The Leeds Library moved into its current home in 1808, after deciding in 1804 that our sheer quantity of books warranted their own building. This historic move established the Library as a prominent hallmark of Leeds' bustling 19th Century city centre. It was designed by architect Thomas Johnson, and his vision has not really been compromised in the 214-years since. Unlike the building's facade, however, life within the Library continued to evolve. Thankfully, our archive has preserved some documents that provide snapshots of the Library when we first moved in during the early 19th Century. These documents were part of the digitisation project with the British Library at Boston Spa, and we present a selection here below.
Bills, Bills, Bills
Sadly, not a lot of Library letters survive from the 1800s-1830s. What the archive does have, however, are bills, loan repayments, and share transfers! The new Library building on Commercial Street cost £5,000, which was paid for by 98 different loans. These loans were repaid over the next few decades - as evidenced by the rare extant 1811 letter promising a September repayment to Mr. Lucas Nicholson. A hallmark of our documents from this era are small holes in roughly the centre of the paper, likely made when the papers were stored on a metal spike after being recieved. You can see as much in the letter here; try and spot them in the bills bellow!
Library Chairs
When the Library moved into its new home in 1808, it bought 20 'green chairs' from carpenter John Thornton. They cost £10, which is about £724.10 today! They were certainly worth the money, however, as seven still exist today - two of which are still on the Library floor for readers to sit on (pictured below). The archive still has the receipt in remarkably readable condition, with Thornton's signature clear on the bottom (also pictured below!).
Keeping Time
Library members may recognise our faithful clock from the Leeds Library Main Room, which still chimes every hour on the hour today. This receipt shows that the Library aquired it in September of 1821, from goldsmith and jeweller Sam Tinker. He charged £15 (now around £1,215!) for a "spring timepiece in mahogany case". His workmanship means that 201 years of Library patrons have heard his clock as backdrop to their days here.
An Annual Tradition
These are extracts from the first surviving General Annual Report of the Leeds Library Committee. It records changes and developments from 1853 to 1854, some of which were quite significant. According to the report, this was the first year that the Library used Mudie's Select Library - a circulating library that loaned new books to other libraries on a shorter-term basis. The reasoning cited is to ensure the shelves don't get too crowded (reflecting the long tradition of The Leeds Library running out of space for new books). This report also reveals that the Library decided to stay open until 8pm that year, implying its increased popularity, and the instillation of the Sunlight Burner Lamps as lighting. These can still be seen adorning the Main Room today!
Grand Conversazione
The 1853-1854 General Annual Report also uncovers a tantalising insight into life in the Victorian Leeds Library. Page 6 reports, quite casually, that
"In the month of January last a conversazione was held in the Library, which brought the Proprietors together in an agreeable manner."
The word 'conversazione' was taken from Italian, literally meaning 'a gathering for conversation'. During the early Victorian period however, their popularity grew and the name came to mean a night-time soirée (requiring formal evening-wear) with a literary, scientific, or artistic character (pictured below). It is the closest the Library ever came to holding a ball, and in many ways resembled one. The new Sunlight Burner lamps were lit to their fullest, each projecting 18 jets of flame (admittedly, an interesting choice for a room full of paper and wood). Library proprietors talked to the sound of a small group of musicians playing from one of the galleries. The General Annual Report, however, simply adds that this rare and glamourous occasion "was done without trenching the funds of the Library". Quite a feat - and one that would be wonderful to repeat today!
Snapshots of the Past
These archival documents give us glimpses of what Library life might have been like during the first half of the 19th Century. Though harder to piece together from bills and reports than letters, these snapshots are fascinating - and we can only hope that future archive explorations uncover more! For more insights into the history of The Leeds Library, inlcuding new discoveries from our archives, keep your eyes on our archive page.
With Thanks To:
Exhibition: Niimi Day Gough and Anna Goodridge
Digital: Niimi Day Gough
Bibliography:
Images: McConnell, William, 'Twice Round the Clock, Eleven O’Clock P.M.: A Scientific Conversazione', in The Welcome Guest (1858), Wood-engraving [Courtesy of https://karenwestendorf2.wordpress.com/illustrations-in-focus/conversazione-science-and-art/]. All other images courtesy of The Leeds Library.
Information: Westendorf, Karen, 'Conversazione: Science and Art', Richard Doyle's Bird's-Eye Views of Society (2015) [https://karenwestendorf2.wordpress.com/illustrations-in-focus/conversazione-science-and-art/].