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What’s Inside?

Discover your Local Area through many exciting resources we have on offer. Photographs dating back to the late 1800s and maps which show how areas have changed over time. Discover local newspapers, books, pamphlets and amazing archives.

Yorkshire Street – 1925

Rochdale Town Centre – 1902

Smith Street – 1914

Scott family at Stubley New Hall

Rochdale Greys Baseball Team

Rochdale Corporation Transport on Lord Street – 1920

QV Fairy Fountain on The Holme Jubilee – 1897

Prince Street – 1892

Newhey Council School – 1908

Littleborough looking towards Shore Mill

Hollingworth Lake

Falinge Park

Cattle Market – 1914

Canal Boat Trip

Bailee Street – 1981

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Deposited in 1983 this item consists of passport-sized photographs of habitual offenders together with details of previous convictions and a character assessment of each prisoner. The crimes listed against some of the 741 offenders range from minor misdemeanours such as stealing a fowl (which resulted in a sentence of six weeks in prison) to more serious crimes such as robbery and assault. The inclusion of photographs brings this unique archive to life.

Archive of Co-operative and Pioneers Societies (1856-1976)

In 1844 the Rochdale Pioneers began what is generally regarded as the first successful co-operative retail venture devising a set of principles which included:

  • Democratic control of the organisation
  • One member, one vote
  • Equality of the sexes
  • Political and religious neutrality
  • Education for all
  • Profits divided pro-rata depending on the amount spent

The Pioneers began trading from 33 Toad Lane in December 1844. As they expanded, other societies mushroomed throughout the area until the principles of co-operation spread all over Great Britain and gradually encompassed the world. The early minute books in the archive collection were acquired in 1960 with significant later donations making this archive one of our most substantial.

Photography

Our extensive photograph collection encapsulates the historical backdrop to a Northern mill town and its people, from the town centre slums to the magnificence of the Victorian Town Hall.

This photograph shows Yorkshire Street in 1925, still one of the busiest shopping streets in Rochdale. With the well-established banks situated at the bottom of the street and the market stalls a little further up, shops flanked either side of the road including ‘Jimmy Ducks’ – the famous James Duckworth store. The street was also home to a number of hotels and public houses.

This photograph pictures the River Roch before it was covered over in order to facilitate the introduction of trams to Rochdale town centre. The area has now gone full circle and was recently uncovered again as part of a major regeneration project to reveal the medieval bridge that was hiding underneath.

Ephemera

Our collection of ephemera contains over a thousand items and includes posters, tickets and invitations.

The invitation below was to the official opening of Rochdale Town Hall which took place on Wednesday 27th September 1871. The gothic building was designed by the architect W.H. Crosland. His original tender for £20,000 was a substantial underestimate and when costs rose to £150,000 he was ordered to stop. Considered one of the finest civic buildings in the North of England, an invitation to the opening ceremony would have been highly sought after.