Hyde Park Picture House reopening in Leeds
It's thought to be the world's last surviving gaslit cinema
More than 100 years since it first launched, what’s thought to be the world’s last surviving gaslit cinema is reopening its doors in Leeds today.
The Hyde Park Picture House has undergone a £4.8m restoration over the last few years and now has a second screen, better disabled access and a space for live events to be held whilst still maintaining its important historical features.
The restoration work saw several artefacts uncovered which help shine a light on the beloved cinema’s history.
The Picture House first opened in 1914 shortly before the start of the First World War. It was a time where women often fell victim to groping men, and it’s thought the gas lamps were originally installed to help prevent them being attacked in the darkness.
Women would also use hatpins to defend themselves and they
became a symbol of the suffragette movement in the early 20th century.
Marketing manager Ollie Jenkins explained that some hatpins were discovered during the restoration of the Picture House which would support this narrative.
“On the balcony of the auditorium under the floorboards we found a void,” says Ollie.
“Inside that void when we pulled the floorboards up was just hundreds of bits of rubbish: cigarette packets, ice cream tubs, ticket stubs.
“Without realising they’ve essentially been building a time capsule for us. They really help tell a story of what was happening in here and the trends and the social history.”
Some of these artefacts are now on display in the new seating area that’s been created next to the foyer.
The gas lamps are still lit by the Picture House team each day and they believe it is the only surviving gaslit cinema.
“There has been quite a lot of hoops to jump through and safety measures that have had to be put in place.
“As far as we know we’re the only cinema in the world that has working gaslights but we’re very happy to be proved wrong on that.
“Sadly there’s so many cinemas like this that have closed over the years. There used to be over 80 just in Leeds alone.
“It’s a reminder that once these buildings go they don’t really come back and you lose a lot of history and heritage and stories within them.
The cinema reopens today (30th June) after being closed for three years, with Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City on the listings.
The new second screen won’t be open until later in July but Ollie says the cinema is ’95 per cent of the way there’.