Studio Brief 2 - Leeds Public Spaces - Initial research

Event research

Possible events

Chosen three to research further:

Houdini and Tetley 

Houdini was challenged by workers at the Tetley Brewery to escape from a barrel of beer as a way of attracting publicity.
The stunt took place at the Empire Palace Theatre on Briggate Leeds
Houdini proclaimed in an advertisement that he planned to escape on stage from a padlocked water can containing beer which was to be supplied by Jisua Tetley and Son 
On Feb 9th 1911 he was handcuffed and placed in milk churn full of Tetley bitter instead of water.
The lid of a milk churn is slightly domed so when filled with water an air pocket is created.
When filled with beer the alcohol emitted carbon dioxide which filled the pocket instead of air.
The lack of oxygen meant Houdini, who was Tee Total became unconscious so his assistant had to break open the cask to get him out.    


Empire Theatre


The theatre held 1700 and when opened it was said to be one of the finest variety theatres in the country with electric light, fireproof curtain and sliding roof. The theatre held variety performances, concerts, pantomimes and musicals. However other stages across the country were getting bigger which meant the the Empire Theatre became smaller in comparison leading to it being demolished in 1962. Part of the building can still be seen above Harvey Nichols in the Victoria Quarter.

Festival of Britain

The Festival of Britain was a National exhibition and fair that thousands across the country visited. The festival was a national celebration which focused on Britain and its achievements. It would also mark the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Labour government was losing support and wanted to give the public a feeling of success after World War II. It aimed to promote science, technology, industrial design, architecture and the arts.

The Festival of Britain's Land Travelling Exhibition came to Leeds in 1951. This was a temporary exhibition that would travel to various cities across the country. It was opened by Princess Royal and led to three weeks of celebrations around city, with fireworks at Roundhay park, open air plays and a concert of British music at Leeds Town Hall. The exhibition was held on Monument Moor in a huge canvas marquee, which had 21 red, white and blue searchlights directed upon it. The exhibition had 5000 exhibits worth £250,000. The Corridor of Time had sixteen swinging pendulums which displayed achievements of Britain through the ages. The ends of the corridors were mirrored creating a sense of endlessness. This led to a domed area where a section of the exhibition could be chosen. Exhibitions included  Discovery and Design, People at Home, People at Play, People at Work, and People Travel. Opposite the main exhibition were exhibitions by the Army, RAF, British Red Cross, Road Safety, National Savings and BEA. 144,844 visitors wen to the exhibition in Leeds , which was more than any of the other three cities it visited.

Queen Victoria opens Leeds Town Hall

The town Hall was opened in 1858 and was a beacon of civic pride. A competition was organised for architects to submit plans for a town hall. Cuthbert Broderick, a complete unknown architect, won £200 pounds for his plans for the Town Hall. Sir Charles Barry was an adviser to Broderick and made some changes to the plans. The construction of the tower over the main entrance meant that the cost exceeded the original estimate of £122,000. However the working class were in hardship so public opinion for the build was not strong. The Queen and Prince Albert opened the building in September 1858. 400,000 to 600,000 lined the streets  for the procession through Leeds. The queen knighted the mayor of the city. After the opening they then continued their journey to Scotland.queen knighted the mayor