Despite the 254 years the Leeds Library has existed, one near-constant it has enjoyed is its home on Commercial Street. As we prepare to write our next chapter in 15 Commercial Street, it seems the perfect time to examine how the Library's face has aged through images from our archive; from our humble beginnings to exciting future. Let’s embark!
Ogle's Bookshop
In the 40 years before the Library found its Commercial Street abode, we rented rooms in two different buildings. Our first, as decided in our first meeting in August 1768, was in Joseph Ogle’s bookshop on upper Kirkgate. He was also our first librarian, and his daughter Mary (only 24 at the time!) was our second after his death in 1774.
The Library remained in the back room of Ogle’s bookshop on Kirkgate until 1781. It was then that a monster that continues to haunt us for the rest of our existence reared its inevitable head: we ran out of space for more books. In a (doomed) attempt to conquer it we rented rooms in the building shown here, on Kirkgate (pictured below).
Room(s) of Our Own
It wasn’t until 1804 that the denizens of the Library unanimously agreed that the ‘most eligible mode’ of garnering enough room for our books was by ‘building […] one’. Our Commercial Street home was then duly designed by Thomas Johnson, built, and moved into in 1808 – for the cost of roughly £498,600 in modern currency. As you can see from the sketch to the right, the Library’s frontage has changed little throughout the ensuing 214 years – though our surroundings have changed a lot! This sketch also shows the left edge of 15 Commercial Street; a constant companion even before our recent purchase of it.
Victorians and Beyond
There is a surprising lack of images of the Library’s frontage during the 1800s in our archive (in great contrast to the hundreds of letters and records from that period). Indeed, these two are both colourised post cards of Commercial Street from the Edwardian period (circa. 1905). Despite this, the century was a busy and largely successful one for the Library. In 1854 and 1856, the Library even held a ball – a ‘grand conversazione’ – complete with Quadrille band and elaborate decorations. Then, after complaints of poor ventilation and lack of bookshelf space (the beast returns!), the New Room was constructed in 1881. Originally the Leeds Intelligencer Newspaper’s offices, the Room was added to the Library through the passageways we still walk through today. Throughout all of this, however, our face remained much the same – bar the moving of the entrance to the middle bay and the addition of the ornate iron gates that can be seen in the left of the image to the right. These weren’t removed until 1960 – a cool 79 years of being imposing to all not welcome here!
Expanding into the 1930s
It wasn’t until 1930 that we made the next changes to our building. This time, we were taking over basement space previously belonging to our tenants – two guesses as to why! After 49 years, we had again fallen prey to our lack of space for new books. Indeed, the monster seemed to be growing; we had held out for 73 before expanding into the New Room! The subterranean nature of the construction made minimal changes to our outside appearance, as you can see in this architect’s sketch from the period (pictured here). To me, this constancy reflects the odd role of the Library building in the era as a whole. Whilst the people inside and around experienced the First World War and the Great Depression, the face of the Library looked upon it all unchanged like the unblinking eyes of Gatsby’s T.J. Eckleburg (though, I’d like to think, with a kinder countenance).
The Post-War Library
This photograph was taken in 1950, for then-librarian Frank Beckwith’s pamphlet about the Library’s history. If you squint, you can see W.H. Smiths in the place of what now is Paperchase – and, of course, 15 Commercial Street before it was re-done with the windows it has today. The Library survived the Leeds Blitz of World War Two by the skin of its teeth, thanks to the hard work of a team of Fire Watchers managed by Beckwith – and a healthy dose of sheer luck. In 1941, an incendiary bomb was dropped on 15 Commercial Street. Thankfully, it never went off and was discovered shortly after by Fire Watchers. Ironically, we only know of this because of letters to W.H. Smith in which the Library refutes ownership of 15 Commercial Street!
Postcards from the late 20th Century
This postcard is from the 1970s, helpfully labelled for future archivists and featuring an excellent view of the Library building. This was taken some time after the City Council pedestrianised Commercial Street in 1970 – hence the change in flooring and distinct lack of cars comparative to our last photograph. As you can see, the ornate iron gates on the Library entrance are also gone, though W.H. Smiths remains in our ground floor. In 1971 the Library’s third ever female librarian, Mrs. Sheila Ritchie, was in situ – though to my deep regret, I must report that the woman in the fantastic poncho is probably not her.
Turn of the Century Streets
This photograph was likely taken by our last librarian, Geoffrey Forster, on a disposable camera. Library staff dated it to 2000 by the appearance of the Disney store replacing the W.H. Smiths (and its ensuing successors). 15 Commercial Street has also changed, now taking on the long blue windows we recognise. I’m sure this is a sight familiar to some members and Leeds citizens – hopefully a pleasant memory!
The Modern Library
Here we return again to our modern frontage. The Leeds Library is tucked away above the bustle of the city centre , as it has been for 214 years. We house hundreds of books, dvds, and audiobooks - perfect for story-lovers of all kinds! The remnants of our original door can be clearly seen on the lefthand side of this picture, as well as our current entrance marked by our name. We are open for visitors and prospective members alike to tour, and for an array of stimulating events which you can browse here!
Into the Future
In Spring 2022, the Leeds Library bought our neighbour 15 Commercial Street and is set to expand once again; as the artist’s rendering of our future 15 Commercial Street addition shows (pictured below). Hopefully, this new chapter will help us once more conquer our oldest foe with new basement and Library space for more books. Throughout our history, our building has changed – just like the books housed within it and the ideas they engage with. What hasn’t changed, however, is our community’s love of reading and desire to share stories with each other. With the addition of 15 Commercial Street to the Library’s face, we hope that we will draw in even more of these people – from all backgrounds and experiences – to share in The Leeds Library’s story.
Thank you for accompanying us on this trek through the Leeds Library building’s history! It was greatly assisted by Kevin Grady's encyclopedic knowledge of Leeds history and fantastic photographs, and the Library archive. If you have any questions about the Library’s history or our archive, please feel free to email me at day-goughn@theleedslibrary.org.uk
Bibliography:
Images: Grady, Kevin, & Stringer, 'Edwardian Leeds in Photographs', Leeds: Leeds Civic Trust (2004). All other images courtesy of the Leeds Library Archive.