This week we hear from Tony Scaife, regular guest author on the Secret Library Leeds, who explores the anniversary of a little-known but hugely important moment in the history of technology, media and broadcasting in Leeds… Monday July 8, 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of public wireless (radio) broadcasting in Leeds. The Local and Family…
Tag: Tony Scaife
Reflections of a Secret Library Guest Author
This week, as part of our 10th birthday celebrations, we hear from Tony Scaife, regular guest contributor to the blog, who offers his thoughts about the last decade of research and writing for the Secret Library… As just one of many guest contributors it is gratifying to be asked to write a post for the…
The Leeds Mercury: Making the news, but not yet as we know it
This week we hear from regular guest contributor Tony Scaife, who has been exploring the history of an important local news publication… Leeds’ had two newspapers – the Leeds Mercury and the Leeds Intelligencer – for most of the 18th century. I have been fortunate enough to spend some time with the Local and Family…
The Mechanics’ Institute: Part III – “…In no small measure to contribute…to the advancement of the community.”
The third and final part in guest author Tony Scaife’s trilogy exploring the Leeds Mechanics Institute. All three articles were researched using books and other resources available in the Local Studies & Research department at Leeds Central Library. We had left the story of the Leeds Institute with the 1865 opening of the Cuthbert Brodrick-designed…
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…
The Mechanics’ Institute: Part I – Cultivating Minds
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…
Alice Mann (1791-1865)
Alice Mann (1791-1865) Central Street and Duncan Street This Leeds-born radical and publisher operated primarily from a bookshop based in the now-demolished Central Market on Duncan Street (near to Central Street). Alice married James Mann, a prominent West Riding political activist and bookseller, in 1807. After his death she took on his business to support…
A Partial History of Leeds Central Library
This last Wednesday, to mark National Libraries Week, four of our Local and Family History team, plus one intrepid volunteer, delivered a talk offering a brief history of Leeds Central Library, primarily derived from material found in several volumes of news-cuttings covering public libraries in Leeds. So, this week on the Secret Library we offer…
The Secret Library | Leeds Libraries Heritage Blog 