Dorothy Payne

Leeds is a city with a vibrant heart and a civic pride. Whilst other city centres wither under the onslaught of out of town shopping centres, Leeds retains its core. It has bustle and activity: it has life. The city has much of which to be proud: the inspiration that came from the industrial success and growth of a century ago can still be seen in some of the city's public buildings: the Town Hall, the Post Office, the Civic Hall and the City Square survive with most of their former grandeur intact. However, rapic development and planning errors have also left their mark all over the city. Some past glories and pride are swept aside: Victoria has lost her posistion before the Town Hall and resides in Woodhouse Moor whilst the War Memorial was resited because it became a traffic hazard. This excellent collection of nearly 200 photographs shows the city and its people through a century of change. As well as the city centre we also see scenes from Bramley, Burley, Hunslet and Kirkstall before the tide of change swept them away in the 1960s. The photographs have been selected from some of the best examples in the collections of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, the West Yorkshire Archive Service and a variety of private sources.