Historic documents revealing how a Leeds market town embraced refugees fleeing the horrors of war-torn Europe will go on display in a new exhibition this month. The century-old collection, which will be displayed for the first time at Leeds City Museum, paints a heart-warming picture of how the residents of Otley rallied round to…
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Captivating tales penned by one of the nation’s best-loved children’s storytellers have come to life in a new exhibition in Leeds. Curated by Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books, Michael Morpurgo: A Lifetime in Stories opens on February 8 at Leeds City Museum, and takes families on a playful journey through hugely…
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A delicious taste of the elegance, opulence and extravagance of life in Georgian Britain will be served up to museum-goers in Leeds. The rise of London gin shops and traditional Georgian jellies will be among the topics covered during a fascinating talk at Leeds City Museum, currently home to a stunning collection of furniture…
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In the 18th Century, a furniture maker from Leeds came up with a revolutionary new idea to sell his fabulous designs to potential customers. In a ground-breaking stroke of marketing genius, he produced the first “furniture catalogue”, filled with hand-drawn images of the beautiful pieces he could craft to order. The book was called…
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Thomas Chippendale, 1718-1779: a celebration of British craftsmanship and design launches a nationwide programme to mark the tercentenary in 2018 of the birth of Thomas Chippendale senior, celebrating his life as furniture maker, designer and entrepreneur. The exhibition will show key pieces from the Royal Collection, Paxton House, Newby Hall, and Dumfries House displayed…
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A beautifully elaborate example work by a word famous Leeds master craftsman, this beautiful lady’s secretaire will be going on display at Leeds City Museum next month. Made by none other than Thomas Chippendale, the stunning cabinet was created in 1773 and fashioned from specially-imported Chinese lacquer panels. Originally made for the State Bedroom…
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It could well be the most delicate and exclusive piece of removals work Leeds has ever seen. This week at Temple Newsam House, curators began the daunting task of relocating a number of historic pieces of furniture created by world-renowned mastercraftsman Thomas Chippendale ahead of a new exhibition at Leeds City Museum in February.…
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It’s one of the most stunning, bold and thought-provoking exhibitions Leeds has ever seen. Now one of the curators behind Leeds City Museum’s incredible new Skeletons: Our Buried Bones has backed the city’s bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2023. Ruth Martin, the museum’s curator of exhibitions, has worked with colleagues from…
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A jaw-some new display is giving visitors to Leeds City Museum something to get their teeth into by showcasing the animal kingdom’s biggest and best biters. The new Bite Me! display features an impressive array of teeth, skulls and bones from modern mammals and reptiles as well as the fossilised remains of extinct creatures…
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If you’re heading to the beach this summer, an essential item on your seaside checklist is sure to be a bucket and spade. And as this charming vintage set shows, sandcastle-building and beachcombing are popular seasonal traditions which stretch back generations. At more than a century old, the two spades and their accompanying bucket…
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Canny companies have often employed the colourful imagery of the changing seasons to sell their products. And as this cute vintage advert for Trixie Umbrellas shows, the weather in particular can prove to be an excellent marketing tool. Tapping into the traditional idea that April is a month of unpredictable showers, the ad dates…
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Different cultures across the world have found a myriad of colourful and diverse ways to celebrate the start of a new year. Everything from breath-taking fireworks to eye-catching dragons have become part of the different ways countries mark the passing of one seasonal cycle and the beginning of another. In Japan, one tradition sees…
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For centuries, artists across the world have tried to capture the spirit and beauty of the changing seasons in their work. And few have done it better than Leeds-born painter John Atkinson Grimshaw, whose work is currently on display at Leeds City Museum. The world-famous artist, known for his stunning landscapes and accurate colour…
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If you’re heading to the beach this summer, an essential item on your seaside checklist is sure to be a bucket and spade. And as this charming vintage set shows, sandcastle-building and beachcombing are popular seasonal traditions which stretch back generations. At more than a century old, the two spades and their accompanying bucket…
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At almost a century old, these colourful decorative creations could be among the oldest Easter eggs in Leeds. The cardboard eggs date from the 1920s and are part of a special Easter display in Leeds City Museum’s exciting For All Seasons exhibition. The lavishly-painted eggs would originally have been filled with gifts and chocolate…
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Canny companies have often employed the colourful imagery of the changing seasons to sell their products. And as this cute vintage advert for Trixie Umbrellas shows, the weather in particular can prove to be an excellent marketing tool. Tapping into the traditional idea that April is a month of unpredictable showers, the ad dates…
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Embroidered and printed more than a century ago, this beautiful picture draws on classical art and poetry to depict the cycle of the changing seasons. Currently on display at Leeds City Museum the picture was created in 1913 and shows four flamboyantly-dressed women who represent a different season of the year. Influenced by the…
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When summer finally arrives and the temperature rises, it’s not just the weather that brightens up. The merest hint of sunshine is usually the cue for us to shed our winter woollies and put on lighter, more colourful clothes. And that was certainly true for the tiny owner of this 1970s summer dress, currently…
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Across the British countryside, bird’s nests are filled with clutches of newly hatched chicks. The arrival of spring is traditionally the time when eggs, which have been carefully nurtured and protected by mothers, begin to hatch and newborns like these grey partridges tentatively make their way into the world. These particular chicks are currently on…
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A painting which encapsulates the wintry beauty of a snow-covered landscape, this captivating scene was painted by one of Leeds’s most celebrated artists. John Atkinson Grimshaw, who was born and raised in Leeds, painted Snow and Mist (Caprice in Yellow Minor) in 1892-93. The painting is one of a number of his stunning works…
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