SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I know where she is.Does anyone know her story?

I think it is on the old bank at the junction of Boar Lane and Bishopgate Street. If it is that I don't though know anything of her.

leoCorrect! Anyone know the story of who it is etc?

Could she be Ceres the goddess of crops?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_(mythology)

BJF wrote: Could she be Ceres the goddess of crops?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_(mythology) Definitely is, looked on Google images and there are a lot of pics portraying her with a stoop of corn and a sickle. Good old SL members for the answers. But why is she there? perhaps she should have been on the Corn Exchange.

geoffb wrote: BJF wrote: Could she be Ceres the goddess of crops?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_(mythology) Definitely is, looked on Google images and there are a lot of pics portraying her with a stoop of corn and a sickle. Good old SL members for the answers. But why is she there? perhaps she should have been on the Corn Exchange. Perhaps she is on the bank to signify the wealth that corn (and other cereal crops) brought to the bank?

Here's a photo from Leodis taken in 1896 of the headquarters of the Yorkshire Banking Co, as it was then:It was founded in 1843 and was taken over by the Midland Bank in 1901. The HSBC press office has this image of one of their £5 notes from 1899 at http://www.flickr.com/photos/hsbc_uk_press/6302218069/: I found some articles about the history of banking at http://www.banking-history.co.uk/articles.html that might be interesting.