Digital era pays homage to Holbeck's heroes
>>> Posted 20/11/06
Holbeck’s pioneers of the industrial revolution are world renowned for their contribution to industry and their ground breaking innovations. Now, a new interactive map has been launched which celebrates their role in the development of the area and shows how their legacy is being preserved as Holbeck Urban Village begins to take shape.
The ‘Living Map’ can be accessed online via the Holbeck Urban Village website, www.holbeckurbanvillage.co.uk. It brings to life the changes that have taken place in Holbeck over the last 250 years, starting from the 1700s when the area was a tiny hamlet surrounded by green fields.
Using digital animation, it shows buildings emerge from the ground and new roads being pushed through as the area developed during the industrial revolution to become a thriving centre for textile and manufacturing industry. Moving into the 21st century, it shows how a new wave of development is shaping the development of the area.
Holbeck was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in Leeds. It was the home to the Round Foundry, the world’s first specialist engineering factory built by Matthew Murray, and the magnificent Temple Works built by John Marshall. Modelled on the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the former textile factory is a monument to the 19th century fascination with ancient Egypt.
Living Map press release
(pdf: 177kb)
