Marks & Spencer was founded in Leeds in 1884 and the M&S Company Archive in the Michael Marks Building at the University of Leeds is home to the Marks in Time exhibition that charts the company’s history.
In 1884 Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer opened a stall at Leeds Kirkgate Market that grew to become the department store chain, Mark & Spencer. Nowadays M&S has almost 1,500 stores worldwide including almost 1,000 in the United Kingdom. The stores are relatively unique in the sense that the department stores have a relatively small footprint when compared to John Lewis or Selfridges and most of the items they sell are their own in-house brand.
What to see at the M&S Company Archive: Marks in Time
The archive contains a large collection of artefacts that chronicle the history of Marks & Spencer and many of these are on display to the public in the Marks in Time exhibition. This exhibition is complemented by a programme of temporary exhibitions.
The Marks in Time exhibition
The exhibition charts not just the history of the company but also how it has influenced British culture. It shows how M&S helped with rationing during the Second World War and how they introduced new products to the British market, such as avocados in 1959.
The exhibition includes artefacts from the 1900s to the present day, cinema advertising from the 1950s and 1960s and hands-on activities including a children’s zone where you can dress up in period costume.
Temporary exhibitions at the M&S Company Archive
The Marks in Time exhibition is complemented by a programme of temporary exhibitions. Current and planned exhibitions include:
Stories from M&S Sheet Music: Leeds’ Piano Heritage
This exhibition (until 6 December 2020) highlights M&S sheet music, which was a top-selling product during the 1910s.
Visiting the M&S Company Archive
The M&S Company Archive is located inside the Michael Marks Building at the University of Leeds, which is Woodhouse around 1.6km (1 mile) northwest of the city centre.
It is a half-hour walk from Leeds railway station or you can catch bus 56 from Eastgate or Woodhouse Lane to the Leeds University Business School and walk three minutes down Clarendon Road to the Michael Marks Building.
The archive is open Monday to Friday and admission is free of charge.
If you enjoyed your visit to the M&S Company Archive, you may also wish to visit Leeds Kirkgate Market where the company started out, and of course, pop into the M&S store on Briggate in the city centre.
Allow around an hour to visit the exhibition.
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