of the first three zoos in the UK and was owned by the same family until 1925. Fascinating Victorian memorabilia is now on show from Brian’s collection, including colourful zoo guides from the 1920s and more formal programmes advertising battle re-enactments, which date back to 1880.
Collector Selby explained: "The beginnings of Belle Vue Zoological Gardens date back to Willian IV when John Jennison took a six-month lease on a piece of ground on the turnpike Hyde Road between Manchester and Hyde.
"The venture proved to be a success and the rest is now for the history books, but Belle Vue provided entertainment and excitement to millions until the zoo’s closure in 1977."
Photo: popular wrestling and boxing matches were just some of the attractions on offer. Courtesy of Brian Selby.
Visitor numbers dwindled as attitudes to zoos changed and, since its redevelopment, all that remains of the original Belle Vue is the greyhound track and speedway.
Possibly the most interesting artefacts in Brian's collection are Gracie Fields’ hands and feet! He promised 24 Hour Museum that he would put Gracie’s concrete impressions on display when he can find a way of transporting the heavy slabs from of his home.
Brian is keen for his collection to go on permanent display and any interested museums should e-mail editor@24hourmuseum.org.uk.
