It could well be the world’s oldest and most beautifully made Transformer. And next week, visitors can get an up close look Temple Newsam’s magnificent mechanised reading and writing desk, crafted more than 270 years ago. The newly-acquired desk, made from mahogany with inlaid and finely engraved brass decoration, was fashioned in around 1740,…
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A true example of master craftsmanship at its very finest, Temple Newsam’s beautiful Harewood writing table has been in Leeds for more than 240 years. Created by none other than world-famous furniture maker and designer Thomas Chippendale, the desk was originally made for architect Robert Adam’s palace at Harewood House in 1771. Intended to…
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When spring finally arrives, the British countryside wakes up and is suddenly awash with a beautiful array of birds, animals and plants. It’s also the time of year when many animals give birth, meaning keen-eyed nature-lovers might be lucky enough to spot adorable newborns like this baby badger. Part of Leeds City Museum’s new…
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For more than 500 years, they’ve been the setting for some of the city’s most lavish love stories and sumptuous celebrations. And today couples in Leeds searching for a wedding venue with a difference can tie the knot in the stunning surroundings of some of the city’s most historic sites. Temple Newsam House, Lotherton…
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Inspired by world-famous Yorkshire sculptor Henry Moore, this eye-catching creation is going on display at Leeds City Museum as part of an innovative arts project. Reclining, by Dan Crooks will be at Leeds City Museum from today (Tues 28) as part of their Window Frame art project, which gives artists, young people’s groups and…
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Wrapping up warm before heading outside is usually one of the first signs that winter is on the way. But as this fetching vintage jacket demonstrates, protection against the elements doesn’t mean sacrificing style. The dressing jacket, currently on display in Leeds City Museum’s new For All Seasons exhibition, was made in 1875 by…
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An acclaimed documentary celebrating Leeds’s starring role in the history of film will get an exclusive screening at a local museum this weekend. The First Film, which has previously wowed audiences in the USA, Russia, Canada, Ireland and Belgium, will be shown at Leeds Industrial Museum this Saturday, Feb 25, alongside the launch of…
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A spectacular relic of an age long past, Leeds City Museum’s Heavy-footed Moa skeleton was once one of the largest birds ever to roam the earth. The huge flightless bird originally came from New Zealand, where its species was driven to extinction by hunting and deforestation around 570 years ago. The skeleton first came…
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Finding a way to accurately predict the weather is a puzzle that’s baffled scientists for centuries. And despite proving to be a virtually impossible task, that hasn’t stopped some of the finest inventors coming up with complex new contraptions designed to forecast rain or shine. In the late 19th Century, this charming oak barometer…
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It was a marriage proposal 260 years in the making when romantic Jeff Rowland popped the question with a little help from a beautiful antique cabinet. Jeff, 34, took his unsuspecting girlfriend Sarah Reynolds, 32, on a Valentine’s Day trip to historic Temple Newsam House last week to see the Tudor mansion’s stunning Channon…
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Conjuring images of a faraway, fairy tale kingdom, this vintage spinning wheel was actually made in Ireland more than 125 years ago. Crafted out of oak and mahogany, the wheel was designed by James McCreery and Son in around 1891 and donated to Leeds Museums and Galleries by Mrs K. Turberville in 1967. Originally,…
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A colourful combination of animals, games, music and history will take families in Leeds on a unique interactive journey through the changing seasons. Leeds City Museum’s new For All Seasons exhibition opens this Friday, February 10, and features a series of imaginative centrepieces including a giant sandcastle, indoor tree, traditional sledge and hook-a-duck pond. The…
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Four hundred years ago, one of Temple Newsam House’s most famous residents was killed in a grisly murder that remains a mystery to this day. Now, on the anniversary of Lord Darnley’s gruesome demise, budding super sleuths can wander the same atmospheric halls he once called home as they try to solve their own…
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More than 125 years ago, the Lord Mayor of Leeds Mr and Mrs Alf Cooke threw an extravagant fancy dress ball to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. The exclusive guest list included 190 local children, who all arrived at the party dressing up in an incredible variety of storybook themed costumes. Today, a fabulous…
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One of Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee’s most successful creations, costumed crime-fighter Spider-Man is also one of the world’s most recognisable super heroes. In 1992, 30 years after Peter Parker’s alter ego slung his first web, Marvel released a special anniversary edition of The Spectacular Spider-Man, featuring eye-catching holographic cover art. An edition of…
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Fairy tale fans will come face to face with the big bad wolf at a new exhibition exploring the remarkable history of the world’s best-loved storybooks. The imposing timber wolf is among a huge selection of objects going on display at Kirkstall’s Abbey House Museum this weekend illustrating the origins of popular children’s tales including…
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A new super-powered museum display in Leeds will give visitors the chance to explore the colourful world of iconic costumed crimefighters. Abbey House Museum’s Comics Unmasked starts this weekend and features exciting objects on loan from the public including Marvel and DC comics, graphic novels and figurines of famous characters Iron Man, The Hulk, The…
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A spectacularly colourful feature of Temple Newsam House’s beautiful picture gallery, this lavish floral suite is usually covered to protect it from the sun. The stunning collection of chairs and sofas was commissioned more than 300 years ago and supplied to Temple Newsam by James Pascall, a noted guilder, carver and frame maker. Each…
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The beloved four-legged friends of some of Leeds’s most prominent aristocrats are immortalised in this historic pet cemetery. The dogs once lived a life of luxury as faithful companions to Sir Alvary and Lady Gascoigne, the last private owners of stunning Lotherton Hall in Aberford. Lady Gascoigne, a devoted dog lover, took her dogs…
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Singers from across the city are being invited to make music history as part of Leeds City Museum’s new community choir. Starting this month, the museum will be asking singers of all abilities to come along and make their voices heard at a series of free sessions. Aimed at giving people the chance to…
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