Wednesday 21st October 2.30 – 4.30 pm Keighley Local Studies Library
October 2026 marks 70 years since the Keighley Hippodrome closed its doors for the final time. Join Tim Neal from the Keighley & District Local History Society as he tells the story of Keighley’s lost Hippodrome Theatre and the Keighley Amateurs who were the last group to perform Oklahoma at the theatre before it was pulled down. We will also have some of our archive collection on the theatre on display for you to see. No need to book just come along. Refreshments Provided.
Join us at Bradford Local Studies Library to watch the award-winning documentary “Painted” by Bradford filmmakers Faith+Bones on Saturday 24thOctober, with screenings at 10:30 – 11:30 and 14:00 – 15:00. This is a free event but places are limited – please book via local.studies@bradford.gov.uk or by calling 01274 433688.
As a portrait artist attempts to capture their essence on canvas, four Afro-Caribbean elders in Bradford share their extraordinary Windrush stories of rebuilding Britain, confronting racism, and finding resilience, revealing the layers of identity that define a generation.
Come along on Saturday to Keighley Local Studies Library and discover some of the amazing images held within our archive collections. Explore rarely seen photographs, including images from Ian Dewhirst’s archive. Celebrating this years Heritage Open Days theme ‘Everyday Lives’, uncover fascinating glimpses of Keighley’s past, from local people and family life to long gone streets, bustling factories, mills, shops and familiar places.
Dalton Mills from an unusual perspective.
We will have our archive of Stereoscopic images showing life in Keighley from the 1890s. You will be able to see old Keighley come to life in 3D.
COOK LANE BEFORE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN CENTRE IN THE 1960s AND THE CONSTRUCTION AIREDALE SHOPPING CENTRE
OS MAP SHOWING COOK LANE BEFORE DEMOLITION AND THE AIREDALE SHOPPING CENTRE WAS BUILT
We will also have the ‘Men of Worth’ with us with a selection of the groups research available to see. Discover the people behind the names on Keighley’s Roll of Honour. Find out about their wartime experiences and the stories of their lives back home in Keighley and the Worth Valley
William Scruton (c. 1840–1924) was a prominent local historian, writer, and illustrator from Bradford who co-founded the Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society in 1878, who dedicated much of his life to documenting the rapid architectural and social transformation of Bradford, West Yorkshire, during the Victorian era.
Life and Career
Early Life: Born at Little Horton Green, Bradford, he attended a local dame’s school and evening classes at the Mechanics’ Institute.
Profession: He worked for many years as a solicitor’s clerk in Bradford.
Writing & Illustration: A proficient illustrator and staunch Nonconformist (Moravian), he documented Victorian Bradford’s changing architecture, nooks-and-corners, and social history. He contributed regularly to the Bradford Observer and the Yorkshireman.
As an antiquarian, he was highly concerned with preserving the memory of the town before its old landmarks were demolished to make way for industrialisation and expansion into a major city. He is most famously remembered for his masterpiece, Pen & Pencil Pictures of Old Bradford, published in 1889.
Key Historical Contributions
Founder of the Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society:
On 12 July 1878, Scruton became a founder member of the Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society alongside fellow historians William Cudworth, T.T. Empsall, and James Horsfall Turner. He frequently wrote historical articles for the Bradford Observer and the society’s journal, The Bradford Antiquary.
The Bronte Connection: Beyond local town history, Scruton was deeply fascinated by the Brontë family who lived nearby. In 1898, he published Thornton and the Brontës, detailing the birthplace of the famous literary siblings. He even famously attempted to sketch portraits of Emily Brontë based on historical accounts and photographs.
Pen & Pencil Pictures of Old Bradford(1889)
Cover of Pen and Pencil Drawings. 1889
William Scruton’s artwork served as a vital visual rescue mission for Victorian Bradford, capturing the city’s architectural transition during the Industrial Revolution. As mills and terraced housing rapidly expanded, Scruton actively sketched landmarks, streets, and characters that were slated for demolition His focus, technique, and subject choices reveal a deep passion for preserving local history.
What He Framed: Subject MatterVanishing Architecture:
Scruton meticulously documented medieval and early modern buildings “gone forever”. His sketches featured the old Court House at the top of Westgate, the earliest town workhouse, the Old Corn Mill, and the Old Piece Hall. He also drew majestic lost mansions like Stott Hall, Manor Hall, Bierley Hall, and Horton Hall.
Street Scenes and Shops: He frequently drew daily life in bygone commercial areas like Kirkgate and Ivegate. One famous sketch captures a row of old shops in Kirkgate right before they were demolished to clear space for the Midland Hotel.
Local Personalities: Beyond buildings, Scruton drew the people who gave Bradford its character. His books feature illustrations of eccentric locals, such as Mr Tordoff (a prominent tea dealer), “Dumb John” (a quiet barber), and Judy Barrett (a famous local spice and humbug sweet seller).
The Brontë Family: Through his later work, he provided architectural illustrations of buildings tied to the Brontë family in Thornton and Haworth, alongside portrait sketches of Emily, Charlotte, and their relatives.
Artistic Technique and Style
Scruton’s illustrations were primarily pen-and-ink line drawings and detailed sketches designed specifically for woodcut or plate reproduction in print
His masterpiece, Pen and Pencil Pictures of Old Bradford (1889), remains heavily referenced by historians today because it serves as one of the few surviving visual registers of the pre-industrial town
Eye-Witness Accuracy: Most of his streetscapes were sketched directly from his own observations while walking through Bradford.
Collaborative Legacy: When a building had already been demolished before his lifetime, Scruton meticulously reconstructed the image by studying the artwork of earlier local Bradford artists like Arthur McArthur and William Geller.
Purpose over Fine Art: Scruton did not view himself as a commercial fine artist. He treated his drawings as historical evidence, often filling his personal notebooks with extensive text, annotations, and arrows alongside a sketch to explain exactly who lived in a building or when it fell.
His masterpiece, Pen and Pencil Pictures of Old Bradford (1889), remains heavily referenced by historians today because it serves as one of the few surviving visual registers of the pre-industrial town
The Significance of His Doodles & Character Drawings
A Window into Private Wit: Scruton’s published works are polite, respectful Victorian histories. However, local historians know he had a keen, sharp eye for human eccentricity. His private doodles often catch the “Worthies” in unvarnished, candid, or slightly satirical states—revealing a personal humour never printed in his formal books.
The “Bradford Worthies” Connection: In the 19th century, this term referred to Bradford’s elite—powerful mill owners (like Titus Salt or Robert Milligan), politicians, and cultural figures. If Scruton was writing to them or collecting their correspondence, it confirms his deep integration into the city’s intellectual circle.
Working Method Insights: His marginalia and doodles were often his visual shorthand. He used random scraps of incoming mail and the blank space of letters to quickly capture a facial profile, an unusual hat, or a caricature of a speaker during local society meetings before he forgot the details.
InThe Margins of History: William Scruton’s Private Doodles
When we picture William Scruton, we usually think of the dignified co-founder of the Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society, meticulously documenting vanishing medieval streetscapes. But behind the formal historian was a man with a sharp, candid eye for human character. A scrapbook held at Bradford local Studies Library reveals an intimate look at Scruton’s working mind: a collection of letters to and from Bradford Worthies, heavily decorated with his raw, spontaneous doodles and caricatures.
1. The Scrapbook as a 19th-Century Creative Workspace
For Scruton, paper was a premium canvas, and inspiration didn’t wait. The margins of incoming correspondence from Bradford’s civic elite became his creative playground. Where official letters discussed society business, legal matters, or local history, Scruton used the blank spaces to capture the world around him.
Visual Shorthand: These doodles weren’t just idle distractions; they were his visual diary.
Candid Caricatures: While his published books like Pen and Pencil Pictures of Old Bradford feature polite, formal portraits, these private sketches show a lighter, more satirical side—catching the “Worthies” mid-speech, pulling faces, or sporting the exaggerated fashions of Victorian Bradford.
2. Who Were the “Bradford Worthies” in the Margins?
The letters themselves provide an incredible context. In the late 19th century, Bradford was an industrial powerhouse, and its “Worthies” included influential mill owners, politicians, and fellow antiquarians.
The Index: Scruton indexed his scrapbook, showing, therefore a list of the’worthies’ he was in communication with. Three of the pages are copied further below.
The Contrast: There is a brilliant, human irony in seeing a stuffy, formal letter written by a prominent civic leader contrasted against a whimsical profile doodle or an eccentric character sketch drawn right next to their signature.
3. Why This Completes the Scruton Legacy
This scrapbook bridges the gap between Scruton the meticulous researcher and Scruton the human being. It shows us a man who was deeply amused by the eccentricities of his contemporaries. For modern researchers visiting the Bradford Local Studies Library, items like this prove that local history isn’t just about cold dates and demolished stone walls—it is about the living, breathing characters who walked the streets of Ivegate and Kirkgate.
“Ye ‘Appy Hartist” (Image 1)
Doodle inside a card
The Context: This is an original, playful self-caricature or a personalized greeting card drawn by Scruton himself, jokingly signing his name under a sketch of a smiling man in formal evening wear as “Ye ‘Appy Hartist” (The Happy Artist).
The Inscription: It reads: “To Mr. Hartley with William Scruton’s Compliments. Bradford Nov.r 28 1901.”
The Home of “Fair Becca” (Image 2)
The Location: Hollingwood Lane, Horton.
The Story: “Fair Becca” (Rebecca Berry) is a legendary, tragic figure in Bradford folklore. According to local lore, she was murdered in the 18th century near a well on Hollingwood Lane, which came to be known as “Fair Becca’s Well” or “Fair Becca’s Ghost.” Scruton loved documenting old folk stories and vanishing landmarks, making this precise architectural drawing highly characteristic of his preservation work.
Bierley Hall & The Engraving (Images 3 & 4)
Annotation on rear of Beirley Hall Image.
The Inscription Transcribed:
“Bierley Hall, Bradford. Now (1899) a small-pox Hospital (Alas, Woe the day!). Drawn by Cha.s Cousen (Bradford). Engraved by Jos.h ClaytonBentley (Bradford). Water-coloured (or daubed) by W. Scruton (Builder).””The original plate was made for Jno James’ ‘History of Bradford’ and was presented to that work by the late Miss Currer of Bierley Hall. W.S. Baildon Sep 22 1899.”
Historical Significance: This note is a treasure trove. It confirms Scruton hand-coloured (“daubed”) this specific print. It records the tragic conversion of the grand Bierley Hall estate into a municipal smallpox isolation hospital at the turn of the century. Frances Mary Richardson Currer, mentioned here, was an exceptionally wealthy heiress, a famous 19th-century book collector, and a patron of literature (Charlotte Brontë chose her pen name, Currer Bell, in tribute to her).
“The Coming Age” & New Year Letter (Images 5 & 6)
The Context: A hand-drawn, satirical cartoon card dated January 1, 1908, sent from Baildon to his close friends, the Hartleys.
The Artwork: The sketch shows a ragged wanderer smoking a pipe, symbolizing the uncertainty or humility of what the future holds, titled “The Coming Age”. Below, he pens a poetic verse: “What shall I do to be forever known, and make the coming age my own?”
The Greeting: On the reverse panel (Image 6), his exceptional, sweeping calligraphy wishes a “Bright & Prosperous New Year” to Mr. and Mrs. Hartley.
Portrait & Index Pages (Images 7, 8, 9 & 10)
William Scruton (1840-1924)
The Notebook Indexes: Images 9 and 10 show pages from his ledger indexing historical figures, clergymen, and eccentric local characters in alphabetical order. Notably, under the letter B (Image 10), Scruton lists some of Bradford’s most legendary figures:
“Brontë – Rev. Patrick” (the father of the Brontë sisters—Scruton later wrote a book titled Thornton and the Brontës in 1898).
“Brontë – Charlotte”.
Famous street figures like “Blind Jemmy”, “Bill North”, and “Bentley (Abm) the Bellman”.
Scruton also illustrated stories of well-known legends and tales, such as the Bradford Boar and wrote about many different interests such as:
The Great Woolcombers and Weavers strike of 1825.
The Old Bradford gaslight company.
Charlotte Bronte.
History of different churches.
He had a passion for history, drawing and people, and amassed a collection of drawings, historical documents and other letters.
Bradford Local Studies Library is exhibiting some of the works by William Scruton throughout September. On Wednesday 16th September, there will be pen and pencil drawing workshops and a short talk on his work, from 2pm onwards.
Booking is essential as spaces are limited. This is a free event.
Before the introduction of free public libraries, access to books was a luxury reserved for those who could afford private subscriptions.
1832: The Bradford Mechanics’ Institute was founded. It provided technical education and a library of books explicitly for working-class men.
Exclusivity: While revolutionary, these spaces still required small membership fees, leaving the poorest citizens without free access to literature or learning.
The Birth of the Free Library (1871–1878)
Following the national Public Libraries Act of 1850, Bradford became the fifth town in Yorkshire to adopt the legislation after a public meeting called by the mayor in 1871.
15th June 1872: The Bradford Free Library opened its doors in rented premises on Tyrrel Street, inaugurated with major civic pride by Mayor Matthew Thompson.
When it first opened in June 1872, Bradford Public Library enabled people from all walks of life and of all ages to access information and education freely for the first time.
The 1872 initial collection of the Bradford Free Library was anchor-funded and heavily comprised of a singular massive acquisition: the private collection of Alderman Samuel Smith. See picture below.
reports-of-committees-of-bradford-city-council-1867-1876-1871.png Bradford Local Studies Library
Alongside city leaders Briggs Priestley and John Venimore Godwin, the library acquired 13,400 volumes from Smith’s estate to rapidly stock the shelves at Tyrrel Street before opening day.
What the 1872 Collection Included
Because it was established strictly as a Reference Library and Newsroom during its first few months, the collection was selected to prioritize information density and public utility rather than casual fiction:
Local History and Antiquities: Early efforts focused heavily on preservation, creating a repository for local political pamphlets, transcripts of the Bradford Parish Registers, and topographical maps of the West Riding.
Newspapers and Periodicals: The newsroom floor featured a vast selection of local daily and weekly broadsheets, including early bound volumes of the Bradford Observer (later the Telegraph & Argus), alongside commercial trade sheets to support the booming wool and textile sectors.
Scientific & Commercial Reference: Directories, patent records, gazetteers, and standard 19th-century encyclopaedias designed to help local working-class men educate themselves.
Reports of Committees of Bradford City Council 1872, p13,14. Property of Bradford Local Studies Library
February 1873: The lending department officially opened to the public, allowing citizens to take books home for the first time.
1878: To accommodate rapidly growing demand, the library migrated to a grander, purpose-built facility on Darley Street. This site offered a newsroom, reference and lending blocks, separate reading rooms for men and women, and an art gallery.
Central Public Library Location: Darley Street, Bradford, Source/Collection: Bradford Libraries Archive
Reading Room / Reference Library area at the Central Public Library Location: Darley Street, Bradford, Source/Collection: Bradford Libraries Archive
The Libraries Committee was responsible for overseeing the maintaining/expansion and governance of the Bradford Free Library. James Duncan Law’s grandfather, James Law JP, was a central pioneer of Bradford’s initial municipal expansion. During his tenure as Mayor in 1867, he advocated heavily for Bradford to adopt the 1850 Free Libraries Act, (The Public Libraries Act 1850 was a monumental piece of UK legislation that laid the foundation for the modern public library system. Introduced to Parliament as a backbench bill by William Ewart MP and Joseph Brotherton MP, it gave local authorities discretionary power to establish free public libraries for the very first time, paving the way for the opening of the first branch at Tyrrel Street in 1872. Following his mayoralty, James Law JP served as a dedicated director of the Bradford Library for over 25 years, steering its transition into the larger, grander Darley Street premises.
Inheriting this role, James Duncan Law (1882–1940) carried the family’s oversight into the early 20th century. Operating through the Committee, he managed the strategic upkeep, library staffing, and expanding catalogue of the Darley Street Central Lending and Reference Library. His primary focus was maintaining the library’s educational resources to support the local working class during the height of Bradford’s industrial textile boom.
When the landmark, eight-storey Bradford Central Library officially opened on Monday 17 July 1967, it introduced two major historical “firsts” to the United Kingdom’s library infrastructure:
1. First Major Post-War Central Library in the UK
The building was a structural milestone for British municipal design. It stood as the very first major, newly built post-war central library building in the entire United Kingdom. It was commissioned as a flagship symbol of the 1960s urban redevelopment of Bradford city centre.
The building was commissioned to solve extreme overcrowding at the old Darley Street premises. It was designed by Bradford Corporation’s City Architect, Clifford Brown. He worked closely with the pioneering City Librarian, Harold Bilton, who had pushed for a modern premises since taking the role in 1951. The complex was built as an eight-story high-rise paired alongside an adjacent 400-seat Library Theatre. The structure made extensive use of glass facades and large reinforced concrete spans to maximize open space, natural light, and structural visual flexibility.
Financial Scale: When the building was finalized and officially opened by H.R.H. Princess Alexandra in 1967, the total construction and fitting cost was £800,000. For context, at the time, this massive investment was equivalent to buying multiple professional football clubs.
2. First UK Library Using the “Subject-Department” Principle
Before 1967, British libraries strictly separated their lending books from their reference books (often keeping reference texts tucked away in a closed-off area). Inspired by modern American systems, Bradford’s City Librarian, Harold Bilton, broke tradition:
Integrated Departments: Bradford Central Library became the first in the country to combine lending and reference materials together into designated subject departments.
The Layout: If you visited the 5th floor, for example, you found all social science lending books, reference texts, and specialists in that field grouped in one single zone.
Evolution of the Stock
June 1872: The Reference Library opened with the 13,400 general and local volumes.
February 1873: The library added a popular Lending Department, expanding the collection to include classic 19th-century literature and standard science textbooks.
In 2013, the library moved from Margaret McMillan Tower into a building in City Park which was shared with Bradford Museum and Galleries. This obviously caused a reduction in stock, and the entire library now only covered 2 floors. This did not deter usage as City Library as it is now known is still one of the busiest libraries in the district.
There is a display of photos on display in Bradford Local Studies, which people are welcome to come and see. These will be up until 31st August when the display will change to Septembers subject.
