See our new exhibition at Leeds City Museum

Oil painting of an industrial scene with smoke emanating from chimneys

Living with Machines is a free exhibition revisiting the history of the Industrial Revolution in Britain.

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Discover the origins of football leagues, fast fashion and the 9-to-5 working day and what they can tell us about surviving and thriving in a fast-moving city. From the Preston factory workers who pioneered early women’s football, to the weaver-turned-factory-owner who petitioned Parliament with his workers, Living with Machines unearths forgotten stories from the Industrial Revolution.

The exhibition is inspired by the Living with Machines research project. Over 2,000 people have contributed to the project via crowdsourcing work to help identify examples of workplace accidents and injuries as reported in historical newspapers from our collection.

Living with Machines is the first large-scale exhibition we’ve developed with Leeds Museums & Galleries – one of the partners we’ve been working with to develop a programme of cultural and learning activities in the city.

See Living with Machines at Leeds City Museum until 8 January 2023. The exhibition is free to enter, and you don’t need to book ahead.