Paintings of Leeds

[kango]

Leeds Hippo wrote: George Walker, Middleton Colliery (1814)I believe the Middleton railway was the earliest industrial railway in the world.Very important with respect to the history of locomotives - Features Blenkinsop locomotive John Blenkinsop was the manager of Middleton Colliery. Blenkinsop wanted to find a way of reducing the cost of transporting coal to the nearby town of Leeds. In 1811 Blenkinsop joined forces with Matthew Murray, an engineer from Leeds to produce a locomotive for the colliery. Blenkinsop wanted a locomotive that could be used to transport coal from Middleton Colliery to Leeds. Blenkinsop and Murray rejected the idea that a steam locomotive with smooth wheels on a smooth rail would have sufficient adhesion to propel itself and a load. They therefore experimented with producing a rack railway. The Salamanca (named after a battle in the Peninsular War) locomotive, with its cog-toothed driving wheels, first appeared in public on 24th June, 1812. The locomotive had two vertical cylinders within the top of the boiler, and the pistons drove the rack wheels through rods and pinions. The locomotive weighed 5 tons and on a level track was capable of hauling a load of 90 tons at 4 mph. Blenkinsop's locomotive was a great success and with Murray's help he produced three more. A local artist, George Walker, produced the first ever painting of a locomotive when he visited Middleton Colliery in 1814. The Blenkinsop locomotives were fairly expensive to use and heavy wear took place between the driving gear wheel and the horizontal rack. Despite these problems, the four Blenkinsop locomotives were used at Middleton Colliery until the mid 1830s. It really bugs me that whenever there is a tv program about steam pioneers Matthew Murray and Middleton railway always get overlooked. We know Trevithick was first and Stephenson built the first passenger carrying railway, but that was 1825, Middleton was using steam traction in 1812. Even the late Fred Dibnah only gave it a brief mention on His steam series. Most of Stephensons locos have had replicas built, how about a Miggy engine?    

[Leeds Hippo]

kango wrote: Leeds Hippo wrote: George Walker, Middleton Colliery (1814)I believe the Middleton railway was the earliest industrial railway in the world.Very important with respect to the history of locomotives - Features Blenkinsop locomotive John Blenkinsop was the manager of Middleton Colliery. Blenkinsop wanted to find a way of reducing the cost of transporting coal to the nearby town of Leeds. In 1811 Blenkinsop joined forces with Matthew Murray, an engineer from Leeds to produce a locomotive for the colliery. Blenkinsop wanted a locomotive that could be used to transport coal from Middleton Colliery to Leeds. Blenkinsop and Murray rejected the idea that a steam locomotive with smooth wheels on a smooth rail would have sufficient adhesion to propel itself and a load. They therefore experimented with producing a rack railway. The Salamanca (named after a battle in the Peninsular War) locomotive, with its cog-toothed driving wheels, first appeared in public on 24th June, 1812. The locomotive had two vertical cylinders within the top of the boiler, and the pistons drove the rack wheels through rods and pinions. The locomotive weighed 5 tons and on a level track was capable of hauling a load of 90 tons at 4 mph. Blenkinsop's locomotive was a great success and with Murray's help he produced three more. A local artist, George Walker, produced the first ever painting of a locomotive when he visited Middleton Colliery in 1814. The Blenkinsop locomotives were fairly expensive to use and heavy wear took place between the driving gear wheel and the horizontal rack. Despite these problems, the four Blenkinsop locomotives were used at Middleton Colliery until the mid 1830s. It really bugs me that whenever there is a tv program about steam pioneers Matthew Murray and Middleton railway always get overlooked. We know Trevithick was first and Stephenson built the first passenger carrying railway, but that was 1825, Middleton was using steam traction in 1812. Even the late Fred Dibnah only gave it a brief mention on His steam series. Most of Stephensons locos have had replicas built, how about a Miggy engine?     Very good point - I'd like to see a replica in front of the art gallery or museum - it represents one of the turning points of the industrial revolution. Could one of the colleges not be persuaded to build one - maybe with finance from the Lottery fund.Update on this - they have a piece of the original track in the museum - you can see how the gogs would have fit into the tracks. See it in the Leeds gallery - near the bust of Benjamin Gott - it's amazing to be able to touch a piece of the track that features in the painting.    

[Cardiarms]

Leeds Hippo wrote: Valley of the Aire, Armley Pastures and Kirkstall - George Alexander 1853. Think the house is Gotts ParkIt's that Armley Mills beside the Canal?     Redcote Bridge and farm in the middle and Savins or St Annes Mills on the right. That must have been painted from about the end of Armley Lodge road and Armley mills would have been off to the right, behind the artist.    

[Leeds Hippo]

Leeds Hippo wrote: Valley of the Aire, Armley Pastures and Kirkstall - George Alexander 1853. Think the house is Gotts ParkIt's that Armley Mills beside the Canal?     Thanks CardiarmsRedcote Bridge herehttp://www.towpathtreks.co.uk/photodisplay.asp?ino=1188Another pic of the same scene this time byCharles Henry Schwanfelder (Shows the scene before the railway)        

[Si]

Another, slightly 'looser' Atkinson Grimshaw of unknown location."Autumn Scene, Leeds" 1874.    

[Si]

I found this water-colour view of Kirkstall Abbey, by George Alexander, on Google. I don't know when it was painted, but sometime between the collapse of the tower (1775ish?) and the addition of the supporting grid-work in the window?    

[Leeds Hippo]

Joseph Rhodes - Leeds from the Meadows 1825Where's this bridge? Think it may be Wellington Bridgesee herehttp://maggieblanck.com/Land/PhotosEngland.htmlWestern Panaramic View of Leeds by J. Rhodes, 1832 Quote from the later printThis view shows the Wellington Road bridges.The bridge on the left crosses the river, the bridge on the right crosses the canal. The large mill is the Bean Ing Mills, the worlds first integrated woolen factory. The entire textile process, from wool to finished cloth, was carried out in this mill. By 1797 the workforce of this mill was 1,200 and produced 4,000 broadcloths a year.This area is to the west of the Victoria Bridge.     

[Leeds Hippo]

Joseph Rhodes - The Skyrack Oak, Leeds 1830Isn't there a pub called this in Headingley - Beside one called the Original Oak?    

[Leeds Hippo]

Fulneck Moravian Settlement (Pudsey) - Charles Henry Schanfelder 1814Fulneck Moravian Settlement. Established in 1744 on a hillside overlooking a valley, Fulneck was named after the town of Fulnec in Northern Moravia, the Czech Republic. Pudsey Beck flows in the valley bottom. Many buildings in Fulneck are Grade II listed and date from the 18th century. The people who settled here originally were members of the Moravian Church and descendents of the Czech Unity of Brethren. The painting is entitled, 'Fulnec, a settlement of the United Brethren near Leeds.' Charles Henry Schwanfelder was the son of John James Schwanfelder who had a business in Woodhouse applying Japanese Laquer (the Japanese Technique) to clocks, snuffboxes and teatrays. C.H. Schwanfelder was appointed court animal painter to the Prince Regent in 1816.

[Leeds Hippo]

Kirkstall Abbey 1824 Joseph Mallord William Turner