Discover 400 years of Leeds’ history through the inspiring collections of Leeds Libraries – from 17th century manuscripts to football fanzines, via rare maps, photographs, film footage, memoirs, newspapers, pamphlets, and, of course, books. Explore some of the city’s richest treasures and learn more about how Leeds Libraries have preserved historically significant archives for past, present, and future generations.

We are delighted to announce that LEODIS: 400 Years of Leeds in the Leeds Libraries Collections, our Leeds400 exhibition, has now opened. You can visit the exhibition on the 1st floor of the City Library until November 11.

The exhibition takes a thematic approach, with cabinets focusing on Leeds during the 17th and 18th centuries; first-hand accounts of life the town and city from the 18th to the 21st centuries ; art and artists; creativity and culture; societies and organisations; life during wartime; protest and activism; the modern city; and, finally, a cabinet exploring aspects of geographical communities across the wider metropolitan boundaries. In each case the theme is represented with key items from the local history and Special Collections preserved at the City Library.

Two additional cabinets will exhibit donations and loans from members of the public, following a call-out earlier this year for contributions to the exhibition. Our thanks to everyone who has got in touch and provided content to ensure our exhibition includes the voices and impressions of present-day residents of the city. One of those cabinets is in the exhibition space; the second in our Heritage & Research department, alongside an additional section of the exhibition, focusing on the history of Leeds Libraries and the Tercentenary celebrations of 1926.

Beyond books, the exhibition will also feature two video installations – an overview of the city’s growth as seen through maps of Leeds and an exclusive work from artist Pam Skelton – alongside an immersive projection of images from our online Leodis photographic archive.

Alongside the exhibition, we have a full programme of talks and workshops. You can see further details about these on the Leeds Inspired website and confirm your attendance on the Ticketsource platform.