A exhibition of many previously unseen photographs of the area now covered by the Manchester Arndale. They include the pubs, clubs, chapels and many shops and businesses swept away to build the shopping centre. From the book 'Manchester's Lost District' by Keith Warrender. Free - please drop in
In 1919 the ‘Addison Act’ was passed by Parliament. This Housing Act helped local authorities to build social housing after World War One and guided policy for the country’s housing sector for most of the 20th century. Join us for the launch of this exhibition exploring its impact on Manchester. Free - please drop in
Join us for a free event exploring how language is more than just what we hear. Seeing the face of someone talking helps us understand what they are saying. Signed languages, such as British Sign Language (BSL), use hand and body movements to ‘say’ anything that can be expressed in spoken language. Take part in […]
Celebrate Pride with us at this special archive handling event with our wonderful LGBT Foundation volunteers. Free - please drop in
An exhibition sharing the story of the German Revolution 1918 and reclaiming the voices of the female revolutionaries who have, until now, been hidden from the official narrative. In November 1918, Germany erupted with a revolution which led to the establishment of the first democracy on German soil, the end of oppressive censorship, and the […]
A fantastic multimedia exhibition dedicated to Manchester's most unique artist. Containing the cream of the Frank Sidebottom/Chris Sievey archive, as featured in the new documentary Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story. Expect art, video, audio and bobbins puppets. Fun for the whole family. You know it is, it really is. Photo credit: Dave Arnold Free […]
Sefton Samuels is one of Britain's most iconic photographers. Join him for a very special signing session of his classical and jazz books, and an opportunity to view some of his incredible work held as part of the Library's Documentary Photography Archive (DPA). Free - please drop in
Empire Windrush is best remembered today for bringing one of the first large groups of post-war West Indian immigrants to the United Kingdom in 1948. To celebrate the 70th anniversary we exhibit and share material from collections in the AIU Race Relations Resource Centre and Manchester City Council Archives. Free - please drop in
Meet author Joanna Williams, whose book Abel Heywood, the Man who Built the Town Hall, was published by the History Press on 1 September 2017. Abel Heywood (1810-93), Mayor of Manchester, as chair of the New Town Hall Committee was the leading light behind the construction of the 'municipal palace' in Albert Square. Rising from severe poverty, he […]
Manchester Histories presents Hidden Histories, Hidden Historians, a Heritage Lottery Fund supported exhibition. Five groups from across Greater Manchester have explored their own hidden histories to create a multi-media exhibition that includes archive photography, historical research, video and oral histories. Free - just drop in
Home Movie Day is an annual worldwide celebration of family films – the North West Film Archive is looking for those more recent home movies which were ‘born digital’ and might be trapped in an old device. Bring us your gadgets, cards and phones and our experts will do their best to retrieve your […]
Manchester Voices is an ongoing project investigating and celebrating the accents, dialects, and people of Greater Manchester. It looks at the ways in which our use of language makes us who we are and explores perceptions of the way we speak across the region. Following a successful tour of the ten boroughs in our Accent […]
From dedicated performance spaces to stairwells, screens, nooks and domes, Central Library might directly inspire your next event or intervention. Contact us to arrange a tour.
