ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM
Opening Hours
Mon: closed
Tues – Fri: 10am – 5pm
Sat: 12 – 5pm
Sun: 10am – 5pm
Last admission: 4.30pm
Address
Abbey Walk
Kirkstall
Leeds
LS5 3EH
Ticket Provider
ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM
Opening Hours
Mon: closed
Tues – Fri: 10am – 5pm
Sat: 12 – 5pm
Sun: 10am – 5pm
Last admission: 4.30pm
Address
Abbey Walk
Kirkstall
Leeds
LS5 3EH
Ticket Provider
LEEDS ART GALLERY
Opening Hours
Mon: Closed
Tues -Sat: 10am – 5pm
Sun: 11am – 3pm
Address
The Headrow
Leeds
LS1 3AA
LEEDS CITY MUSEUM
Opening Hours
Mon: closed (11am – 5pm on bank holidays)
Tues – Fri: 10am – 5pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 5pm
Address
Leeds City Museum
Millennium Square
Leeds
LS2 8BH
Ticket Provider
LEEDS DISCOVERY CENTRE
Opening Hours
Visits by appointment/special event only.
Free public store tours are now available by booking in advance. Please call or email us.
Address
Leeds Discovery Centre
Off Carlisle Road
Leeds
LS10 1LB
LEEDS INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM
Opening Hours
Mon: Closed (10am – 5pm on bank holiday Mondays)
Tues – Fri: 10am – 5pm
Sat – Sun: 12 – 5pm
Last admission one hour before closing.
Address
Canal Road
Leeds
LS12 2QF
KIRKSTALL ABBEY
Opening Hours
Mon: closed (10am – 4pm on bank holidays)
Tues – Sun: 10am – 4.30pm
Last admission: 4pm
Address
Abbey Road
Kirkstall
Leeds
LS5 3EH
Ticket Provider
LOTHERTON
Opening Hours
Open Daily
Estate opens: 7.30am
Hall: Open (Downstairs only) 10am-5pm
Wildlife World: 10am – 5pm
Estate closes: 7pm
Last entry 45 mins before estate closing time
TEMPLE NEWSAM
Opening Hours
House: Tues – Sun: 10.30am – 5pm
Home Farm: Tues – Sun: 10am – 5pm
Last entry 45 minutes before
THWAITE WATERMILL
Address
Thwaite Lane
Stourton
Leeds
LS10 1RP
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Chimney Sweep Portraits in the Social History Collection
Collections, Social HistoryIn the process of documenting our Sweepiana collection of items relating to chimney sweeps, Leila Prescott made some interesting discoveries of some of the portraits in the collection.
In 1956 Dr Sidney Henry donated his wonderful collection of ‘Sweepiana’ – items relating to chimney sweeps and their histories, folklore and literature – to Leeds Museums and Galleries. This collection contains hundreds of books, prints and objects, some of which are currently being photographed and their details added to the museum object database to make the contents of the collection more accessible. Over the past few months I have had the pleasure of documenting some of these objects and the experience has been like opening a historical treasure chest and peering through a quirky chimney-sweep-coloured lens.
One of the first books I documented was Italian, “L’Arti da Bologna”, a collection of 17th century prints by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli (1634-1718) based on 16th century drawings of street traders by the artist Annibale Caracci. In this picture the Bolognese sweep (or “spazzacamino”) is depicted in ragged clothes and characteristic broad-brimmed hat with a scraper, the tool of his trade, in his belt. His mouth is open as he calls out for customers. There is an air of the tragic about him.
“Spazzacamino” by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, Di Bologna L’Arti per Via D’Anibal Caraci. © The Ernestine Henry Collection, Leeds Museums and Galleries
Portraits of street tradespeople became fashionable subjects for artists. I later discovered a whole series of similar characters in an early 19th century Portuguese book of prints.
“Alimpa Chaminés” from collection of prints of Portuguese street traders, Coleção de estampas intitulada ruas de Lisboa, published in Lisbon, 1826. © The Ernestine Henry Collection, Leeds Museums and Galleries
This sweep (or “alimpa-chaminés”) has brushes and poles rather than a scraper, and seems altogether more refined and happier with his lot.
A more unpleasant portrait turned up in a rare book of prints by “J. N.” published in 1795. “Sketches from Nature” is a series of prints of named individuals whom the artist encountered travelling in England and Ireland. “Mr Benjamin Birch a chimney sweeper at Salisbury” shown below has the trademark brush, soot-blanket and broad-brimmed hat, but he is pictured next to a defecating dog. This detail is intended to be humorous, but makes Mr Birch seem like a rough and dirty sort of character; his shrewd face looks out at the viewer with a menacing expression.
Drawn & engraved by J. N. Esq., and published by E & S Harding, London, c.1795. © The Ernestine Henry Collection, Leeds Museums and Galleries
Thomas, Lord Busby published his “Costumes of the Lower Orders” around 1820, which depicts a London sweep in company with his climbing boy. They carry short brushes, a scraper, blankets for the removal of soot and they are ragged and dusty. The boy seems very small.
“Chimney Sweepers” from Costume of the Lower Orders of London, designed and engraved from Nature by T.L. Busby”, 1820. © The Ernestine Henry Collection, Leeds Museums and Galleries
To advertise to potential customers, street traders would shout out their services (think of the “Who Will Buy?” scene from the musical “Oliver!”). The Young England’s Pictorial Library series published in 1835 includes a verse and illustration about chimney sweeps in its little book about “London Cries”, presented in the style of a nursery rhyme.
Illustration from Young England’s Pictorial Library, London Cries, p.6 © The Ernestine Henry Collection, Leeds Museums and Galleries
Later Victorian portraits sentimentalised young sweeps, depicting them on their own without their masters for maximum pathos. The example below from around 1847 presents a symbolically apt contrast of the black sweep with the cold white snow of his surroundings.
“Sweep-ho!” by H. G. Hine, from The People’s Journal, volume 4, c. 1847. © The Ernestine Henry Collection, Leeds Museums and Galleries
There are many images of sweeps represented throughout the collection, in cartoons, figurines and illustrations. These few examples highlight the extraordinary scope of Dr Henry’s source materials and provide a snapshot of some of the many pictorial treasures in this unique and curious collection.
By Leila Prescott, Henry Collection Project Placement
Learn more about our Social History Collection.