Mayor to make history at museum’s 90th birthday celebration

History will repeat itself this weekend when a much-loved Leeds museum welcomes a very special guest to its 90^th birthday celebrations.

The Lord Mayor of Leeds councillor Jane Dowson will visit Kirkstall’s Abbey House Museum this Saturday, July 15, to join in a week-long birthday party which has included special talks, activities and performances.

During her visit, she will be following in the footsteps of Hugh Lupton, who held the office in 1927 when the museum opened to the public for the very first time.

Mr Lupton and the Lady Mayoress were the first people to walk through the doors of the museum, paying a penny each for their tickets, and the coins they used are still on display there today.

This week’s celebrations have seen the museum’s authentic Victorian streets decorated with bunting, craft activities and a talk by Leeds and social history curator Kitty Ross about Abbey House through the years.

A projector has also been screening vintage photos and footage of the museum and performing arts students from Leeds City College will be joined by characters in Victorian costume for the Lord Mayor’s visit this weekend.

Lord Mayor of Leeds Cllr Jane Dowson said: “It’s an honour to help Abbey House celebrate this incredible milestone and to revisit a tradition which began with one of my predecessors 90 years ago.

“Abbey House and its amazing Victorian streets are a fantastic celebration of our city’s rich history and I hope the museum will continue to preserve our heritage for many generations to come.”

Abbey House Museum is housed in what was once the gatehouse of the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey.

The ground floor of the museum is made up of a series of authentic Victorian streets which include a schoolroom, apothecary and a pub.

Upstairs galleries feature exhibtis on the history of Kirkstall Abbey, childhood, and Leeds social history along with imaginative temporary exhibitions.

For more details about Abbey House, please visit: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/Pages/Abbey-House-Museum.aspx

ENDS

Stuart Robinson

Communications Officer

Leeds City Council

Tel: 0113 378 9182 (please note my new number)

Email: stuart.robinson@leeds.gov.uk

www.leeds.gov.uk