Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society

Its museum took in the first ancient Cypriot objects in Leeds in 1870 and, with the Holmes collection (transferred after 1921) and 103 pieces bought in 1926, formed the core of the Cypriot collection now held by Leeds Museums and Galleries; Reeve counts 14 Holmes objects securely identified and 20 surviving pieces of the 1902 British Museum gift (2021)

Reeve 2021, pp. 176

1. 1819
   Society founded; its museum was served by a curator-librarian and later a sub-curator, and housed in the Philosophical Hall (opened 1821)

   Reeve 2021, pp. 112-115

2. 1826–1871
   Henry Denny sub-curator and secretary, de facto day-to-day curator of the museum for 45 years

   Henry DennyReeve 2021, pp. 113-114

3. 1870
   William Aldam gave £5 towards purchase of Greek pottery from Cyprus; a Bichrome amphora (LEEDM.D.1964.0350) from T. B. Sandwith's collection was recorded in the 1870/71 Report as a 'Graeco-Phoenician Vase ... found among tombs in Laimia, Cyprus'; first Cypriot object known to enter the museum

   William AldamJohn HolmesThomas Backhouse SandwithReeve 2021, pp. 117-120

4. 1870
   Joshua Ingham Ikin gave a White Painted bowl (LEEDM.D.1964.0352), recorded as a 'Graeco-Phoenician Patera, Cyprus'; probably from Sandwith's collection

   Joshua Ingham IkinReeve 2021, pp. 118-120

5. 1871
   Louis Compton Miall appointed Curator on Denny's death; held the post to 1891/93

   Louis Compton MiallReeve 2021, pp. 115

6. 1875
   Special Fund raised by president Ikin spent £14 on 'Cypriot pottery', with payment routed through John Holmes after the Yorkshire Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures

   Joshua Ingham IkinJohn HolmesReeve 2021, pp. 121-122

7. 1881
   John Holmes probably exhibited ancient Cypriot objects, including the bronze axe LEEDM.D.1964.0383, at the Society's conversazione

   John HolmesReeve 2021, pp. 102-104, Fig. 2.5 caption

8. 1882
   Holmes sold his collection to Leeds Corporation as the nucleus of a Free Public Museum (separate from the Society's museum); it passed to Leeds Art Gallery and was transferred to the museum after 1921

   John HolmesReeve 2021, pp. 148-153

9. 1893–1928
   Henry Crowther curator, after Miall; assistant curator 1876-1881

   Henry CrowtherReeve 2021, p. 175

10. 1893–1895
    Committees debated dividing the collections between the Corporation and the Yorkshire College; the 1895 committee rejected disposal of any collection

    Reeve 2021, pp. 172-174

11. 1902
    British Museum duplicates from Enkomi and Klavdhia-Tremithos (and two Mycenaean sherds, site unspecified) given on Alexander Stuart Murray's list of 34 objects, requested by Nathan Bodington on behalf of the Yorkshire College for the Society's museum; the Report described 'about twenty Mycenaean objects, chiefly pottery'; 20 survive

    Alexander Stuart MurrayNathan BodingtonReeve 2021, pp. 170-171Ulbrich & Kiely 2012

12. 1913
    Lady (Eliza) Bodington gave objects collected by Sir Nathan Bodington in Cyprus (glass, terracotta figures, an amphora, unguentaria, bronze mirrors, knucklebones), displayed on the Grand Staircase; a separate group went to the University

    Eliza BodingtonReeve 2021, pp. 203

13. 1913–1914
    Reginald A. Smith of the British Museum advised on classification of the typological displays, placing Cypriot pottery in 'Pottery of the Classical Period'

    Reginald A. SmithReeve 2021, p. 211

14. 1920
    Miss Frances Louisa Stott's bequest, delivered by Mrs M. Smith, included an 'Aryballos from Cyprus' (probably the Corinthian LEEDM.D.1967.1272); recorded in the 1921 Report

    Frances Louisa StottMartha SmithReeve 2021, pp. 206-207

15. 1921
    Museum transferred to Leeds Corporation, run by a sub-committee of seven Corporation and seven Society nominees; the Society received £500 a year for 25 years and a £1,000 a year special fund; Crowther retained

    Henry CrowtherReeve 2021, p. 219

16. 1925–1926
    103 Cypriot pottery pieces and bronzes bought for £200 from the Colonial Commissioner for Cyprus, William Bevan, from the Cyprus pavilion at the British Empire Exhibition; offer was declined in March 1926 and accepted by June

    William BevanHenry CrowtherReeve 2021, pp. 222

17. 1928
    Crowther retired aged 80

    Henry CrowtherReeve 2021, p. 220

18. March 1941
    Philosophical Hall hit by a bomb; the Cypriot collection was badly damaged, all glass lost and records destroyed

    Reeve 2021, pp. 236-237

19. 1960–1969
    Philosophical Hall declared unfit in the 1960s; collections moved to Municipal Buildings, with Greek and Cypriot displays opened in 1969

    Reeve 2021, p. 244

20. 2004
    A Black on Red flask from the Aquila Dodgson collection bought with Heritage Lottery Fund help and support from the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society

    Aquila DodgsonReeve 2021, pp. 245-246

• Bichrome amphora, Cypro-Archaic, 'from Laimia' per the 1870/71 Report

  LEEDM.D.1964.0350via William Aldam1870Reeve 2021, pp. 117-120

• White Painted bowl, Cypro-Geometric

  LEEDM.D.1964.0352via Joshua Ingham Ikin1870Reeve 2021, pp. 118-120

• Bronze axe, Middle Cypriot, bought by Holmes at Dali in 1873

  LEEDM.D.1964.0383from Dali (Idalion)via John Holmes1882Reeve 2021, Fig. 2.5 caption

• Bronze mirror said to have been acquired by Nathan Bodington in Cyprus

  LEEDM.D.1964.0388via Eliza Bodington1913Reeve 2021, p. 203

• Corinthian aryballos recorded as 'from Cyprus'

  LEEDM.D.1967.1272via Frances Louisa Stott1920Reeve 2021, pp. 206-207

• Red Polished composite vessel of three jars, possibly from the 1926 Wembley purchase

  LEEDM.D.1964.0298via William Bevan1926Reeve 2021, p. 230

• Mycenaean sherd donated by the British Museum

  LEEDM.D.1964.0341via British Museum1902Reeve 2021, p. 176