The Chimney Corner: Secret Books from the Secret Library #5

The fifth in a newly-regular series exploring books and other items selected from our vast collections. In this entry Librarian Antony Ramm showcases a wonderful collection of photographs showing Unitarian Churches across Yorkshire in the late 19th-century… This is a really nice volume, a collection of images and historical notes about Unitarian Chapels across Yorkshire….

The Chimney Corner: Secret Books from the Secret Library #4

The fourth in a newly-regular series exploring books and other items selected from our vast collections. In this entry Librarian Antony Ramm is looking at the rather odd requirements of an 18th-century Lord Mayor in Yorkshire… Before discussing the book in question this week, it’s probably worth saying a little bit about how we’re choosing…

The Chimney Corner: Secret Books from the Secret Library #3

The third in a newly-regular series looking at books and other items randomly selected from our vast collections. In this entry Librarian Antony Ramm takes a look at an obscure (to us) religious manuscript… The first thing to say about today’s entry – the enigmatically-titled Manuscript – is the sheer solidity of its binding. And…

The Chimney Corner: Secret Books From The Secret Library #2

The second in an irregular (very irregular) series of books and other items selected from our vast collections. In this entry Librarian Antony Ramm takes a look at a rather nice presentation book with some eye-catching illustrations… The book – if we can even call it a book – was produced to commemorate a special…

We Smile: Photographs of Modernity

This week Librarian Antony Ramm offers a sequel to an article first published in 2017. Readers of this blog who are also readers of the Public Domain Review website (if you’re not, do think about subscribing; it’s a fantastic and always-intriguing look at long-forgotten printed texts) may have seen a short article by Hunter Dukes…

Leeds & the Craft Beer Revolution

As part of our ongoing series of longer articles exploring stops on our Edible Leeds heritage Trail, Librarian Antony Ramm takes a look this week at the 20-year history of craft beer in Leeds… Leeds, of course, has a long and venerable history when it comes to brewing, stretching back to at least the brewery…

Two Extraordinary Banquets

This week on the Secret Library, Librarian Antony Ramm briefly explores the stories behind two quite amazing political banquets in 19th-century Leeds. These both form entries on our Edible Leeds heritage trail, designed for Heritage Open Day Week 2021. In this short tale of two extraordinary political banquets, we start with the most well-known: the…

The Places We Live: Local History Collections Around Leeds

As part of Local and Community History Month, Librarian Antony Ramm briefly explores our local history collections stretching all around Leeds, and introduces a new guide to stock relating to Rothwell… As readers of this blog may already know, the Local and Family History department at the Central Library in Leeds houses a huge collection…