Approaching Signal
Snapshots from the Sankey Photography Archive of Barrow & Surrounding Areas
18th March - 30th April 2026
Open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am- 4pm
(& by appointment Mon-Fri)
FREE
Nostalgia and memories of Barrow in times gone by. Showcasing architecture across the town centre and surrounds of Cooke’s Studios. Highlighting the change in styles and fashions. The Cooke’s building sits at the heart of the impressive Abbey road entry to Barrow.
Immerse yourself amongst large scale projections of images from Barrow’s heritage treasure trove, the Sankey Photography Archive. Specially selected and curated from our dedicated volunteers and Sankey Team, the photographs chosen depict themes leisure, pubs and hotels, Sankeys in the high Lakeland Fells and submarines.
Thanks to:
Jean McSorley
John Harrison
Mark Brockbank
Martin Bates
Peter Laird
Keith Glasgow
Derek Bradley
Keep an eye on our website for more heritage events coming soon!
Heritage Event: We’re also delighted to invite you to join us on Thursday 26th March, 1-3pm for free tea, coffee & refreshments to celebrate our heritage. take in the projections and talk to the Sankey team —please book a free ticket to help us plan for numbers.
Location:
Signal Film & Media
Cooke’s Studios
102-104 Abbey Road
Barrow-in-Furness
Cumbria
LA14 5QR
Times:
March 18th – April 30th 2026 | Wednesdays and Thursdays | 10am – 4pm
We’d also love to welcome you during the week by appointment, Mon-Fri. Please email info@signalfilmandmedia.co.uk or call us on 01229 838592 to arrange a time.
The Sankey Photography Online Archive is a collection of over 10,000 historical photographs taken by Edward and Raymond Sankey in Barrow-in-Furness
The physical archive, now housed at Cumbria Archives, is a stunning collection of glass plate negatives and postcards of Barrow and the north-west, which is believed to be the largest of its kind, documenting Barrow between the years of 1890 and 1970.
The images were catalogued and digitised as part of the Seeing the North with Sankey Project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage fund with the support of a team of volunteers.