Leodis - a photographic archive of Leeds

Lambert's Yard, circa 1900
"And they all with one consent began to make excuses." (1876). Political cartoon.
Potternewton Park, Chapeltown, Leeds c. 1982.
Gig ticket for Acker Bilk and The Beatles, Queens Hall

Leodis is an online photographic archive containing over 70,000 images of Leeds, old and new, and is managed by Leeds Libraries, part of Leeds City Council.

The Local and Family History department in Leeds Central Library has a huge collection of photographs relating to the city. Before the Leodis site was set up these were only accessible by visiting the library and searching card indexes. The Library service was keen to promote the collections and make them more easily accessible for a wider audience.

Other local heritage organisations – including Leeds Museums and Galleries, the West Yorkshire Archive Service, the Thoresby Society, Jamaica Society Leeds, and several local history societies around Leeds – have also now added their photograph collections to Leodis. Leeds Libraries have also continued to add their own collections to the site, which has now expanded to include digitised playbills, 19th-century political cartoons, and modern gig tickets.

You can also purchase photographs through the site, add your comments about the site, browse the latest additions, and help to identify images about which little is known. Curated galleries of images based around specific themes can also be explored, and are regularly updated.

Leodis welcomes donations from members of the public. Please get in touch using the contact details on this page for further information. You can subscribe to our Local Studies newsletter to keep up-dated with all the latest developments in heritage from Leeds Libraries.

This archive entry was last updated on 13/03/2024. Information incorrect or out-of-date?
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