Leeds Industrial Museum

A Fowler traction engines being used during the Boer War
18th September 2020
2 mins read

Partnership explores hidden history of Leeds’s magnificent machines

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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Leeds City Museum
28th August 2020
2 mins read

City’s museums and galleries welcome back visitors

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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Leeds Industrial Museum's vintage fire engine
7th September 2019
1 min read

Object of the week- vintage fire engine

Once a stalwart of the fire service in Leeds, this impressive vintage engine is now being showcased alongside some of the city’s most impressive feats of innovation. Originally made for the City of Leeds in 1891 by the famed Shand Mason and Co and with a boiler crafted from Yorkshire iron, the engine was…
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Leeds Industrial Museum
11th May 2019
1 min read

Full steam ahead as Fiona gets fired up for mills weekend

After a lifetime toiling at the beating heart of British industry, she’s certainly earned a rest. But this weekend, Leeds Industrial Museum’s magnificent mill engine will be letting off some steam as she comes out of retirement to celebrate National Mills Weekend. The mesmerising machine, named Fiona Elizabeth, will be in full working order…
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Kirkstall Meadows
7th December 2018
2 mins read

Planning application submitted for further £112.1m of Leeds flood defences

Plans for the next phase of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme to reduce flood risk along the River Aire have now been submitted. Leeds City Council has worked alongside the Environment Agency to put forward a planning application for phase two of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, which will invest £112.1million in flood prevention…
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26th July 2018
2 mins read

People Powered Press is right type of attraction for museum

For centuries, it’s been home to the hulking heirlooms of Leeds’s industrial heyday which once propelled the city to the pinnacle of global production. Now a modern mechanical marvel powered entirely by people has taken its place amid the technological giants of the past at Leeds Industrial Museum. The incredible People Powered Press, thought…
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Leeds Industrial Museum
19th July 2018
2 mins read

Hats off to Leeds this Yorkshire Day as museum celebrates in style

Hold onto your hats – a sporting spectacle with a difference is heading to Leeds this Yorkshire Day. Leeds Industrial Museum will be brimming with excitement on August 1 when, for the first time ever, the historic site plays host to none other than the Yorkshire Open Hat Throwing Championships. The exciting day of…
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Leeds Wool Festival
1st June 2018
1 min read

History-lovers knitting pretty as wool fest returns

A popular celebration of the city’s centuries of textile heritage will return to Leeds Industrial Museum this weekend. The fifth annual Leeds Wool Festival will take over the historic site this Saturday, June 2, when the museum will welcome a huge programme of stalls, entertainment and activities. Stallholders in attendance will include The Knitting…
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Threads for Treads
4th May 2018
2 mins read

Saddle up for celebration of vintage cycling style on TdY weekend

It may not look like the ideal athletic attire for anyone taking a two-wheeled tour of Yorkshire. But long before the age of Lycra, well-made woollen suits, knee breeches and sturdy straw hats were actually all the rage for the county’s style-conscious cyclists. Now a new display at Leeds Industrial Museum is celebrating Leeds’s…
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William Potts Clock
2nd May 2018
1 min read

Object of the week- Potts clock

Once a faithful timepiece at one of the North’s favourite seaside getaways, this impressive clock has finally come home to Leeds. Made by famous Leeds clockmakers Potts and Sons, the solid pine clock is around two-and-a-half feet wide and once ticked away the hours in the circulating area at Morecambe Promenade station, where it…
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Queens of Industry
10th January 2018
1 min read

Object of the week- Railway Queen’s gown

For the hard-working women once chosen to represent some of the country’s most prominent industries, suitably regal attire was an absolute must. This glamourous gown, for example, was once worn by the country’s Railway Queens, who would be the face of the rail industry at all manner of events and functions and even international…
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Queens of Industry
15th November 2017
1 min read

Object of the week- Cotton Queen’s tiara

A dazzling reminder of a fascinating chapter in British industrial history, this beautiful tiara is truly fit for a Queen. Although not made of real precious metals and jewels, the tiara is no less prestigious, as it was once worn by the country’s very last reigning Cotton Queen. Elsie Kearsley, who was crowned in…
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Leeds-Industrial-Museum
9th November 2017
1 min read

Object of the week- Demob suit on loan

For a Yorkshireman returning home after the Second World War, it was tailor made to help him take his first sartorial steps back into civilian life. And a dapper demob suit from Leeds has also proved to be the perfect fit for a celebration of fabulous fashion at one of the world’s biggest arts…
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Queens of Industry
3rd November 2017
2 mins read

Crowning glory for Queens of Industry as new exhibition opens

Plucked from the factory floor, their lives were quickly transformed into a glitzy whirlwind of international jet-setting, glamorous film roles and exciting photoshoots. But the hard-working women chosen to represent some of the UK’s most prominent economic powerhouses were also pioneers, who put female workers at the forefront of an industrial golden age. Now…
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