Hyde Park Picture House has seen it all. From the start of World War One all the way to ‘Barbenheimer’, the cinema has been a constant in a changing world – and a changing Leeds. For Heritage Open Days, we open our doors and take a peek behind the curtain to look back at the venue’s history, growth, and future.
Written by Ben Fletcher
Open days and open doors
As part of this year’s of Heritage Open Days, venues and buildings of local, cultural or historical significance across Leeds are opening their doors to the city.
Whether you’re a history buff keen to explore Leeds or simply looking for an enriching way to spend an afternoon, there have been no shortage of events on offer – from guided tours of the Victorian-era Leeds Central Library, a trip across Leeds’ Victorian and Edwardian sites, or the plethora of opportunities at our very own Hyde Park Picture House.
As our Head of Cinema, Wendy, said, “it encourages us to make space in our programme to just actually get people in the building and not show a film. Instead, we get to spend some time existing in this space, talking about it, looking at the beautiful nuance of it, taking care of it. And in that process, we talk about the people who have made what it is.”
A crowd in the foyer during Heritage Open Days at HPPH. Credit Ben Fletcher
Young Audience Officer Sylvia during Heritage Open Days at HPPH. Credit Ben Fletcher
Looking back at our buildings
Now entering its 111th year, Hyde Park Picture House boasts an impressive array of arcane accomplishments and a rich history. For instance, did you know that the Picture House is the last remaining gas-lit cinema in the UK? Some even have evidence suggesting that it is currently the last in the world!
Having survived everything from two world wars to a global pandemic, the Picture House has had its share of makeovers throughout the years. Most recently, the Picture House Project embarked on a mission to revitalise the cinema, retaining its heritage and original features, whilst modernising it for today’s cinematic climate and introducing a second screen.
Our Young Audience Officer, Sylvia, took a few lucky groups on a journey through the venue’s history, showcasing a day in the life of cinemagoers and staff circa 1914, and narrating the building’s own lifespan (through the medium of brickwork, diary entries and a few discarded matchboxes from the ‘60s). Naturally, with no trip to the Picture House complete without a film, the tour was accompanied by a screening of the seminal film A Trip to the Moon by George Méliès.
Other visitors had the opportunity to take a peek at the Picture House’s projection room, which features the cinema’s 35mm projectors – manufactured in the 1960s but still in regular use today, maintained and operated by the skilled projectionist team.
A fascinating mixed-media journey through the building, its people, and its past, ending with a fitting tribute to the films of yesteryear, the tour highlighted how the very fabric of the building has evolved over the years, as much as the viewing habits of Leeds have too.
Heritage Open Days at HPPH. Credit Ben Fletcher
Sylvia talking to the audience at HPPH. Credit Ben Fletcher
Happy audience during Heritage Open Days at Hyde Park Picture House. Credit Ben Fletcher
Retaining and reinvigorating our heritage
To celebrate Heritage Open Days, Mark Johnston from Page\Park joined audiences to discuss the challenges and artistry of working with historic buildings like Hyde Park Picture House. An architectural studio specialising in the reuse, refit, and regeneration of historical buildings, Page\Park sought to revitalise the cinema and embrace its past. You may know Page\Park for their other notable projects across Leeds – from the defining renovation of Leeds Playhouse to the ongoing work at Leeds Town Hall.
As a venue with its own distinct charm and tangible local history, it was inevitably a great challenge to revitalise the building whilst also retaining the aspects most-loved by audiences (and staff!) – from reinstating the iconic Grade II listed Edwardian lamppost to peeling back layers of paint to reveal the original terrazzo and brickwork.
Hyde Park proudly wears its history, but the renovation unearthed many forgotten signs of the past. Like the rings of a tree, layers of paint were uncovered indicating the cinema’s changing looks and popular aesthetic of the era – from the bronze Art Deco stylings of its original deep red varnishing to a range of greens, yellows, reds and blues from the 1950s and beyond.
An intrigued audience during Heritage Open Days at HPPH. Credit Ben Fletcher
Mark Johnston from Page\Park speaking at Hyde Park Picture House.
Mark and the team worked hard alongside folks at The Picture House to understand how best to implement accessibility and inclusivity whilst maintaining the inimitable sense of comfort that makes it the cosiest cinema in Leeds! Enhancing century-old original features is one thing, but ensuring accessible toilets and wheelchair access for a historic building like this is a whole other challenge. From a remoulded front façade to a second screen and expanded communal space, all whilst embracing and elevating the original fabric of the building, the project has allowed Hyde Park to proudly share its history with audiences whilst bringing in an era of cinema accessible to all.
I think the neighbours especially can appreciate the expert sound-proofing job!
The talk concluded with Memory Picture Palace House, a 16mm commemorative film made during the restoration, exploring the venue’s history and Leeds’ role in the invention of moving image technology. Any Louis Le Prince fans in the house?
After over a hundred years of entertaining and inspiring Leeds, we look forward to the next century of bringing stories to our stage and screen.
Our Picture House
Donations will support the ongoing maintenance of HPPH, including continuing to work with outside specialists to keep our building in great shape, investing in training to allow us to continue to learn about how best to work with a historic building and investment in the technology we use to continue to make the building truly work for all the different members of the community who need us.
