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,…
Category: Child Friendly
Intepreting short-hand
An author researching the lives of the Bilbrough family, residents of Beech Grove Terrace in Woodhouse, Leeds, contacted us recently with a very specific interpretation request that needs the assistance of our readers… One of the Bilbroughs in the family I am researching wrote some of his diary entries in a form of shorthand. I…
Joan Hassall and the Tree of Knowledge
This week on the Secret Library Leeds, Library and Digital Assistant Philip Wilde celebrates the life and enduring legacy of a little-known artist – with a surprising connection to Leeds and Leeds Libraries…. Going through the correspondence of former Leeds City Librarian, F. G. B. Hutchings – Frederick George Baxendale, usually known as Fred or…
Who Was Maud Hummerston? Leeds Libraries’ first Female Librarian
This week we hear from Library and Digital Assistant Rosaleen Williams, who uncovers the life, career, and incredible achievements of a pioneering Leeds librarian – now rightly celebrated as part of the newly refurbished Central Library. This article also forms #28 in our People of Leeds series. The ground floor of Leeds Central Library has…
The Charter of 1626 and Leeds in the seventeenth century
This week on the Secret Library we mark the 400th anniversary of the Leeds Charter of 1626 with a new research guide covering resources at our Central Library for exploring this important century… On July 13 Leeds will celebrate 400 years since the signing of the town’s first Charter in 1626 – a historically significant…
The kitten that makes you rethink your existence
This week on the blog we hear from guest author Struan Yallup, who brings us the tale of how a tragic accident shines a light on remarriage in Victorian Leeds – and on why you were born. This story isn’t actually about a cat. The story only happened because of a cat. This story is…
Educating the City: Leeds City Council Papers
Welcome back to Heritage Volunteer Andy Armstrong this week on the Secret Library Leeds blog. This is part seven of Andy’s curation of the Leeds City Council papers held in our Local and Family History department; this time, Andy has been looking at education in Leeds. As always, Andy’s research is accompanied by a research guide……
The Making of the Yorkshire Almanac 2026, Sheep Flavour
This week on the Secret Library Leeds, Leeds’s Singing Organ-Grinder tells how moving to Yorkshire five years ago inspired him to compile a day-by-day historical anthology. One sunny day in spring 2021, we chugged cheerfully east along the M62 in a removal van on a roundabout route from Hackney to Headingley. The third lockdown was…
