We hear from regular guest author Tony Scaife on the Secret Library this week. This is the first of a series on the Leeds Mechanics Institute, sourced from books and other resources available in the Local Studies & Research department at the Central Library… When I first moved to Leeds, I was struck by how…
Category: Social History
Family Allowance Toy Fair
by Louise Birch Day 7 of our Advent Calendar is all about Christmas Shopping. there is a commercial side to Christmas that many dislike, for some this is due to the affordability of gifts. Today’s entry recalls a toy fair that addressed this. These images show the annual Wykebeck ‘Family allowance Toy Fair’. Local residents…
DISrupting the arts in Leeds
Gill Crawshaw has been researching examples of disability arts in the Local and Family History Library as DISrupt, a collective of disabled artists, continues this legacy in Leeds. This article is published to mark next week’s International Day of Disabled People on 3 December, and Leeds’ own week of events, Leeds for All. DISrupt, a…
Before Windrush: Black People in Leeds and Bradford, 1708 – 1948
This week the Secret Library blog is delighted to welcome back local historian and researcher Danny Friar whose four articles during Black History Month told the story of Black people in Leeds and Bradford in the three centuries before the arrival of the ‘Windrush Generation’. This week, Danny has very kindly allowed us to publish…
The Land Travelling Exhibition: When the Festival came to Leeds
On the Secret Library this week we hear from Lisa Brown and Flo Armitage-Hookes from the Leeds Modernist. They will be discussing the 70th Anniversary of The Festival of Britain using resources from the Leeds Libraries collection. If you would like to know more about the Leeds Modernist Society then visit their website, Instagram and…
Before Windrush: Black People in Leeds and Bradford, 1708 – 1948, Part IV
This week on the Secret Library we hear from researcher Danny Friar, who explores the rich history of people of African heritage making Leeds and Bradford their home over a 300 year period. This is Part IV of a four part series during Black History Month: the result of new research, these articles will shed…
Before Windrush: Black People in Leeds and Bradford, 1708 – 1948, Part III
This week on the Secret Library we hear from researcher Danny Friar, who explores the rich history of people of African heritage making Leeds and Bradford their home over a 300 year period. This is Part III of a four part series during Black History Month: the result of new research, these articles will shed…
Before Windrush: Black People in Leeds and Bradford, 1708 – 1948, Part II
This week on the Secret Library we hear from researcher Danny Friar, who explores the rich history of people of African heritage making Leeds and Bradford their home over a 300 year period. This is Part II of a four part series during Black History Month: the result of new research, these articles will shed…
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