These talks are given by members of FoBALS (Friends of Bradford Archives & Local Studies) with Bradford Local Studies Library and West Yorkshire Archives Bradford.
‘Book Treasures in Local Studies’ – an illustrated talk by Bob Duckett Thursday 25th April Doors open at 1pm for a 1.15pm start. Free entry to all events. Booking essential.
The Bradford ‘Free’ Library was established in 1872 and from the start efforts were made to collect books and other items of local interest and the collections have developed over many years. Come along and hear Bob speak about some of the ‘Treasures’ from these collections. There will be the opportunity to view some of these items on display.
Bob Duckett is widely known as Bradford’s Reference Librarian before retirement. Since retirement Bob has been a volunteer in a number of libraries including Bradford Local Studies Library.
For more information or to book a place please telephone or email Bradford Local Studies Library, Telephone 01274 433688, Email local.studies@bradford.gov.uk.
Bradford Local Studies Library, Margaret McMillan Tower, Princes Way, BD1 1NN.
Busy, Busy, Busy is the motto this year with lots going on to tell you about.
The transfer of North Bierley Union Records from our archives at Keighley to West Yorkshire Archives Service at Bradford took place late last year. This was a large Poor Law Records collections associated with the main Bradford Workhouse situated at Nab End Clayton. As it covered the Bradford area, we all felt the collection was best served at the Bradford Archives Office. This transfer has allowed Keighley some much needed room to add to our collections.
You may be aware that we were closed for collections week from Monday 12th February this month. This time gives us the opportunity to spend time in the archives, tackling jobs we cannot address when we are open to the public.
This week we have spent time moving and reorganising the archives into a continuous numerical run enabling archives to be found quickly and efficiently. Since we were last able to update our records, we have had over 50 new collections deposited with us bringing our total of numbered collections up to BK709, the rest of the large collection being Township and Borough archives. Work on these collections is ongoing with accessioning, sorting and listing taking place and we hope to add them to the digital searchable Catalogue at West Yorkshire Archives Services very soon. https://www.wyjs.org.uk/archive-service/our-collections/search-our-catalogue/
The Diary of John Kitson on display as part of the Brontë Parsonage 2024 exhibition The Brontë Web of Childhood.
Explanation panel for The John Kitson Diary. BK463
In January we had the pleasure of visiting the Brontë Parsonage to deliver an archive on loan. The Diary of John Kitson (BK 463) will be on loan to the Brontë Parsonage for a year and will be on display as part of a year long exhibition, ‘ The Brontës Web of Childhood’ which explores what life was like for the young Brontë children.
We were very fortunate to have a preview of the exhibition and found it fascinating and look forward to working with the Parsonage in the future. More information on the exhibition can be found here. The Brontës’ Web of Childhood | Bronte Parsonage Museum
Carnegie Visit
This year on the 20th of August Keighley library will celebrate 120 years since opening in 1904. Keighley library holds the honour of being the first library in England to be funded by Andrew Carnegie and what better way to start off our library’s celebration than a visit from Sharron McColl and Frank Connelly of the Dunfermline Library, the first Carnegie library in the world. Dunfermline are celebrating their 140th anniversary and it was great to welcome them. Mrs Carnegie (Irene Lofthouse) was here too to greet our guests and help show off our wonderful library. Gifts were exchanged and we discussed how the two libraries could share links and work together on events throughout the year. Our visitors then signed our original visitors’ book from 1904.
Frank Connelly from the world’s first Carnegie Library, in Dunfermline, signs Keighley Carnegie Library’s original Visitors’ book from the opening in 1904.
Keighley receives a new collection
Finally last week we accepted the donation of a wonderful collection to Keighley Local Studies Library.
Jan Perkins and David Kirkley ran the Keighley Schools’ Heritage Group for many years and we had the pleasure of working with them both. They attended many of our Heritage Open Days and people from far and wide came to look at their magnificent displays and reminisce about their Keighley school days. David sadly passed away last year and was a great loss to the local history community. Jan has decided to pass their collection on to us and we collected it last week during collections’ week. The collection will be known as the Keighley Schools’ Heritage Collection, we will be working through the collection and hope to have some of the collection on display soon. So, watch this space.
Dr Simon Ross Valentine: ‘The Royal Statues of Bradford City Hall: A History Lesson in Stone’, an illustrated talk.
Thursday 29th February, 1.15pm, Bradford Local Studies Library. Margaret McMillan Tower, Princes Way, BD1 1NN.
Well known writer, journalist and local historian Dr Simon Ross Valentine will give an illustrated talk on the magnificent series of statues that adorn the exterior walls of Bradford City Hall. The statues, each seven foot high and life-like in every detail, comprise a history lesson in stone revealing the history of England and Bradford’s place in it. Come along and learn about this unique series of sculptures; how and why they were made and the controversy surrounding at least one of the effigies.
These talks are given by members of FoBALS (Friends of Bradford Archives & Local Studies) with Bradford Local Studies Library and West Yorkshire Archives Bradford.
Doors open at 1pm for a 1.15pm start. Free entry to all events but booking is essential.
For more information or to book a place please telephone or email Bradford Local Studies Library, Telephone 01274 433688, Email: local.studies@bradford.gov.uk
Please note, Keighley Local Studies Library will be CLOSED to visitors for a week from Monday 12th to Saturday 17th February for essential collections work
During this time, the team will be working on the Local Studies and Archive collections in our care and will only be able to respond to urgent enquiries.
Normal opening hours will resume the following week.
Thursday 25th January, 1.15pm, Bradford Local Studies Library Margaret McMillan Tower, Princes Way, BD1 1NN.
James Parker published his book ‘Illustrated Rambles from Hipperholme to Tong’ in 1904. In it he focused on Bradford and villages to the south of the city.
James Parker’s work includes a wide range of articles on subjects such as: ‘Opening of the Bradford Exhibition by Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales’, ‘Opening of the Cartwright Hall by Lord Masham, and the Lister Family’, ‘Life of Dr Cartwright’ and an ‘Interesting History of the Bradford Trade’.
The speaker, Mary Twentyman is a well-known local and family historian and organiser of Low Moor Local History Group,
Come along and find out about this remarkable man James Parker, how he conducted his research and illustrated his books.
These talks are given by members of FoBALS (Friends of Bradford Archives & Local Studies) with Bradford Local Studies Library and West Yorkshire Archives Bradford.
Doors open at 1pm for a 1.15pm start. Free entry to all events but booking is essential.
For more information or to book a place please telephone or email Bradford Local Studies Library, Telephone 01274 433688, Email: local.studies@bradford.gov.uk
Bradford and District Local Studies 