Tony Harcup tells the story of how a group of Leeds journalists helped form the NUJ more than 100 years ago. News junkies, history buffs and anyone with even a passing interest in current affairs will find plenty to enjoy at the Breaking the News exhibition currently (2022) running in Leeds (at the Central Library…
Leeds Town Hall and the tradition of the ‘Civic Organ’
This week we have a guest blog post from the City Organist for Leeds, Darius Battiwalla, who tells us about the history of the organ in Leeds Town Hall. Even in a silent and empty hall, the organ in Leeds Town Hall demands attention as soon as you walk in. Like its cousins in Birmingham…
Quarry Hill Flats – The Memory of Place
This week we welcome Lou Bentley who has been developing a new website chronicling the history of the Quarry Hill Flats. She is keen to hear your memories of the flats so please contact her through her website if you have something to share. What remains of place after brick and glass, steel and concrete…
Irish Family History Resources
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Irish History Month we take a look at some of the key websites to use when researching your Irish genealogy. Start with this good overview from the Who Do You Think You Are website to get an introduction to which records are and are not available: https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tutorials/irish-census-records/ The National…
Mary Gawthorpe, Alice Stone Blackwell and Emmeline Pethick Lawrence: Three Inspirational Women from the Women’s Suffrage Movement
Todays blog post comes from MA students Sophia Lambert, and Rebecca Illidge who are volunteering with Leeds Libraries to index the Gawthorpe Papers. The Mary Gawthorpe Papers are an incredibly valuable and rich resource and are available to view on microfilm at the Leeds Central Library. Mary Eleanor Gawthorpe was born in Woodhouse, Leeds, on…
The amazing career of aviation correspondent, author and journalist Allen Rowley
This week’s post is written by Geoff Carter. Geoff has also kindly loaned items belonging to Allen Rowley to our 2022 Breaking the News exhibition and donated some incredible 18th century newspapers to our permanent collection. Allen Rowley was born at Thornhill, Dewsbury, and as a nephew of the village newsagent, started delivering the Yorkshire…
LGBT+ History Month: Research Guide
To tie in with LGBT+ History Month, the Local and Family History Library have created a new research guide with some of the most relevant items of stock for anyone researching the history of LGBT+ Leeds. This weeks blog looks at some of the items in more depth. West Yorkshire Queer Stories was a project…
The Mechanics’ Institute: Part II – “Commensurate with the growing intelligence and prosperity of the people.”
The second part of guest author Tony Scaife‘s series on the Leeds Mechanics Institute, sourced from books and other resources available in the Local Studies & Research department at the Central Library. Part I can be found here. Earlier we have seen how, in 1824, the leading citizens of the town planned to create the…
