Barry Island Holiday Resort
This collection pulls together items relating to the historic Barry Island, as a tourist attraction from late Victorian times to middle of the 20thC. With industrialisation and the development of Barry Docks came thousands of visitors to Barry Island's golden beaches, travelling on the newly established railway from south Wales and on the paddle steamers and passenger boats that ran from Barry pier. Barry Island soon became a popular and accessible holiday destination for the working classes with thousands of South Wales' miners and their families flocking to enjoy attractions such as the White Brothers' Figure 8 Ride which opened in 1912, one of the earliest rides. The Collins' Fairground took over the site in 1930 and the White Brothers moved over the road to establish the White's Cosy Corner amusement park and dodgem cars rink. Another important attraction to be added was the wooden structure of the new Scenic Railway, installed in the autumn of 1939. Between the two world wars, additional features at Barry Island also included a new promenade and charabanc shelter.
