Celebration for 50th birthday of Bradford Industrial Museum

Bradford Industrial Museum opened in 1974 and has become one of the city’s most popular free attractions.

It is based in the building that used to be Moorside Mills in Eccleshill and is home to an array of machinery from the city’s industrial past, as well as a collection of vintage vehicles and a working blacksmith.

It was originally built around 1875 as a small, worsted spinning mill and was bought and sold many times over the years as it grew and grew.

The Industrial Museum used to be home to a number of Shire Horses - reflecting the pre-motor industrial era (Image: T&A)

In 1974, Bradford Council created the Industrial Museum, which became the first local authority-run Industrial Museum in the country.

The museum has grown and now represents the unique heritage of the Bradford district and contains permanent displays of textile machinery, steam power, engineering innovations, and motor vehicles, as well as hosting temporary exhibitions and events such as Christmas markets.

Vintage vehicles at the Industrial Museum (Image: T&A)

To help celebrate the occasion, the council’s museums and galleries team has organised a free weekend full of events on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 from 11am until 4pm. 

As well as all the usual displays and exhibitions, there will be a DJ playing music from the 1970s, vintage stalls, food and coffee vans, family activities as well as 1970s Bollywood-style dancing.

People will also be able to see the 1970s back-to-back house at the museum, which has recently been given a makeover.

One of the many Christmas Markets the museum has hosted (Image: T&A)

Each property in the row of back-to-backs has been decorated to reflect a different time period in the city.

The new look of the 70s home reflects the home of a family who came to Bradford from Pakistan in the 1960s - a time when local textile mills needed workers and encouraged individuals from South Asian countries to fill these roles.

The back to back homes at the Industrial Museum (Image: T&A)

The display offers a glimpse into the home life of a British Pakistani family in the 1970s and touches on various aspects of life during that time.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for healthy people and places said: “We’re rightly proud of our Industrial Museum which celebrates the rich heritage of our district. Please come along, get dressed up 70s style, and help us celebrate the museum’s 50th birthday.”

This event is also part of the national Heritage Open Days scheme which is England’s largest free community-led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations.

For more information about this event and the other Bradford District Museums and Galleries visit bradfordmuseums.org