Circa 1880s. The waterfall at Roundhay Park, located at the southern edge of Waterloo Lake. Taken between 1880 and 1890 by Manchester printer John Lees Sykes.placeholder image
Circa 1880s. The waterfall at Roundhay Park, located at the southern edge of Waterloo Lake. Taken between 1880 and 1890 by Manchester printer John Lees Sykes. | Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net

Why these 17 historic photos are the talk of Leeds

These photo gems are the talk of Leeds.

The images cover all four corners of Leeds and cover a range of subject matters and issues down the decades. They are currently trending as the 'most viewed' images on photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. They also run heritage blog The Secret Library Leeds, which provides a behind the scenes look at the Central Library and highlights from its special collections, including rare books hidden away in the stacks. LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook

Celebrating 135 years of telling Leeds' stories
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice