Blackpool Exhibition Revives 1950s and 60s Memories with Salon Hairdryers

An innovative arts initiative, “Voices from the Hood,” has commenced in Blackpool, featuring music and recollections from the 1950s and 60s. This exhibition, located at the Central Library in the Lancashire town, incorporates salon-style hairdryers from that era, offering an unconventional experience. Visitors are invited to sit beneath one of three dome-shaped dryers, where, instead of hair drying, they are presented with classic musical tracks and personal stories from local individuals who were teenagers during the 1950s and 60s. This undertaking is a collaborative effort between Lancaster University and the Mirador heritage charity. George Harris of Mirador indicated that the concept was inspired by a Lytham-based company known for manufacturing jukeboxes. Ditchburn Equipment Ltd, which ceased operations approximately 50 years ago, held the distinction of being the sole British producer of jukeboxes for a decade. Mr Harris stated: “Jukeboxes were American things. “We couldn’t import them so they had to be made in the UK and Jack Hylton, the bandleader, built the first jukeboxes at Hawtin’s in Blackpool.”But the business didn’t prove successful because he was trying to sell them at a time of austerity.”Then Ditchburn in Lytham cracked the notion of renting them to cafés and milk bars.” The introduction of the jukebox sparked a cultural revolution that thrived throughout the 1950s and 60s, providing young people of that period access to pioneering rock and pop records not typically broadcast on mainstream radio. Mr Harris further added: “They could listen to music to express themselves in the way they wanted to see themselves.” For additional content from BBC Radio Lancashire, listeners can access Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk or via Whatsapp at 0808 100 2230. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites, with further details available regarding its approach to external linking.