Hyde Park Picture House

Opened in 1914, The Picture House is one of the country’s most distinctive and historic cinemas; from a golden age when single screen picture palaces could be found at the heart of every community.

Opening her doors on November 7, as Britain was teetering on the brink of World War 1, Hyde Park Picture House rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in to the war effort by screening patriotic dramas and epic adventures to distract from the realities of war, and newsreels to relay vital information to the ‘folk back home’.

Fast forward over 100 years, having survived the advent of ‘talkies’ and radio in the 1920s; the arrival of city centre ‘super cinemas’ in the 1930s – another world war – TV in the 1950s; video in the 1980s; multiplexes in the 1990s; and DVDs and the internet in the 2000s, the friendly, local, independent cinema, described in 1914 by the Yorkshire Evening Post as ‘the cosiest in Leeds’, is still getting stuck in.

Supported by a loyal, and ever-growing fan-base of staff, volunteers, members, partners and friends – including the odd Hollywood A-lister – The Picture House has developed a film programme dedicated to screening independent, documentary and classic films from around the globe, as well as offering support to

But every now and again, even the hardiest of heroines needs a little help. The Picture House recently underwent essential conservation work to her façade and existing auditorium, alongside the creation of new, accessible facilities, including a larger foyer space and a second screen. So her story – shaped by hundreds of thousands of film lovers, from war-torn soldiers to ‘freshers’ at the neighbouring universities – will continue to play on for many more years.