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Municipal Library

Interior in 1924
  • This 1905 building replaced an earlier municipal library and was funded by a donation of £12,000
  • The library was seen as better place for the public to spend their leisure hours, rather than ‘soak in a pub’ according to the local newspaper
  • There was a separate room for ladies on the 2nd floor when it opened

“An inspiration as well as a rich treasury”

The population of Leicester grew rapidly in the later 19th century as did the number of people able to read and write. The original municipal library was soon overcrowded and so the town was delighted when the Scottish-born industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated £12,000 towards the cost of a new one. It was intended to “be an inspiration as well as a rich treasury”.

What did the library provide?

Designed by Edward Burgess, the new library could accommodate 40,000 books and up to 100 readers in the ground floor Reading Room. A separate Ladies´ Room was provided on the first floor and a Juvenile Lending Library in the basement. Soon after it opened it introduced Library Lectures “to add a little to the literary culture of the town”. One of the speakers was J.Ramsay MacDonald, Labour MP for Leicester, who talked about “Sociology”.

The importance of libraries

The library was seen as a particular benefit to “the manual labourer – the working man, the poor man and his children”. On its opening in 1905 by Carnegie himself, the Leicester Daily Post wrote that it was better “that the average shoe operative, factory worker or shop assistant should spend his leisure hours with Dickens, Thackeray, Scott or George Elliot” rather than “soak in a pub” or “hang around street corners”.

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Gallery

Andrew Carnegie at the opening of one of his libraries -
Andrew Carnegie at the opening of one of his libraries
The Library and Bishop Street in 1930 -
The Library and Bishop Street in 1930
Colour postcard of the Library in 1908 -
Colour postcard of the Library in 1908
The Library interior in 1924 -
The Library interior in 1924

Roman Leicester

(47- 500) A military fort was erected, attracting traders and a growing civilian community to Leicester (known as Ratae Corieltauvorum to the Romans). The town steadily grew throughout the reign of the Romans.

Medieval Leicester

(500 – 1500) The early years of this period was one of unrest with Saxon, Danes and Norman invaders having their influences over the town. Later, of course, came Richard III and the final battle of the Wars of the Roses was fought on Leicester’s doorstep.

Tudor & Stuart Leicester

(1500 – 1700) The wool trade flourished in Leicester with one local, a former mayor named William Wigston, making his fortune. During the English Civil War a bloody battle was fought as the forces of King Charles I laid siege to the town.

Georgian Leicester

(1700 – 1837) The knitting industry had really stared to take hold and Leicester was fast becoming the main centre of hosiery manufacture in Britain. This new prosperity was reflected throughout the town with broader, paved streets lined with elegant brick buildings and genteel residences.

Victorian Leicester

(1837 – 1901) The industrial revolution had a huge effect on Leicester resulting in the population growing from 40,000 to 212,000 during this period. Many of Leicester's most iconic buildings were erected during this time as wealthy Victorians made their mark on the town.

Edwardian Leicester

(1901 – 1910) Electric trams came to the streets of Leicester and increased literacy among the citizens led to many becoming politicised. The famous 1905 ‘March of the Unemployed to London’ left from Leicester market when 30,000 people came to witness the historic event.

Early 20th Century Leicester

(1910 – 1973) The diverse industrial base meant Leicester was able to cope with the economic challenges of the 1920s and 1930s. New light engineering businesses, such as typewriter and scientific instrument making, complemented the more traditional industries of hosiery and footwear manufacturing.

Modern Leicester

(1973 – present day) Industry was still thriving in the city during the 1970s, with the work opportunities attracting many immigrants from all over the world. While industry has declined in recent years, excellent transport links have made Leicester an attractive centre for many businesses. The City now has much to be proud of including its sporting achievements and the richness of its cultural heritage and diversity.

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Leisure & Entertainment

Leicester Central Railway Station

Leicester's grand Central Railway Station opened to passengers in 1899, linking them to London on a new line extension until 1966.
Haymarket Theatre

Built as part of the wider Haymarket Shopping Centre scheme, the Haymarket Theatre was the home for professional theatre in Leicester from 1973 until it closed in 2007. Located opposite the site of the old Victorian Palace Theatre on Belgrave Gate, it has built a fine legacy of productions, directors and performers over the years.
The Blue Boar Inn

On Leicester’s medieval High Street (now Highcross Street), close to where a Travelodge stands today, there was once an elaborate timber-framed building known as the Blue Boar Inn. Here, by tradition, Richard III spent a final night or two before the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
University of Leicester Engineering Building

Completed in 1963, the Engineering Building is often said to be the first ‘Post-Modern’ building in Britain.
Western Park

There is evidence at Western Park of possibly Leicester’s earliest occupation. What is believed to be an early Bronze Age henge site and burial mounds have been discovered there along with evidence of Roman occupation as well.
story of leicester
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