Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting a few more articles than usual, all tied to our exhibition Leodis: 400 Years of Leeds in the Leeds Libraries Collections. The exhibition can be seen in our City Library until November 11. In this post, our focus is on Art and Creativity.
In Leeds City Library we are lucky enough to have a wonderful Art Library with some amazing collections of books and ephemera on art and artists from around the world, past and present. We’re also directly linked to the Leeds Art Gallery with a door between the Art Library and the gallery which seems very appropriate. If you have visited us before you may also have had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful Tiled Hall Café between both buildings. In short there is no lack of fascinating art and prolific artists who have lived and worked in Leeds in the past and today.
In the Heritage and Research department we hold several collections relating to local artists which we are very proud of. We have some items from these collections on display in our Leeds 400 exhibition; these are a small sample of the items we hold and all are viewable by request.
Fred Swaine (b.1858 – d.1942)
Fred Swaine lived and worked in Calverley all his life. He began work as a weaver at the age of 12 and progressed to the occupation of loom tuner and, eventually, to that of a power loom overlooker. However, he is best known for his detailed and vibrant work depicting 19th and early 20th century life and landscapes of Calverley, offering a window onto a bygone time.
Leeds Libraries acquired a sketch book, a notebook on a lecture given in Calverley in 1912, and a notebook of paintings with prices. We also hold a collection of his watercolours on our photograph archive Leodis .
The Grimshaw Collection
The Grimshaw Collection contains items from various members of the Grimshaw family, including letters, paintings, manuscripts, photographs and family memorabilia. Items of note include letters from Leeds artist John Atkinson Grimshaw to his children, signed ‘Your Affectionate Papa,’ a painting of a young Arthur Grimshaw (‘Arty’), and a collection of the family’s funeral memorial cards.
Jacob Kramer (1892-1962)
Born in present-day Russia to a Ukrainian-Jewish family, Jacob Kramer studied at the Leeds College of Arts from 1907-1911. He became one of the most significant artists associated with Leeds in the 20th century.
Leeds City Library holds a collection of material associated with Kramer, including personal materials such as a framed photograph and signed books. The material was donated to Leeds Libraries by Kramer’s sister, Sarah, and his nephew, John David Roberts.
