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based on individuals' financial capabilities. Affluent members paid 15 shillings per year, payable in installments, while the
Mechanics Class, with its more modest means, paid either 12 shillings or 8 shillings annually. Subscribers enjoyed access to a well-stocked library and a reading room. The core curriculum consisted of Writing and Grammar, French, Geography, Chemistry and Mathematics. Over time more classes were added. Additionally, the institute hosted a diverse array of lectures as part of its Autumn and Winter annual program, delivered by both LMI members and visiting speakers. Annual social events like mid-Winter evening soirees and Summer excursions to places like Castle Howard and Wentworth Castle were also a part of the institute's offerings. By 1860s some employers offered their workers classes at a reduced rate. One organization had around 100 employees enrolled.
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in the French Second Empire style, stood a lecture hall capable of seating 1,500 individuals, its balcony supported by cast iron columns. Surrounding this focal point, on two levels, were facilities including a library, reading room, classrooms, laboratory, art studio, and a dining area. Over time, the
Institute evolved into Leeds College of Art in 1903, with subsequent modifications to its interior throughout the 20th century, notably converting the lecture hall into a theatre. Recognized with a Grade II* listing, the building presently serves as the city's museum, with the central circular lecture theatre repurposed into exhibition space.
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The architect
Cuthbert Brodrick, known for his design of the neighboring Town Hall, was tasked with creating a new edifice on Cookridge Street, now known as Millennium Square. The construction of this building spanned five years and incurred a cost of £20,000. At the heart of this structure, crafted
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to sell its building and land to Leeds
Corporation, for a sum ("not less than £39,000") large enough to clear its debts. It arranged to rent the building from the corporation. In 1940, the Leeds Institute had a dwindling membership and was unable, due to war-time restrictions, to hold its usual
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In 1824, the Leeds
Mechanics' Institute (LMI) remained under the stewardship of its proprietors, prominent figures in Leeds such as Baines, Kitson, and Marshall. While the institute was primarily sustained by annual subscribers, reflecting Victorian class distinctions, its membership fees varied
130:). The main activities of the Leeds Institute, as it was now named, after 1907 included a lecture series, a library for its subscribers, and a cafe. The Leeds Institute struggled financially and in 1912 obtained the permission of the
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evening lectures. It went into voluntary liquidation and ceased to exist, with the lease on the building being surrendered to the landlord, Leeds
Education Committee, for £2,310 9s 6d on 21 May 1940.
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includes a "genealogy" diagram showing the intermediate stages by which the
Mechanics' Institution (its initial name) led to the formation of
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324:"The Mechanics' Institute: Part III – "…In no small measure to contribute…to the advancement of the community.""
292:"The Mechanics' Institute: Part II – "Commensurate with the growing intelligence and prosperity of the people.""
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Garner, A. D.; Jenkins, E. W. (June 1984). "The
English Mechanics' Institutes: The case of Leeds 1824–42".
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By 1907 most further education in Leeds was in the hands of the council, with the establishment of the
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The
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407:. Pevsner architectural guides. New Haven, Conn.: Yale Univ. Press. pp. 72–73.
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The
Cultural Legacy of the Mechanics' Institute Movement in the North of England
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64:. Initially it occupied two rooms, a library and a lecture room, in a house on
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This article about a West Yorkshire building or structure is a
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Wrathmell, Susan; Minnis, John; Douglas, Janet (2005).
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265:"The Mechanics' Institute: Part I – Cultivating Minds"
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The Leeds Mechanics' Institute building, designed by
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who wished to offer educational opportunities to the
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169:The Builder
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
