Welcome to the UK's largest community owned theatre
Here at the Hippodrome we're incredibly fortunate to have an amazing collection of materials that celebrate this historic variety theatre, and more importantly the people that have been a part of it's life. You'll find information here on our archive, along with the work to preserve and expand the collection.
Our Archive Collect​ion
​Whilst we knew we had a lot of archive materials, it was a combination of events that lead us to realise the importance of the collection we had. Maybe it was the donation of a suitcase of photographs from the family of a former performer at the Hippodrome, the discovery of the original printing blocks for programmes in the 1950's, perhaps the simple donation of a small vintage chocolate box containing treasured photographs and press clippings from the 1940's. What we do know is that 2020 was a difficult year for many people but especially for a venue like the Hippodrome. Lockdown took a heavy toll on Theatres and venues such as ours were amongst the last to be allowed to reopen to the public. The closedown period did however give us the chance to really examine the archive materials we have and to realise the importance of small Variety Theatres to the communities in mill and market towns across the North West. Here we'll share information with you on our efforts to preserve and expand the collection along with details on how we hope to make it more accessible.
​Whilst we knew we had a lot of archive materials, it was a combination of events that lead us to realise the importance of the collection we had. Maybe it was the donation of a suitcase of photographs from the family of a former performer at the Hippodrome, the discovery of the original printing blocks for programmes in the 1950's, perhaps the simple donation of a small vintage chocolate box containing treasured photographs and press clippings from the 1940's. What we do know is that 2020 was a difficult year for many people but especially for a venue like the Hippodrome. Lockdown took a heavy toll on Theatres and venues such as ours were amongst the last to be allowed to reopen to the public. The closedown period did however give us the chance to really examine the archive materials we have and to realise the importance of small Variety Theatres to the communities in mill and market towns across the North West. Here we'll share information with you on our efforts to preserve and expand the collection along with details on how we hope to make it more accessible.
Our photograph collection
Our photograph collection
We have estimated that we have over 1000 photographs of performances at the Hippodrome. Dating from the very first production in 1908, it is a collection that we're very proud of. We've been working to identify the productions and name all the people shown in them.
Our archive also includes many items other than photographs. We're fortunate to have some of the original printing blocks for our posters and programmes dating back to the 1930's. Some even have fire damage dating from when the Todmorden based printing firm had a serious fire but managed to rescue these items from the debris.
Not just photographs
Not just photographs
As we work to digitise our Archive, we hope to share lots of images of our collection and include a search facility. With items as varied as large scale posters and programmes to handheld props and set designs, this is going to be quite a challenge. Keep checking back for the latest updates and for news on any exciting developments and finds.
How you can help our project
How you can help our project
Donating items
If you have any items that you would be willing to donate to our archive then please get in touch. As you can see from our Latest Donations and Finds sections, we would like anything that helps us piece together the history of the Hippodrome but also theatre and entertainment throughout the town.
Donating your skills
Todmorden has many talented and skilled people living here and if you think you could help with our archive project then we'd love to hear from you. Maybe you are able to preserve fragile 100 year old posters or have the patience to scan documents for us. Whatever your skill, we'd love to hear from you.
Financial support
A financial donation can make a big difference to our project, no matter the amount. From purchasing plastic folders to store photographs to paying for cloud based storage and IT equipment, any financial donation will be put to good use. Donations can also be made in memory of past members or others involved in the arts. To make a donation please use the contact form below.
Latest Donations and Finds
15th December 2024
🎨 A Blast from the Past: Historic Hippodrome Artwork Rediscovered! 🎨
During a recent clear-out, we uncovered a scenery drape painted nearly 40 years ago for Annie! While the cloth had deteriorated, we saved six stunning paintings created by Todmorden High School art teacher Bill Ingham and his A-level students.
Thanks to Abacus Picture Framing and generous sponsors, these works have been restored and framed, including The Blue Boy and Mona Lisa. These treasures are now part of the Hippodrome’s archive and will soon be on display.
We're still looking for a sponsor for the sixth painting. Could you help ensure our sixth 'Master' is saved? Email archive@todhip.org for more info.
28th October 2024
During our production of Bugsy Malone in October, we were delighted to receive a donation of programmes, with some dating back to 1935. It included a 1971 Gang Show programme signed by the cast. Simply amazing!
10th October 2024
One of the magical parts of cataloguing our archive is uncovering unexpected treasures. We were lucky enough to have the legendary Ken Dodd perform at the Hippodrome twice, once in 1982 and again in 1995. While we had programmes from both events, during our latest check, we found a ticket tucked inside the 1982 programme. Even more incredible, the 1995 programme included a personal dedication: "To all my friends at Th’ipperdrome Tod, thank you for a wonderful welcome, happiness always."
The latest news from the archive@todhip
15th December 2024
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We’re thrilled to announce that the Hippodrome’s incredible archive is now part of the Association of Performing Arts Collections (APAC)!
This places us alongside some of the UK’s most prestigious institutions, like the Victoria and Albert Museum's Theatre and Performance Collection and the British Library, as well as other regional archives. We couldn’t be prouder to see our local history standing shoulder to shoulder with these iconic collections!
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Our archive is truly special—it doesn’t just celebrate the history of our beloved Hippodrome, but also the incredible people who’ve been part of its story. It even includes materials predating the theatre’s construction, featuring Amateur Dramatic Groups that once performed in Todmorden. Through these treasures, we can trace the powerful impact of performing arts on working-class mill towns like ours.
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Keep an eye out for exciting Archive events coming in 2025—there’s so much to discover! Want to get involved or support our archive? Use the contact form below or email us at archive@todhip.org. Together, we’re preserving the magic of performing arts for future generations!
7th September 2024
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On September 7th, we celebrated our 'Dive Into Our Archives' open day as part of national Heritage Open Days, and what a day it was! We welcomed over 300 visitors, from long-time friends of the theatre to newcomers, with some traveling from across the country to explore our archives. Guests enjoyed displays of photos, programs, props, costumes, and unique memorabilia from throughout the years, plus a special screening of clips from past productions on our new cinema screen.
The day was filled with laughter, memories, and reunions as people shared stories and reconnected with old castmates. Our dedicated archive volunteers proudly showcased two years of hard work cataloguing and preserving this vital slice of social history, and we were thrilled to receive additional program and photo donations. The archive truly reflects the rich cultural impact of variety theatre in a working-class town like Todmorden. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a remarkable day!
See our slideshow of images from the Archive Open Day
Over 100 people attended our second Archive Open Day at the Hippodrome on the 13th May. It was a great day with some really incredible donations to the archive. The community support for our archive project is truly inspiring. For details on some of the items donated, please see our Latest Donations and Finds section.
People also had the chance to see our plans for the future of the Hippodrome, including our new archive facilities. We're incredibly excited about our project so please read on for more information.
An award for our archivist
An award for our archivist
The Archive Open Day was also the perfect time to present an award to our Archivist Deborah. She was presented with the Hubert Town Trophy which is given to recognise Outstanding Committment to TAODS. Our connections with our wider theatre family are really important to us so it was lovely to have Geoffrey Town, Hubert Towns Son, at the event to present the trophy
OUR FUTURE PLANS
We have ambitious plans for our future
We have ambitious plans for our future
We believe that the archive we have is not just important locally, but also nationally. Small Variety Theatres like the Hippodrome were an essential part of many small mill and market towns in the NorthWest. They were an escape from the 'drudgery' of everyday life and a chance for local people to 'tread the boards'. Whilst we want to celebrate the history of our venue, we also want to secure historical documents and information on other lost variety theatres. We believe that the Variety Theatres are essential to understanding the social and economic life of towns such as ours.
Our future plans will see us build an extension to the Hippodrome as part of an ambitious plan that recently received funding through the Todmorden Town Deal Scheme. The extension will provide a permanent home for our archive, allowing it to be displayed and accessed more widely. The archive will also form the basis of projects to keep variety theatre skills alive by running events and classes aimed at including all of our community in our wonderful history.
Contact Our Archive Team
Contact Our Archive Team
If you think you may have items for our archive then please do get in touch with us. You can also get in touch if you'd like to help us with the project.
Our Archivist Deborah would love to hear from you, whatever the enquiry.
Until we have digitised everything it can be very difficult to search through our archive but we will try our best if you have a specific request for information.