Blackpool’s donkeys throughout the years in amazing black and white photos
Check out these beautiful pictures charting the history of the Blackpool donkeys from 1900 to the present day.
Stunning images of the Blackpool donkeys, tell the story of this fabled seaside attraction over the past century or more.
Archivists at LancsLive have unearthed a plethora of images detailing the Blackpool donkeys, from children’s rides in the 1900s to celebrity photo opportunities with the likes of Lenny Henry and Ken Dodd in the 70s and 80s.
The tower, the seafront, the pier, the comedy shows, the magicians, the hotels.
There is so much that Blackpool is known for, so many iconic elements that attract hundreds of thousands of tourists to the resort each year.
But few attractions have stayed so true and loyal to the pure essence of Blackpool and its status as a traditional, Victorian, seaside resort, as the iconic donkeys.
Donkey rides have long been part of a tradition of Victorian seaside resorts with the their popularity becoming near universal in England during the late 1880s.
It is widely thought that the first donkey rides were enjoyed in Blackpool during the summer months of 1890.
Right at the start, it’s entirely possible that the donkey packs were joined by horses and mules, as the ‘draught horses’ of the cockling industry were the first to give rides to children.
Over the years, the iconic donkey rides have even attracted celebrity riders who have used the iconic mules as a photo opportunity.
The Nolan sisters, Ken Dodd, and Lenny Henry have all been pictured on the backs of Blackpool’s donkeys.
Check out our amazing gallery of the Blackpool donkeys dating back to the 1900s:
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Lenny Henry riding a Donkey at Blackpool Beach, Lancashire, July 1984 
The Nolan sisters enjoy themselves riding donkeys on the sands at Blackpool, July 1980 
The Nolan sisters were readying themselves for an appearance at the Winter Gardens 
Four-year-old Dorothy with a young donkey on the sands at Blackpool, June 1960 
A young holiday makers having a Donkey ride on the beach at Blackpool, July 18, 1957 
Children about to go for a donkey ride on the beach at Blackpool, 1963 
Two men racing donkeys on Blackpool beach, circa 1959 
Little Miss Muffet, a worn out baby donkey, decides to sleep on the sands, June 1947 
Peter Howitt, the Actor from the BBC series “Bread” riding a Donkey on the streets of Blackpool 
Children, donkeys and their handlers on the beach at Blackpool, circa July 1975 
An aerial view of donkeys and a young couple on the beach at Blackpool, circa July 1975 
Donkey rides and ice creams on the beach at Blackpool, England, with the Pier beyond, circa August 1976 
Holidaymakers riding donkeys on the beach at Blackpool, England, circa 1920
A Blackpool holiday poster from 1950 
1903: A family preparing to take a donkey ride on Blackpool(Image: Getty) 
Children in Blackpool enjoying a donkey ride despite war time restrictions on coastal holidays, June 30, 1943(Image: Getty) 
Holidaymakers riding donkeys on Blackpool Beach with the tower in the background, August 1965(Image: Getty) 
Young people enjoying donkey rides at Blackpool during the Second World War, August 1942 
Film actress Evelyn Holt riding a donkey on Blackpool beach, in a break between shots for a film, circa 1928 
Two children enjoying a donkey ride on the sands at Blackpool, 1910