If there’s one thing Yorkshire folk have become famous for over the centuries, it’s knowing how to take care of their money. And shrewd 19th Century bankers were quick to cash in on that tried and trusted Leeds name by printing and circulating their own local pound notes. The beautifully ornate currency proved an ingenious…
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A museum’s magnificent stuffed penguin will spend the next two weeks chilling out in a giant, state-of-the-art freezer as curators give damaging bugs and beetles the cold shoulder. The impressive emperor penguin has been put on ice at Leeds Discovery Centre after experts there detected potentially problematic pests which can destroy delicate taxidermy specimens. Over…
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If there’s one thing Yorkshire folk have become famous for over the centuries, it’s knowing how to take care of their money. And shrewd 19th Century bankers were quick to cash in on that tried and trusted Leeds name by printing and circulating their own local pound notes. The beautifully ornate currency proved an ingenious…
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A museum’s magnificent stuffed penguin will spend the next two weeks chilling out in a giant, state-of-the-art freezer as curators give damaging bugs and beetles the cold shoulder. The impressive emperor penguin has been put on ice at Leeds Discovery Centre after experts there detected potentially problematic pests which can destroy delicate taxidermy specimens. Over…
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An exquisite collection of antique gold snuff boxes has returned home more than 40 years after being stolen from a Leeds mansion by a mystery thief. The seven beautifully ornate, late 18th Century containers arrived back at Temple Newsam House this week, the latest twist in a decades-long whodunnit which staff at the historic…
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From Scootacars to steam engines and space food to Spirograph, get up close to the inventions which shaped Leeds; the City of 1,000 Trades. The world’s oldest model locomotive is back home in Leeds more than two centuries after it helped spark a global railway revolution. Made in 1811 by famous engineer Matthew Murray,…
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A striking new multi-media installation by a Leeds artist has rediscovered the hidden history behind one the city’s most breath-taking arts spaces. Leeds Art Gallery’s stunning arched, glazed central court was uncovered by workers during the building’s redevelopment in 2017 after being concealed behind a false ceiling for more than 40 years. While the gallery…
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As the ultimate jaw-dropping party accessory, it was specially designed to dazzle envious aristocrats. And this week Temple Newsam’s gigantic silver wine cooler has been getting a bit of added sparkle as staff polish it up to impress a new generation of visitors to the historic mansion. The second largest of its kind anywhere in…
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For centuries it helped swell the surging waters of British industry by harnessing the power of the River Aire. From making oil that powered some of the world’s first locomotives to manufacturing putty that repaired London after The Blitz, Thwaite Watermill played an important part in Leeds becoming a powerhouse of production. Today an…
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A series of stunning illuminated Christmas scenes have transformed the windows of 500-year-old Temple Newsam House into a giant festive montage. Created by one of the house’s visitor assistants, each of the beautiful images depicts one of the traditional verse of the Twelve Day of Christmas and has been designed for people to enjoy…
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A group of older people in Leeds will form a flock of budding birdwatchers this winter thanks to a heart-warming new community project. Through an innovative partnership between Leeds Museums and Galleries, arts organisation Skippko and older people’s support network Armley Helping Hands, the group is being encouraged to spot and identify the…
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A life-changing learning project giving young people with additional educational needs the chance to work with a spectacular collection of historic museum exhibits has scooped a prestigious national award. Careers for All, run by Leeds Museums and Galleries was named Museums and Heritage Award Learning Programme of the Year 2020 for providing young people…
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Exported across the globe, they were the extraordinary engines which helped power Leeds to the summit of industrial excellence. But their unrivalled efficiency was also harnessed to support the growth of huge mining, railway and forced labour operations in hundreds of colonial territories. Now, thanks to an innovative partnership project at Leeds Industrial Museum,…
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When notoriously shrewd Yorkshire investor Sir Arthur Ingram first commissioned the imposing lettering atop Temple Newsam House almost four centuries ago, he certainly got his money’s worth. Thought to be the wordiest architectural addition of its kind anywhere in Britain, the lengthy statement still spans the rooftop today and is one of the mansion’s…
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Museum-lovers in Leeds can rediscover millions of years of history now council-run venues across the city have officially reopened. Leeds Museums and Galleries sites closed earlier this year as part of a city-wide effort to control the spread of Covid-19. Over the past few months, the team has continued to engage tens of thousands…
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A stylish online exhibition is giving fashionistas in Leeds a chance to go back in time and rediscover the history of some of the city’s top shopping hotspots. Leeds City Museum’s Fast x Slow Fashion explores the evolution of retail and clothing over the past 300 years through a spectacular array of outfits,…
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It was the weekly wartime showcase that put centuries of Leeds history in the frame. Now Leeds City Museum is giving local residents the chance to put their own curatorial talents to the test and create a city-wide network of wonderful windows inspired by the museum’s remarkable collection. With council-run museums and galleries currently…
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A group of young history-lovers are calling on people across the city to share their experiences and help tell the story of lockdown in Leeds. Leeds City Museum’s Preservative Party wants to hear about the different ways residents have been coping with isolation as they look to create a new animated film documenting…
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A new exhibition will take visitors to Lotherton on a journey to Japan thanks to fascinating links forged decades ago by a Leeds diplomat and his family. Making Japan, which opens on March 1, will see the Aberford estate bridge a gap of more than 5,000 miles to explore three centuries of the island…
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Stunningly intricate patterns made using millions of grains of salt have transformed the great hall of Temple Newsam House for a new exhibition celebrating the mansion’s history. Artist Catherine Bertola has reinterpreted the story of the stunning Tudor Jacobean building’s unique architecture and its generations of residents as she brings Below the Salt to…
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An ancient Egyptian priest who spoke his final words more than 3,000 years ago has been given a new voice thanks to a ground-breaking research project. The sound of Nesyamun, whose mummified remains are on display at Leeds City Museum, has been recreated following seven years of work by academics at Royal Holloway, University…
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For Georgian virtuosos, it was the ideal instrument for showing audiences they were in a glass of their own. And this month, Leeds’s own incredible glass harp is set to strike a chord with visitors to a new exhibition celebrating hundreds of years of the city’s musical memories. Made in 1820 by Leeds craftsman…
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