The archive is extensive and we aim to make many of these images available online.
*SEPTEMBER 2025 UPDATE*
There are now more than 17,553 images on the website including those on our Other Collections section. There are more images to see if you View our Articles section to read longer articles written by our volunteers on a range of historical subjects.
We have received a donation of Burco Dean archive material which has not yet been digitised for the website but you will find information about Burco Dean and a small selection of images on our Articles page.
We are now operating without the benefit of Heritage Lottery Funding and welcome donations to enable us to continue scanning negatives and making them available on the website. Donations can be made directly to us or via JUSTGIVING
Or scan our Just Giving account QR Code
BCTHIC is most thankful for the generous donations made by:
Burnley Rotary, Burnley Pendleside Rotary, Stocks Massey Bequest Fund, Celeste & Kevin (in Canada) and other donors who have contributed to our funds to enable this project to continue after our Heritage Lottery funding ceased.
All funding contributions are gratefully accepted
We WELCOME NEW VOLUNTEERS and have vacancies on our Wednesday and Thursday afternoon sessions. If you can spare a couple of hours why not contact us and arrange a visit to the archive. All that is needed are some basic computer skills and an interest in local history. PENDLE AND WEST CRAVEN images can be found in the Surrounding Districts pages and we would welcome volunteers from the Pendle area to digitise images and stories about this area as we have no volunteers working on this area at the moment.
We have produced a short history about the project which you can download.
50 Years Ago
Jacob Epstein's "Deidre"
From an article by Antonia Lerse:
Sculpture is probably one of the least popular branches of the arts in this country and the reason is not hard to find. People living away from the cultural centres rarely, if ever, get a chance, to see the sculptor's work. It is a situation which Mr Hubert Rigg, Towneley Hall curator, has tried to rectify by putting on an exhibition of modern British sculpture at Towneley. The sculptures on show have all been borrowed from public collections in the north of England. "I wanted to show the range of work which people can easily travel to see in this area, and I think the exhibition illustrates just how much there is to see," said Mr Rigg.
The exhibition illustrates the 20th century British school of sculpture, and includes work by Jacob Epstein, Reg Butler, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. For the newcomer to sculpture it is an appetising introduction. There is not too much, and each piece is displayed to allow the visitor plenty of room to have a good look. Mr Rigg has chosen the pieces to show a wide range of materials and styles. "Epstein's work in a way released sculpture from its classical tradition, and introduced new methods of handling the materials.
