A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FRIENDS OF LEEDS CITY MUSEUMS
John Pearson
April 2012
1 THE BEGINNING
The FLCM was inaugurated on 23 April 1971, St George’s Day. The available minutes of the Society do not refer to the reasons for or the stimulus behind setting up the Society, since they start only in January 1971. However, it is clear that a Steering Committee was set up, possibly in 1970, with the aim of exploring the feasibility of setting up the Friends. For instance, in January 1971, a meeting of this Committee received information from Friends and similar societies in Bolton, Manchester, Leicester, Scunthorpe, Bournemouth and Bristol as well as from the British Museum Society.
Comments were made at this meeting that the proposed work of the Friends might parallel that of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, but it was made clear that the Friends would be a separate society and that the Lit and Phil would benefit from activities of the Friends. Basil Sheldon was elected as Chairman of the Steering Committee, with James Beer as Hon Secretary and W Jameson as Hon Treasurer. Proposed membership fees were 10s to 2 guineas for adults and 5s to £1 for ‘young people’. It was estimated that it would cost £15-20 to set up the Society. It was suggested that meetings should take place at least once per month in autumn/winter, excursions being held in the summer months. It was suggested that the Society be called ‘Friends of Leeds City and Abbey House Museums’.
A meeting in March 1971 proposed the aims and activities of the Friends:
· To support and assist the Leeds Museums and promote their use and enjoyment by the public
· The organisation and promotion of meetings, lectures and social functions
· Activities should not be ‘too academic’ but in a lighter vein to provide pleasure and enjoyment for all members
· Subscriptions to be kept as low as possible
This meeting referred to the inauguration meeting of 23 April, which would be held in the City Art Gallery Lecture Theatre and then in the City Museum. Refreshments would be served and there would be a film showing the working of the museum ‘from every possible angle’. A hand-written note on the back of a letter inviting people to this meeting, written by a member of the Steering Committee refers to ‘ways we can help’, including:
· Any engineer who can help strip down a steam engine
· We can dig (sic)
· Or collect items from attics, junk shops, etc
· Activities to include films; lectures (‘by specialists who know their job’); classes (eg on antiques); excursions (eg down a coal mine); ‘but it must never become dull’.
Although, hopefully, this last aim has been fulfilled, it is interesting how the range of activities has changed over the years.
The final meeting of the Steering Committee took place on 15 April 1971, to prepare for the launch of the Friends. It was recorded that ‘somebody from the body of the hall should propose and another second’ the formation of the Friends, then propose and second a Chairman (ie Basil Sheldon) and that the Steering Committee should form the Committee of the new Society. It was suggested that 3 or 4 people should be at the meeting with cheque books at the ready to collect subscriptions from new members.
The proposed Constitution was approved, including reference to the Objects of the Society:
· The advancement of education in the work of the Museums and their activities
· To support and assist the Leeds Museums and to promote their use and enjoyment by the public
· To help in the collection of specimens
· To support exhibitions, lectures and outdoor activities arranged by the Leeds Museums and the Society
· To organise meetings and events for the purpose of interesting more people in the Museums
· To assist in raising funds for the purchase of specimens for the Leeds Museums
Unfortunately, there are no minutes available for the inaugural meeting, although it was noted that it was held ‘before a large audience’.
2 YEAR-BY-YEAR EVENTS
1971-2
6 Committee meetings were held this year. The Society was invited to the Los Amigos Congress in Barcelona in June 1972. It was decided that the expense was not justified, but the success of the Society in gaining publicity was noted.
The Christmas function was held at Abbey House Museum, but restriction on numbers meant that not all who wanted to attend could do so. The Lord Mayor of Leeds (Ald J T V Watson) was present. The Victorian theme of the function was noted: ‘the variety of costumes worn considerably enhanced the success of the evening.’
Membership was stated to be 300, a remarkable figure for a newly-formed Society. No acquisitions were made during this year.
Lady Harewood was offered and accepted the post of President.
1972-3
5 Committee meetings were held.
Again, not all who wanted to attend the Christmas function at Abbey House Museum could do so due to restriction on numbers. The event was a success, although it posted a small loss. A discussion took place on the necessity for attending in Victorian costume given the cost of hire.
A proposed study tour to Madrid was discussed.
Membership stood at 340.
No acquisitions were made.
It was reported that a British Friends of Museums had been set up and it was expected that European ties would follow.
1973-4
An overall small loss was made on Trips. The overall balance of the Society was around £527, ‘a considerable sum’, enough to purchase an object to present to the City Museum. It was agreed that the Society should purchase a vintage car. This was put out to appeal, but as only £53 was raised, the idea was abandoned, although this led to the idea that an extra charge should be added to the cost of Trips to help pay for acquisitions.
Disappointment was expressed at the relatively low attendance at lectures (80, ie 20% of the membership). It was agreed to produce larger programme cards with details of lectures and smaller membership cards for entry to the lectures – non-members would pay 10p/lecture. Among the members of Leeds City Council appointed as members of the Executive Committee was Councillor Mrs Nash.
It was agreed to contribute £1 to the Association of Friends of Museums to keep the Lord and Lady Clapham dolls in Britain.
The Christmas function was again a success and included a Punch and Judy show.
Reference was made to a possible 1-2 week visit to Greece or Czechoslovakia.
1974-5
6 Committee meetings were held.
Membership stood at 252.
(few copies of minutes available).
1975-6
6 Committee meetings were held.
Attendances at lectures were very high. Visitors’ charges were raised to 20p and charges to all for coffee covered costs. Membership was 273.
The Society was still looking for something suitable to purchase for the Museum: a barrel organ for Abbey House Museum (est. cost £600-700) was considered, but this did not proceed.
A weekend trip to Bath was suggested. This eventually took place in October 1976, was fully booked and excellently received.
The return journey from a visit to Durham proved eventful: the coach broke down and visitors were rescued by another coach company and a police car.
A Halloween party was suggested to be held at Abbey House Museum, to include a buffet meal, fortune telling, apple bobbing and a talk on witchcraft. Although the attendance (74) was regarded as low and the event made a slight loss, it was regarded as being a success. However, it did not seem to have been repeated.
1976-7
7 Committee meetings were held.
Again, good attendances were reported at lectures.
The annual function took place in January; a Valentine’s Day event was suggested for 1978.
Membership was around 200; it was reported that the maximum would be 300-350. This figure was well down on that for 1975-6, so that only £80 could be transferred to the deposit account. As a result the membership fee was raised to £1-50 and the fee for non-member attendees at lectures to 25p. The overall theme for the year was how to increase membership. Ideas put forward included:
· Members to invite friends to lectures
· Posters/notices in Colleges of Further Education
· Notices to be sent to the Education department, aimed at teaching staff
· Publicity in the Yorkshire Evening Post and on Radio Leeds
(It is interesting that the emphasis, in terms of events, was on lectures rather than on Trips).
There was still no suitable object to purchase, 6 years after the foundation of the Society.
The first weekend trip (to Bath) took place.
1977-8
6 Committee meetings were held.
The Society was represented at the British Association of Friends at Ironbridge.
The Society presented a tankard and goblet to Leeds City Museum to commemorate Jubilee Year; however, there is no indication in the minutes of cost or a description. The Society was asked to approve a spend of up to £200 at Sotheby’s on items from New Guinea to fill a gap in the Museum’s collection.
The annual function was arranged for Monk Fryston Hall as a Jubilee dinner and was described as being very enjoyable. A coach was arranged from the Civic Hall.
Membership was 234, slightly up on the previous year.
A proposed weekend trip to Norwich was cancelled due to lack of numbers.
It was suggested at the AGM that members might like to be corporate members of the newly established English National Opera Company at the Grand Theatre.
1978-9
7 Committee meetings were held.
It was reported that the Duke of Gloucester had agreed to become Patron of the British Association of Friends of Museums (BAFM). The Society was represented at two meetings of the BAFM.
A ‘tribal gift’ was bought from Sotherby’s, for £137-50, but it was stated what it exactly was!
Concern was expressed at the low number of Trips (2) scheduled for the year. A weekend in London and a visit abroad were suggested, as well as publicising details of events and Trips in the Yorkshire Evening Post.
The annual dinner was again held at Monk Fryston Hall; it was agreed that, in future, a speaker should be included as part of this event.
There were still concerns about the relatively low level of membership and yet more discussions on how to increase it.
Discussions took place on the title of the Society: whether to include the Industrial Museum or to have 2 separate sets of Friends.
There were still concerns about the low number of items bought for the Museum: it was agreed to ask the Museum for suggestions for items the Friends could buy, to be labelled as having been funded by them.
Lectures were not well attended; as a result, the Society appointed a publicity officer. It was noted that all the speakers were from the Leeds area.
1979-80
The Society reported an overall loss (~ £45) on the year, mainly resulting from the lecture programme and reduced membership. As a result, discussions took place on raising the subscription fee, although this was subsequently held at its current level, since it was felt that a fee increase would deter members still further. Another recruitment campaign was also suggested, together with either curtailing the number of events or making them self-financing. There was some improvement to attendances at lectures.
A Chinese gong was purchased for the Museum for £380. A suggestion to purchase a helicopter for the Industrial Museum was rejected as not being suitable.
The annual dinner was held at Abbey House Museum. Since it would not be available for functions after 1980, it was decided that the Lawnswood Arms would be the next venue.
Financial support was given to the Congress of the World Federation of Friends of Museums, to be held in Birmingham in 1981.
1980-1
7 Committee meetings were held.
A £400 contribution was made towards the purchase of items for Leeds City Museum: a dinosaur egg, some dinosaur droppings (presumably fossilised) and a fossilised dinosaur bone.
The membership level was steady; publicity leaflets had been distributed.
(no AGM details available, so information sketchy for this year).
1981-2
5 Committee meetings were held.
Discussions took place about several possible purchases for the Museum:
· A strength testing machine (from Sotheby’s)
· Restoration of the grandfather time-keeping punch clock at the Industrial Museum
· A cinema projector for the Industrial Museum
· A sword which had belonged to the Leeds Pals
· The miniature railway from Golden Acre Park (on sale at Blackpool; discounted as it would likely be subjected to vandalism
However, the annual accounts did not show evidence of any purchases.
The annual dinner was moved to April.
The Society had a stall at the Kirkstall Festival and made a small profit from it.
Student membership was agreed at 50p.
It was agreed that the Friends would organise refreshments at the opening of Armley Mills.
1982-3
6 Committee meetings were held.
Specially commissioned Kirkstall Abbey plates were offered for sale to members and provided a profit for the Society.
It was agreed to loan £337 to Armley Mills for the purchase of second hand rail track.
The first notion of allowing Friends free entry to museums was made; by early 1983, this was applied to Abbey House museum and Armley Mills.
It was agreed to fund (£200) the cost of a model of Leeds Theatre Royal which had been obtained at auction.
Problems with regarding the organisation of the annual dinner meant that it was cancelled this year.