#WilliamShakespeare

Rhian Isaac, special collections librarian at Leeds Central Library
5th January 2024
2 mins read

Library’s light fantastic storybook scenes add a touch of glass

A beautiful collection of vintage magic lantern slides has been shedding new light on scenes from some of history’s most iconic stories. The beautiful, coloured glass slides date from around 1906, and feature moments from classic tales including Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Aladdin. Each of the delicate slides, on display at Leeds…
Saxton’s Atlas, which he dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II
1st September 2023
2 mins read

Library’s precious atlas charts a course through nation’s history

An incredibly rare copy of one of the first UK atlases ever created will be going on display at a library in Leeds. Containing 35 detailed, hand coloured maps of the counties of England and Wales, the fascinating book was created by the Yorkshire-born ‘father of English cartography’ Christopher Saxton in 1579 after getting…