Huge Manchester mural unveiled at The Printworks – can you spot all the famous Mancunians?

A huge new mural celebrating Manchester’s famous faces, inspirational icons and cultural landmarks has been unveiled in the city centre.

The Printworks commissioned acclaimed Manc artist Justin Eagleton to create a lasting piece of nostalgic artwork, celebrating the city’s rich and vibrant history.

The result is a huge 4.8m wide by 2.4m high mural which is now on display inside The Printworks before it takes a permanent place on Dantzic Street from October 21st.

The mural was unveiled at The Printworks entertainment complex on Thursday night by Manc music icon Clint Boon – who also has own place on the artwork with his band The Inspiral Carpets.

The artwork includes famous landmarks including Belle Vue Circus, Beetham Tower, the Royal Exchange and the cotton mills that famously dot the city’s landscape. Music heroes and comedians such as The Stone Roses, Oasis, Victoria Wood, Peter Kay and Steve Coogan are also featured.

There is a nod to some of the most influential icons such as Emmeline Pankhurst, Professor Brian Cox and Alan Turing, referencing the city’s rich political and scientific heritage. And the mural wouldn’t be complete without including the city’s famous symbol, the Manchester bee.

Can you name all of the famous Mancunians and landmarks in the mural?  Take a look at our gallery of images below, and if you’re struggling, we’ve included the full list of all those who feature in the painting at the bottom of the article.

Manchester-based artist Justin, 48, said: “This city means so much to so many and I hope everyone will be able to relate to an image, or see something that makes them smile within the mural.

“I’d like to thank Printworks for allowing me to create this wonderful piece of nostalgia for the city to enjoy.”

It has been dad-of-two Justin’s biggest project to date.  He said: “I added many elements from my own life growing up such as Belle Vue Circus, Vimto and Dangermouse to name a few and I wanted lots of nods to the music and culture that makes Manchester what it is today.

“There are historical elements and a few less known Mancunians who I researched and honorary ones who have contributed so much to the history of the city such as Alan Turing and Elizabeth Gaskell.

“These are my Manchester memories and the idea is that everyone who sees it will have their own but I had to draw a line under it somewhere otherwise i would have been adding and taking elements away every day forever as Manchester is so rich in history.”

Renowned photographers, Paul Husband, Ian Tilton, Paul Wolfgang Webster and Jill Furmanovsky allowed their iconic images to be used on the mural, which contains many of the city’s most famous rock ‘n’ roll icons – and at the very centre, of course, is Mr Manchester Tony Wilson.

Printworks’ centre director Fred Booth said: “Printworks has a long-standing heritage across Greater Manchester, so what better way to celebrate this than with a mural of memories, showcasing the people and places that have carved their own place in our city’s history.

“We want the people of Manchester to visit our fantastic mural and share in the memories of our great city.”

The entertainment complex has teamed up with the charity Forever Manchester to celebrate the launch – and the charity’s ambassador Captain Manchester is also included in the mural.  Prints of the artwork are now on sale at Forever Manchester’s official website with the proceeds going towards the charity which supports grassroots project across the city.

In 2018, the Printworks teamed up with Justin for the Bee in the City campaign, commissioning him to create a charity Hac-BEE-enda bee installation, which took pride of place in the Printworks and was later auctioned off for charity, with over £20,000 going to the We Love MCR Charity.

Here’s the full list of over 100 people and places included on the Manc mural:-

The Stone Roses
Marie Stopes
Pat Phoenix
Vincent Kompany
Fred Perry
Oasis
Bernard Sumner
Johnny Marr
Bez
Tim Booth
Inspiral Carpets
Morrissey
Ian Curtis
Peter Hook
Anthony H Wilson
Tim Burgess
Stephen Morris
Gerald Simpson
Mark E Smith
Rowetta
Len Johnson
Maxine Peake
LS Lowry
Shelagh Delaney
Guy Garvey
Gillian Gilbert
Louise Da Cocodia
Danny Boyle
Steve Coogan
John Cooper Clark
Sir Ben Kingsley
Davy Jones
Elizabeth Gaskell
Robert Owen
Victoria Wood
Tony Warren
John Dalton
Les Dawson
The Busby Babes
Fred Dibnah
Peter Kay
Emmeline Pankhurst
Danger Mouse
Frank ‘Foo Foo’ Lammar
Alan Turing
David Lloyd George
Ellen Wilkinson
Caroline Aherne
Black Grape
Professor Brian Cox
Take That
Marc Riley
John Robb
Craig Cash
A Clockwork Orange
First balloon flight
Piccadilly 261
Hacienda nightclub
Free Trade Hall
Beetham Tower
Corn Exchange
Manchester Arena
Lewis’s department store
Royal Exchange
Museum of Science and Industry
Apollo Theatre
Town Hall
Belle Vue Circus
Original BBC building
Peterloo massacre
Hulme Arch
Shambles pub
New Co-Op building
Lowry painting background
Quote from the manchester opera house
Hilda Ogden’s ducks from Coronation St
Sex Pistols’ promo poster original gig at free trade hall 1976
Boddingtons chimney
Frank Sidebottom head
Vimto monument
Manchester coat of arms
Strangeways prison tower
Hac ‘bee’ enda bee
Granada TV logo
Gmex
Cotton mills and chimneys
Chinatown arch
Central Library
Imperial War Museum
Peterloo massacre meeting flier
Original Manchester bus
Original Manchester tram
22 Manchester bees commemorating the arena attack
Joan & Roy Eagleton (Justin’s parents)
Captain MCR