Paintings of Leeds

[jim]

Hi Leeds Hippo. Your site identification is very plausible. The wind is probably from the south-west. The foreground was later built up by firstly the Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester Railway and subsequently by the Great Northern Railway and by coal mining waste on the site of the later Wortley Recreation Ground, all of which completely alters the ground levels from what we know today.It is possible to detect the line of Gelderd Road running further to the south. It is interesting to note that Copley Hill, Holbeck Lane, and Water Lane made up the earlier main route from Leeds to Bradford in the previous century

[cnosni]

Leeds Hippo wrote: Turner - Leeds 1816 (any one know where in Leeds)Just visited the Leeds Art gallery and was dissapointed to see so few paintings of Leeds. Is there any reference that lists the paintings/drawings of Leeds.I believe Turner did 150! alone - here's a one from 1816(Beeston Hill - see below)         We covered this in another thread.http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... ghLight=1I put some pics up from where i think the picture was set.I think the position of the houses on the right of the painting,in relation to where Turner sat,is the key.The kink in the kerbside in the painting is still there,and the fact that the field on the immediate left would have become the current Holbeck Cemetery seems to confirm this.The topography in the foreground,between Turner and the houses is also similar to how it is today.Will try and take a pic to show what i mean

[Leeds Hippo]

jim wrote: Hi Leeds Hippo. Your site identification is very plausible. The wind is probably from the south-west. The foreground was later built up by firstly the Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester Railway and subsequently by the Great Northern Railway and by coal mining waste on the site of the later Wortley Recreation Ground, all of which completely alters the ground levels from what we know today.It is possible to detect the line of Gelderd Road running further to the south. It is interesting to note that Copley Hill, Holbeck Lane, and Water Lane made up the earlier main route from Leeds to Bradford in the previous century Hi JimI'ts amazing the way the railways changed the landscape of Leeds and one reason these pre-railway prints are so valuable. Been examining the early maps and the path the woman with the basket is on (and the artist) could be the path that leads from the Wortley Recreation ground over the footbridge across the London line - this path used to lead to Copley Hill (on the early maps it shows it coming out at the top of the row of houses). The path led to Belleview house (still standing off Dixon Lane - aka Highfield House)    

[Leeds Hippo]

cnosni wrote: Leeds Hippo wrote: Turner - Leeds 1816 (any one know where in Leeds)Just visited the Leeds Art gallery and was dissapointed to see so few paintings of Leeds. Is there any reference that lists the paintings/drawings of Leeds.I believe Turner did 150! alone - here's a one from 1816(Beeston Hill - see below)         We covered this in another thread.http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... ghLight=1I put some pics up from where i think the picture was set.I think the position of the houses on the right of the painting,in relation to where Turner sat,is the key.The kink in the kerbside in the painting is still there,and the fact that the field on the immediate left would have become the current Holbeck Cemetery seems to confirm this.The topography in the foreground,between Turner and the houses is also similar to how it is today.Will try and take a pic to show what i mean Thanks cnosniI missed that thread - very interestingAlso the other painting of Beeston Hill - do you know who the artist is?

[cnosni]

JMW Turner

[Leeds Hippo]

Another view from Beeston Hill - must have been a good vantage point.Leeds from Beeston Hall, The illustrated London News 1858Is the viaduct carrying the train the one over Domestic Street in Holbeck?

[jim]

Leeds Hippo, if the date of the picture is 1858 the viaduct can't be that over Domestic Street, which was on the LNWR avoiding line from Canal Junction ( at Leeds City West ) to Farnley Junction. This was built by Act of Parliament of 17 June 1878 and opened to traffic on 1 March 1882.Having said that, I have no idea which viaduct is portrayed, unless it is the Central Station approaches with considerable artistic licence. Has anybody got a better candidate?

[Leeds Hippo]

jim wrote: Leeds Hippo, if the date of the picture is 1858 the viaduct can't be that over Domestic Street, which was on the LNWR avoiding line from Canal Junction ( at Leeds City West ) to Farnley Junction. This was built by Act of Parliament of 17 June 1878 and opened to traffic on 1 March 1882.Having said that, I have no idea which viaduct is portrayed, unless it is the Central Station approaches with considerable artistic licence. Has anybody got a better candidate? Thanks JimThe print is not very clear but that could be the river infront of the viaduct making it the Central Station approach though I can't make out Monk Bridge

[jim]

Another possibility which occurs to me is the arches over the River Aire supporting the original Leeds Wellington Station of the Leeds and Bradford/Midland Railway as they would have been visible before the construction of the LNWR/NER Leeds New Station and its associated arches hid them.These were discussed at some length in the "Leeds Railway Stations 'Lost World'" thread. Photographs were posted on that thread of the north elevation of those arches c1900 before they were obscured by later works.In the 1858 picture you posted I think I can make out Trinity Church spire, which might tend to support this idea.    

[Leeds Hippo]

jim wrote: Another possibility which occurs to me is the arches over the River Aire supporting the original Leeds Wellington Station of the Leeds and Bradford/Midland Railway as they would have been visible before the construction of the LNWR/NER Leeds New Station and its associated arches hid them.These were discussed at some length in the "Leeds Railway Stations 'Lost World'" thread. Photographs were posted on that thread of the north elevation of those arches c1900 before they were obscured by later works.In the 1858 picture you posted I think I can make out Trinity Church spire, which might tend to support this idea.     Thanks jim - that does seem plausible especially since the arches are so uniform