Cultural Collections Lunchtime Drop-Ins
Highlights from Leeds University Libraries' Cultural Collections
When: Tuesday 07 July, 12.00-14.00 & Wednesday 08 July, 12.00-14.00
Where: Parkinson Building, Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery
Open to: All Welcome (IMC Delegates and the Public)
Price: Free
How to Book: No Booking Required, Free of Charge
Join us for a drop-in session to see medieval treasures and medieval-related materials from Cultural Collections at the University of Leeds. Cultural Collections staff will be in the Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery with a selection of highlights from the collections for delegates to examine close up.
Hosted by Cultural Collections and Galleries, Leeds University Libraries
About the collections
The medieval collections at Leeds contain beautiful, illuminated 15th-century French and Flemish books of hours, psalters, and prayer books, as well as German chained manuscripts from the 1450s. We also have a fine collection of incunabula. The Library of Ripon Cathedral is held on long-term deposit at the University of Leeds and includes a Latin Bible from the 13th century.
A highlight of the Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society Collection is the enormous series of surviving court rolls of the manor of Wakefield (1274-1925). In 2023, the University of Leeds was allocated an eclectic group of rare books and manuscripts via the UK’s Acceptance in Lieu programme, including 10th-century Byzantine gospels, a rare text printed by Caxton, and an early 15th-century manuscript of Thomas Hoccleve’s Regiment of Princes.
Cultural Collections houses over 350,000 rare books and more than seven kilometres of manuscripts and archives, including the celebrated Brotherton Collection. Find details of Research Centre opening times and collections on the Cultural Collections website.
If you would like to see any of the collections during your visit to Leeds, please view the catalogue online and make a Research Centre booking at least five working days in advance.
Other Exhibitions
Additionally, throughout IMC 2026, the following galleries and exhibitions will be taking place:
Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery, Parkinson Building
The Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery is the public face of the world-renowned Cultural Collections held at the University of Leeds. The permanent display contains many highlights, including beautiful illuminated medieval manuscripts and rare early printed books from across the globe. Cultural Collections holds an unprecedented five collections which have been identified as nationally or internationally significant through the Arts Council England Designation Scheme.
Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10.00-17.00. Free admission.
During IMC 2026, we will also be hosting the following exhibition:
Who Am I to You?
Celebrate ten years of Treasures of the Brotherton with a bold reimagining of our collection of portrait busts. Explore identity, representation, and public memory through sculpture, rare books, and 3D technologies. Discover how art and science shape our understanding of people, power, and cultural heritage.
See familiar faces in a new light and encounter life casts, coins, and medals that challenge traditional ideas of portraiture. This exhibition invites reflection on what these objects can tell us about our shared past and present, while exploring the silences and absences that shape who is remembered and who is forgotten.
The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, Parkinson Building
Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10.00-17.00. Free admission.
The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery is an oasis of calm at the heart of the University of Leeds campus. During IMC 2026, this exhibition will be taking place:
Making Space
Co-curated by a team of University of Leeds students, this exhibition presents artworks by fellow students, from across disciplines, responding to the most pressing issues of our times.
Find out more about our Libraries, Galleries, and Cultural Collections via the University of Leeds Library and Galleries website.