Unexpected Perspectives #2

By Ross Horsley, Local and Family History, Leeds Central Library Now is the time to wander down to the West Yorkshire Playhouse and take advantage of a relatively unobstructed view straight up Eastgate to the Headrow. Once the new multi-storey car park of the currently under-construction Victoria Gate shopping centre is complete (it’s due to…

Joseph Priestley: Light and Leeds

by Antony Ramm, Local and Family History, Central Library As part of our Light Night celebrations, the Library is hosting a display of rare books on the subject of light, optics and astronomy. Alongside classics by such prominent scientists and philosophers as Galileo Galilei, Alexander von Humboldt, Christiaan Huygens, Nicolaus Copernicus and Isaac Newton, visitors…

Unexpected Perspectives #1

By Ross Horsley, Local and Family History, Leeds Central Library Climb to the top of the Bridgewater Place building, Sky Plaza or Pinnacle and you’re going to get some pretty great views of our fine city – as well as a stitch. But there’s also plenty of easily accessible places offering equally impressive fresh takes on…

Read More: Black History Month – the American Civil War and the End of Slavery

by Antony Ramm, Local and Family History, Leeds Central Library This is an entry in our Read More series. These are ‘long-form’ articles, where staff offer a curated and detailed look at areas of our book collections, usually based around a specific theme or subject. These posts aim to guide the interested reader through to those books that…

The Headrow: Coffee, Change and Loss in Leeds City Centre

Part I in a loose trilogy of posts exploring (some) meanings behind the study of local history. Part II is here and Part III is here by Antony Ramm, Local and Family History, Leeds Central Library The proper study of history should always be far more than a record of ‘great’ events. History is as much…

When Industry and Art Meet

by Vickie, Art Library, Leeds Central Library This week’s post returns to the theme of an Industrial Leeds – specifically the title of ‘City of Industry’ – a name that is also title to the current exhibition devised and co-curated by local illustrator Drew Millward in the gallery space at Colours May Vary. After previously touching…

What’s in a Noun?

Our weekend of Heritage Open Day tours is in full swing here at Leeds Central Library – and places are all now fully booked up (sorry!). This year, as well as enjoying a trip around the nooks and crannies of our grand Victorian building, our visitors are getting a peek at some little treasures from…