Capturing a Joyous School Visit to the M&S Archive in Leeds


The M&S Archive in Leeds provides a fascinating insight into the way the company developed from its beginnings in the city's Kirkgate Market to the major international brand it has become today. The displays celebrate the role that M&S has played in people's lives since 1884 with examples of clothes, adverts, packaging, merchandise, photographs, films, documents and more from throughout the company's history.

Not only do you find out about the business itself, but the collections also show how the way we live, work and play has changed over the last nearly 150 years. This is why it is such a popular destination for school trips.


School Trips at the M&S Archive


I was asked to come along to the archive, based in the Michael Marks Building at the University of Leeds, to document the school workshop experience for its website and promotional material.


Now, they say never work with children and animals, but I have to say that this job turned out to be a lot of fun indeed! The children were really interested in exploring the exhibits, learning about the items they were shown and taking part in a range of interactive activities.

It was a really engaging school trip for them and that meant that I was able to capture some lively and vibrant photos of the event to share with the M&S Archive.


The archive runs workshops tailored to the age of the pupils involved, with primary and secondary versions. It also holds the LOtC Quality Badge, recognising both learning and safety for learning outside the classroom providers, and the Sandford Award for heritage education which recognises high quality, inclusive and accessible learning programmes for formal and informal learners.

Commercial and Business Photography

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PS. I'm more than happy to work with zoos so I can test the other half of the old saying about children and animals!