Tag: localhistory

The Museum Collection Centre: Photos – Page 7

Image © Frank Parker

Here are more photos I took on my first visit to the Museum Collection Centre on 17/09/22. 

A railway lantern in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This gas lantern is from Bilston station.

Read about Bilston station here.

A railway lantern in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This gas lantern is from the station used by the royal family when they visited Sandringham.

A railway crest in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This cast iron plaque carries the crest of the East Lancashire Railway, which operated as an independent company in the Accrington, Blackburn and Burnley areas between 1844 – 1859.

Read about the East Lancashire Railway here. 

A small locamotive in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is thought to be the oldest surviving 10 1/4 Garden Railway locomotive in the world.  Built in Birmingham, 1900, by Grimshaw for Captain Holder’s Pitmaston Moor Green Railway.

Read about Holder here.

Read about Pitmaston House here.

A locomotive model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is a model of the 0-4-0 locomotive Mary.  The original was built by W.G. Bagnall Limited, Engineers, Stafford.

Read about W.G. Bagnall here.

A train model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Train models in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Bundy time clocks in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

These two clocking-in machines were made by the International Time Recording Company around 1920. They were quite laborious to operate.

Read about the International Time Recording Company here.

A gas fire in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This Flavel Windsor, Model No. 536, Gas Fire is shown here without the ceramic elements which radiated the heat out into the room. This Fire is part of the West Midlands Gas Collection.

Read about Flavel here. 

A kitchen in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Part of a designer 1950’s fitted kitchen.

A gas stove in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A gas stove in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The two Gas Ranges above were some of the many made by Birmingham foundries about 100 years ago.  They were part of the West Midlands Gas Board (later to become British Gas) collection given to the city in 1962.

Read about the West Midlands Gas Board here.

A gas cooker in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Cannon of Bilston in the West Midlands introduced their first gas cookers in 1895 and became a leading brand in this domestic kitchen appliance. This particular gas cooker style was in popular use by the 1950’s in homes across the country.

Read about Cannon here.

Washing Dolly

This is an early attempt at trying to make washing easier at a time before washing machines.  The dolly was used to agitate laundry and placed in a tub with hot water and soap.  This one was made in Tyseley, Birmingham.

Read about the washing dolly here.

A washing dolly the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A mangle in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Before the 1950’s most houses had a mangle to domestically squeeze excess water from washed clothes.  This one was made by F.J. Cocks, 6 Worcester Street, Birmingham.

Read about the Mangle here.

This mangle was made by J. Bentley of Birmingham and dates back to around 1875 – 1925. 

Read about the Mangle here.

Mangles

A mangle in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A washing machine with mangle in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This Timesaver Washing Machine, circa 1910, comes fitted with a Wringer (also known as a mangle).  It was principally made of wood.  This machine came from the Stourbridge area.  

A washing machine with mangle in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Made by W. Summerscales & Son (later to be changed to W. Summerscales & Sons) of Coney Lane Mills, Keighley, Yorkshire in 1865 this design won awards at agricultural shows around Northern England in the 1860’s and it was exhibited at the International Exhibition in 1862.

Read about W. Summerscales & Sons here.

A washing machine with mangle in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A washing machine with mangle in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This machine was made in Birmingham by the General Electric Company (G.E.C.) in 1935.  It was powered by electricity.  The growing use of electricity both at home and at work ensured a great demand for G.E.C.’s products and the company expanded both at home and overseas.

Read about the General Electric Company here.

Blog Posts

Local History: The Museum Collection Centre.  

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 1.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 2.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 3.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 4.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 5.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 6.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 8.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 9.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 10.

Notes And Links

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker. 

Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

Museum Collection Centre on Twitter.

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required.

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website.

Wikipedia – Official website.  This is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Grace’s Guide – Official website.  This is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain.  This web publication contains 149,969 pages of information and 235,611 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Back To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 6
Go To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 8
Go To Local History: The Museum Collection Centre
Go To Local History
Back To Homepage

The Museum Collection Centre: Photos – Page 5

Image © Frank Parker

Here are more photos I took on my first visit to the Museum Collection Centre on 17/09/22.

A Rover P5B automatic in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This 3.5 Litre model was built in 1971 in Solihull and restored to concours condition by its former owner.  The mileage shown is only  45,462.  The P5B had a 3528cc V8 engine and was in production from 1967 to 1973 replacing the P5 model (2955cc from 1958 to 1967).

Read about the Rover P5 here.

A Rover 12 Sports in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Built in Coventry in 1936 the 12HP Sports Saloon was typical of later designs in that it was available with three different capacity engines (10, 12 and 14HP).

Read about the Rover 12 here.

Read about the Rover Company here.

A B.S.A. Open Tourer in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

With one of the earliest uses of steel panels in cars,  this 4-seater was built at the Sparkbrook Works of B.S.A. in  Birmingham.  It has the legendary Knight Double Sleeve Valve engine.  

Read about B.S.A. cars here.

A Bean 14HP Coupe in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This 4-cylinder 2385cc built Coupe was built in Tipton in 1927.   Bean industries stopped making cars in 1933 but supplied engine components to manufacturers including Austin Rover until the 1900’s.

Read about Bean cars here.

An Ariel Convertible car in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The Ariel works in Selly Oak, Birmingham, built 1,000 of these cars between 1923 and 1925.  They then switched to making motorcycles as they were priced out of the market by the Austin Seven.

Read about the Ariel Motor Company here.

An Armstrong Siddeley Foursome in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The chassis for this car was built in Coventry in 1935, but the car was finished in Birmingham for the purchaser.  It has a 6-cylinder engine developing 17HP.

Read about Armstrong Siddeley here. 

A Castle Runabout in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This car was a prototype and was made by the Castle Motor Company of Kidderminster.  They made about 350 3-wheeled Runabout light cars.  The 4-wheeled version from 1919 never reached full production.

Read about the Castle Motor Company here.

A Daimler 20 Saloon in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Read about the Daimler Company here.

A Clement Panhard in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This light car was marketed in England as a Stirling Dog Cart.  0-65 were built in 1901 or 2 which was before Registration became compulsary.  It was first registered on January the 1st 1904. 

Read about Clement Panhard here.

A Jackson /DeDion Cylinder Wagonette in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This car was built by the Jackson Automobile Company in 1909 and was a single cylinder wagonette. 

Read about the Jackson Automobile Company here. 

A Benz Voiturette in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Built in 1900 to Karl Benz’s system, this Dogcart took part in the inagural Brighton Run, and also again in 2003 when it was defeated by the appaling weather.

Read about Karl Benz here.

Read about Mercedes-Benz here. 

An Austin A90 Atlantic Coupe in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This 1949 Austin Achieved 63 records at the Indianpolis Production Car Endurance event in the USA that year. 

Read about the Austin A90 Atlantic Coupe here.

Read about the Austin Motor Company here.

A DV4 Electric Dust Cart (No. 184) in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This 4-ton electric dust cart was used in Birmingham between 1938 and 1971 and was developed as the result of a collaboration between the Birmingham salvage department and Electricars based on the salvage department’s experience with its previous electric vehicles.  They were replaced by diesel-powered designs.

Read about the DV4 Electric Dust Cart here.

A Tip-Cart in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Made in 1945 by J. and A. Inston, Wheelwrights, of  Bartley Green, Birmingham, at a cost of £50.   It was one of the last carts to be made locally using traditional methods.  Its present livery dates from the early 1960’s.

A Horse-Drawn Dog Cart in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is a horse drawn vehichle, with a compartment for carrying your dog.

Unknown in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Unknown in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A towbar in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The Land Speed Record Car, the Railton Special, was built in 1937/8 had no Starter.  Instead it was Push Started by a truck linked to it by this Rod which disconnected once the engines had started.

Read about the Railton Special here.  

Read about Railton here.

A Bluebird Tyre in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is a Dunlop tyre from Donald Campbell’s legendery vehicle Bluebird.  In July 1964 he claimed the land speed record of 403.10 mph at Lake Eyre, Australia, beating the record set by John Cobb in 1947.  In January 1967 Donald Campbell died in an accident, in his boat named Bluebird, at Lake Coniston, Cumbria. 

Read about the Bluebird here.

Read about Donald Campbell here.

Read about Dunlop here.

A generator in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This generator provided electricity for the Lizard Lighthouse.  It was made by Auguste de Meritens, Paris in 1880.  Turning at 900 rpm it produced 3KW at 32 volts AC and 120 cps. 

Blog Posts

Local History: The Museum Collection Centre.  

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 1.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 2.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 3.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 4.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 6. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 7.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 8.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 9.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 10.

Notes And Links

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker. 

Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

Museum Collection Centre on Twitter. 

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required.

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website.

Wikipedia – Official website.  This is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Scratchpad – Official website.  You can instantly create a free Fandom wiki for an idea of any size, and be up and running in a few minutes.

Back To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 4
Go To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 6
Go To Local History: The Museum Collection Centre
Go To Local History
Back To Homepage

The Museum Collection Centre: Photos – Page 9

Image © Frank Parker

Here are the photos I took on my first visit to the Museum Collection Centre on 17/09/22. 

Image © Frank Parker

Doll’s House

Image © Frank Parker

Doll’s Pram

Image © Frank Parker

Toy Pram

Image © Frank Parker

Pram 

Image © Frank Parker

Victorian Pram

Image © Frank Parker

Push Chair

Image © Frank Parker
Image © Frank Parker

Rocking Horse

Image © Frank Parker

Typesetting Machine

Image © Frank Parker

Typographic Composing Machine

Image © Frank Parker

Printing Press

Image © Frank Parker

Leg Vice

Image © Frank Parker

Work Bench

Image © Frank Parker
Image © Frank Parker

Draw Benches 

Image © Frank Parker

Rose Engine Lathe

Image © Frank Parker

Spinning Lathe

Image © Frank Parker

Planing Machine

Image © Frank Parker

Wheeling Machine

Image © Frank Parker

Drilling Machine

Blog Posts

Local History: The Museum Collection Centre.  

 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 1.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 2.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 3.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 4.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 5.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 6.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 7.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 8.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 10.

Links

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker. 

Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

Museum Collection Centre on Twitter.

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required.

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website.

Go To Local History: The Museum Collection Centre
Back To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 8
Go To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 10
Go To Local History
Back To Homepage

 

The Museum Collection Centre: Photos – Page 6

Image © Frank Parker

Here are more photos I took on my first visit to the Museum Collection Centre on 17/09/22. 

A motor in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This 7.5 Horse Power electric motor was made by Midlands Railway in about 1890.

A Thesus turbine-propeller engine in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A Wurlitzer Lyric Jukebox in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This music player was made in Germany circa 1961 by Wurlitzer, a well-known company whose name has become directly associated with the jukebox.

A gramophone with gramophone record in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A gramophone with gramophone record in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A gramophone in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The turntable on this gramophone was driven by a weight mechanism.  It was made by Sporrothon around 1920.

An E.M.G. handmade gramophone in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This model was produced by Handmade Gramophones of London.  It had a massive papier mache horn that was the height of sound perfection before the introduction of Hi-Fi systems.

Read about E.M.G. Handmade Gramophones here.

Read about the Phonograph here.

A music box and stand in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Made by probably the most well-known Music Box Movement Makers, Nicole Freres, in Geneva, circa 1880, this Cylinder Music Box was part of the Liddell Collection.

Read about the Music Box here.

An automatic music box in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A music machine in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This Violano Virtuoso Music Machine was made by Mills Novelty Company, Chicago, USA. in the early 1950’s.  It was electrically driven and had a combined mechanical piano and violin player.

Read about Mills Novelty Company here.

A player piano in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

A player piano, also known as a pianola, is a self-playing piano and is both a musical instrument and a machine.  The pedals operate a mechanism which plays the piano by means of a perforated roll.  This example was made by George Steck & Company, USA in 1925.

Read about the Player Piano here.

Read about Steck here.

A pump organ in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The pump organ, also known as a Harmonium, is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame.

Read more about the pump organ here.

A barrel organ in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This Chamber Barrel Organ was made by T.C. Bates of Ludgate Hill, London in about 1830.  It was once owned by a Clergyman but the tunes it played are not listed in the museum’s files.   

Read about the Barrel Organ here. 

This television and radio set is from the early 1950’s.  Television sets were still quite rare in houses at this time, and this one may have been bought to watch Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.

Read about the Television Set here.

A television/radio set in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A Decca Decola projector television in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

An early example of a projection television set which retailed at £325-0-0 in 1949. A Morris Minor car in the same year cost £349-0-0.

Read about Decca here.

A projection television in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This Peto-Scott Television was introduced in 1950. it cost £71, 3 shillings and 4 pence when new, plus £16 Purchase Tax. Peto-Scott Electrical Instruments were based in Addlestone Road, Weybridge in Surrey.

Read about Peto-Scott Electrical Instruments here.

A fish and chip fryer in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This fryer dates back to the mid 1920’s and was made by the Birmingham firm Walker & Husler.  It was used in a shop in Handsworth, Birmingham.

Read about Fish and Chips here. 

A potato sorter in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Harvested potatoes were put onto this machine.  The chats (small potatoes for animal feed), and medium sized ones for the next years seed are sorted into chutes.  The larger potatoes climb up the slope and fall into a sack at the end.

This is Berkel’s Model 2 slicing machine made by the Slicing Machine Manufacturing Company, Ponders End, Middlesex around 1950.

A bacon slicer in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A kidney dialysis machine in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Blog Posts

Local History: The Museum Collection Centre.  

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 1.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 2.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 3.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 4.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 5.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 7.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 8.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 9.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 10.

Notes And Links

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker. 

Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

Museum Collection Centre on Twitter.

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required.

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website.

Wikipedia – Official website.  This is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Grace’s Guide – Official website.  This is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain.  This web publication contains 149,969 pages of information and 235,611 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Back To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 5
Go To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 7
Go To Local History: The Museum Collection Centre
Go To Local History
Back To Homepage

The Museum Collection Centre: Photos – Page 4

Here are more photos I took on my first visit to the Museum Collection Centre on 17/09/22.

Image © Frank Parker
A Chopper bike in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A Chopper bike in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A Chopper bike in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A Chopper bike in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Chopper bikes are one of the icons of the 1970’s.  This one (minus its red gear knob) was made by Raleigh, Nottingham and has three-speed Sturmey-Archer gears.  It was bought second-hand in 1975 by a Stirchley man.

I used to have a friend who used to give me a backy on his red one of these but I always wanted the blue one shown here, of course.  I had another friend whose Brother had a Raleigh Grifter I used to have a go on but it was no way near as COOL as the Chopper was.

Read about the Raleigh Chopper here.

Read about Raleigh here.

An Ordinary bike in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This bike was made by Carter of Stratford-On-Avon and was often called the Penny Farthing because of the size of its wheels.

I remember having a dream in the 1980’s about seeing a man on one of these.  He was Victorian and had a top hat on.  As he passed me he tipped his hat and waved at me!

Read about the ordinary bike here.

A iron bike in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This Velocipede iron bike with wooden wheels is also known as the bone-shaker and was made by the French company Micheaux around 1870.

Read about the Velocipede here.

Bikes in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Bikes in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Bikes in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A bike sidecar in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is a sidecar for fitting to a bike or tandem to accommodate a child.  It was used by a family in Walsall.

A Gresham Flyer tricycle in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

After the Second World War, the Gresham Flyer, made by the Aberdale Cycle Company, became very popular.  Advertisements described them as the safest tricycles in the world.

Read about the Aberdale Cycle Company here.

A Two-Seater tricycle in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This two-seater Tricycle is circa 1860.  The passenger faced backwards.  Note the iron rims to the wheels, the direct drive and the Twist Grip brakes. 

A B.S.A. bike in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This bike is circa 1920 and was made by the B.S.A. Company.  They purchased the rights to the B.S.A. name from Birmingham Small Arms Company.

Read about the B.S.A. Company here.

A Pluvier moped in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is a Pulvier Moped made by the Berini Company in Italy in 1958.

Read about the Berini Company here.

An Ariel Pixie scooter in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This scooter was made in 1965 by Ariel Motorcycles in Bournbrooke, Birmingham.

Read about Ariel Motorcycles here.

A school desk in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This common school desk was acquired in 1954 with an integrated seat, lift-up top and inkwells. 

A bench in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A street in Aston model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A dentist's chair in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This Dentist’s chair may have been associated with a dental X-ray machine also held in the Museum Collection Centre but they have no details on record.

A clay coffin in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This bath-tub coffin was excavated by Leonard Woolley at the site of the Ur in southern Iraq.  The body was laid in a foetal position.  This example dates from about 500 BC.

Read about Woolley here. 

Blog Posts

Local History: The Museum Collection Centre.  

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 1.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 2. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 3.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 5.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 6.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 7.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 8.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 9.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 10.

Notes And Links

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker. 

Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

Museum Collection Centre on Twitter.

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required. 

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website.

Wikipedia – Official website.  This is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Sheldon’s EMU – Official website.  This website began as a collection of articles, letters and emails about European motorcycles, the result of research and correspondence dating back to 1994.  It now covers several thousand different marques, many of which have extensive archives including images and specifications.  The site relates to vintage, veteran and classic motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, with numerous pages on road-racing and off-road competition machines.   There is a wealth of information for motorcycle enthusiasts, restorers and historians, and the site continues to amass data at a steady pace.

Back To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 3
Go To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 5
Go To Local History: The Museum Collection Centre
Go To Local History
Back To Homepage

The Museum Collection Centre: Photos – Page 3

Image © Frank Parker

Here are more photos I took on my first visit to the Museum Collection Centre on 17/09/22.

A giant shell in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A computer punch card machine in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Early Computers used cards with holes punched in them to enter both the Program and Data.  Various Machines like this one were needed to prepare the cards.

Read about punch cards here.

Read about punched card readers here.

A computer console in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

The ICL Orion computer console used by the Metal Box Company, Worcester.

Read about the Orion here.

A Dennis fire engine in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A fire engine model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is a model of a Leyland Cub fire engine built in 1936.  The real engine could pump 700 gallons of water per minute and had a 50-foot extending ladder.

Read about Leyland Motors here.

A fire pump in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A fire pump in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Read about fire pumps here.

A logboat in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This logboat (also known as a dugout canoe) was found in the River Tern at Oakley Park in Staffordshire.  It was carved from a single piece of oak.  Such boats were in use between 1600 BC and 1000 AD.  People at first thought it was a water trough and this can not be ruled out but the deliberately made holes in the sides suggest a boat is more likely.

Read about logboats here.

A ship's figurehead in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A ship's figurehead in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
From the 19th Century, this ship’s figurehead, carved from wood, is typical of female figureheads of the time. Figureheads have been used for thousands of years and have been found on even Viking and Egyptian ships. It is unclear why they came into use, but it seems their purpose might be more spiritual or supernatural.
 
This was another favourite of mine visiting museums back in the day.  This was in the Birmingham Museum and Art gallery.

Read more about Figureheads here. 
A canal boat lamp in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This domed head mast-head lamp is from a canal boat and was painted by Thomas William King.

A canal boat water can in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A canal boat water can in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

A pair of large metal jugs from a canal boat painted by Thomas William King, circa 1955.

Read about Thomas William King here.

Canal boat models in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Read about Narrowboats here.

Click here to read about The Allcotts (my family on my Mom’s side) who have had a history with canal boats for over 200 years. 

Paddle steamer lamps in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

These three copper lamps (port, mast-head and starboard) are from the paddle steamer Lucy Ashton and a steaming light, made in Birmingham.

Read about paddle steamer Lucy Ashton here.

An engine order telegraph in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is used to send instructions to the engine room.

Read about the engine order telegraph here.

A ship's lighting unit in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A ship's lighting unit in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A bottle filling machine in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This Barnett and Foster machine was used in 1910 to prepare bottles of Mineral Water for use in the Grand Hotel in Birmingham.  Bottling your own water is still a common practice today.  

Read about Barnett and Foster here.

Screw jacks in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Blog Posts

Local History: The Museum Collection Centre.  

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 1.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 2. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 4. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 5.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 6.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 7. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 8.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 9.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 10.

Notes And Links

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker. 

Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

Museum Collection Centre on Twitter.

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required.

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website.

Wikipedia – Official website.  This is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Made In Oldbury – Official Website.  This website explores unique archive materials in Sandwell in relation to local industrial heritage.

Grace’s Guide – Official website.  This is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain.  This web publication contains 149,969 pages of information and 235,611 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Back To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 2
Go To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 4
Go To Local History: The Museum Collection Centre
Go To Local History
Back To Homepage

The Museum Collection Centre: Photos – Page 2

Image © Frank Parker

Here are more photos I took on my first visit to the Museum Collection Centre on 17/09/22.

The HP Sauce sign in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This sign hung on the HP Sauce factory in Aston, Birmingham until the building closed down in 2007 and was demolished.

Read about HP Sauce here.

A bust of William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This sculpture of Shakespeare was made by John Michael Rysbrack (1694 – 1770).

Read about Shakespeare here. 

Read about Rysbrack here.

A bust of Commodus (161 AD - 192 AD) in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Commodus was the Roman emperor from 177 AD – 192 AD.

Read about Commodus here.

Read about Roman Emperors here.

Read about the Roman Army here.

Read about the Roman Empire here.

Vitellius was the Roman emperor from the 19th of April AD to the 20th of December AD 69 following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of civil war known as the year of the Four Emperors.

Read about Vitellius here.

Read about Roman Emperors here.

Read about the Roman Army here.

Read about the Roman Empire here.

A bust of Vitellius (15 AD - 69 AD) in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A bust of an unknown Roman in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This Bronze sculpture from the 15th/16th Century, Florentine, Italy, is of an unknown man in Roman armour.  The Roman Empire wore standardised dress and armour, but this was not part of their culture and there were many differences in detail.  Surviving fragments of clothing suggest the basic tunic of the Roman soldier was red or undyed wool. Senior Roman soldiers wore white cloaks and feathered plumes.

Read about the Roman Army here.

Read about the Roman Empire here.

A bust Charles Lockey (1820 - 1901) in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Lockey was the tenor soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elijah which received its premiere at Birmingham Town Hall in 1846.

Read about Lockey here.

A sculpture of Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This sculpture of Albert Einstein is by Sir Jacob Epstein (1880 – 1959).

Read about Einstein here. 

Read about Epstein here. 

A bull sculpture in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
The Good Samaritan statue in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This statue was placed in the front entrance hall of Cheltenham General Hospital in 1853, as the result of the exertions of Charles Fowler Esq., the senior surgeon of the Hospital at the time and public subscription.  The commission was awarded to the sculptor, Holm Cardwell, who was born in Manchester in 1820 and studied in Paris and in London, before making his permanent home in Italy.

The two figures were sculpted from a single piece of Italian white marble and depict the Good Samaritan tending to the man who had fallen amongst thieves.  The statue remained in the front hall of the hospital on a large plinth until the late 1960’s; the redevelopment of that part of the hospital to provide more space for patients facilities resulted in its removal from the hospital and it was presented to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

The statue subsequently remained in store in Birmingham until 1992, when (thanks largely to the efforts of Mr. Charles Massey, a grateful patient of the hospital) it was returned on a permanent loan to Cheltenham General, so that it would be available to be put on permanent display again, as soon as a  suitable location could be found.  It proved possible to find a site at the entrance to the new Day and Endoscopy Units, which were formally opened in December 1994.

The statue was formally welcomed back to the Hospital by Mr. Clive Thompson JP, Chairman of the East Gloucestershire NHS Trust, on Tuesday 24th of January, 1995.

It is now, in the meantime,  back in storage in the Museum Collection Centre, Birmingham.

  

A sculpture of Louis Florent Cheron in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This plaster sculpture of Cheron as a child by Jean-Baptise Pigalle (1714 – 1785) is dated 1775.

Read about Pigalle here.

A unknown sculpture in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Compassion sculpture in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This sculpture was made by Uli Nimptsch (1897 – 1977).  Marquette for a sculpture commissioned in 1963 and sited outside Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham.  The sculpture comprises two male nudes, one lying down and the other kneeling over him, holding a bowl, a pose suggesting the compassion of the title.  Nimptsch was born in Berlin in 1897, the younger son of a Berlin Stock Broker.  He studied sculpture at the Berlin Academy and spent time working in Rome, Paris and Germany, but left during the 2nd World War for Switzerland in order to protect his wife who was Jewish.

Read about Nimptsch here.

Nan the Dreamer sculpture in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This sculpture was made by Sir Jacob Epstein (1880 – 1959).  Epstein was born in New York and studied drawing while working in a bronze factory.  In 1902 he went to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Academie Julian in Paris, before settling in London in 1905.  The sitter for this early bust in 1911 was Nan Condron, a gypsy and professional artist’s model, whom Epstein met at the Cafe Royal.

Read about Epstein here.

The lure of the Pipes of Pan sculpture in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This sculpture made in 1932 by Gilbert William Bayes (1872 – 1953) is carved from reconstituted stone.  Construction companies like Tarmac had been experimenting with this material since the 1920’s.

Read about Bayes here.

A Tragedy in The North, Winter, Rain and Tears sculpture in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This sculpture by Raymond Mason depicts a scene after a mining disaster in the north of France.  It is made from epoxy resin and painted with acrylic.  He also designed the iconic Forward statue in Birmingham’s Centenary Square which was destroyed by a fire in 2003.

Read about Mason here.

Read about the mining disaster here.

Fairground organ figurines in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A fairground horse in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A weighing machine in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A weighing machine in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Weighing Machines

Sign on a weighing machine in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Blog Posts

Local History: The Museum Collection Centre.  

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 1.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 3. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 4. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 5.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 6.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 7.  

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 8.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 9.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 10.

Notes And Links

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker. 

Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

Museum Collection Centre on Twitter. 

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required.

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website.

Wikipedia – Official website.  This is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Back To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 1
Go To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 3
Go To Local History: The Museum Collection Centre
Go To Local History
Back To Homepage

The Museum Collection Centre: Photos – Page 1

Image © Frank Parker

Here are photos I took on my first visit to the Museum Collection Centre on 17/09/22.

In front of the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
A telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Instructions on a telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Instructions on a telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Instructions on a telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Instructions on a telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Instructions on a telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Instructions on a telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Instructions on a telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Instructions on a telephone exchange model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This model demonstrates the Stowger, or step-by-step,  system of automatic telephony.

I used to love having a go on this model exchange system at the old Science Museum when I was younger in the 1970’s, going with my Mom and family, then on my own or with friends in the 1980’s and then with my kids when they were younger in the 1990’s. Good times.

Read more about the Stowger switch here.

Telecom speaking clock Mark I speaking parts in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Part of the earliest version (1936) of the Post Office Speaking Clock.  This MK I version used audio recordings of the time to send a message giving an accurate time check by telephone.

Read about the Speaking Clock here.

Telecom speaking clock Mark III control gear in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Telecom speaking clock Mark III control gear in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Telecom speaking clock Mark III control gear in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Read about the Speaking Clock here.

A K6 telephone box in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Used after 1952 until withdrawal in 1986 in Birmingham.  It contains the last Payphone used in the City before the introduction of STD in 1986/7.

This reminds me of the one over the road from my old house in Hurst Lane, Shard End on the right-hand corner in the 70’s and 80’s.  I remember at one time in the 80’s the coin box was broken and every time you put your money in (2p or 10p) it would come out and usually give you a bit more.  It was like a free fruit machine courtesy of BT! 

Read about the iconic red phone box here. 

A candle light in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
In Tudor times a contraption of stand and jaw was used to clamp round-bottomed flasks of water. These were used to focus and intensify the light of the candles using a similar principle to starting a fire by focussing sunlight with a magnifying glass. They created a very bright light in a small area, and were used by lacemakers and embroiders who needed good light to work from. Using several stands and flasks meant that a team could work together under one candle.

Read about the Tudor times here.
A Birmingham gun makers workshop model in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Unknown in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker
Unknown in the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

This is another thing I have fond memories of having a go on in the old Science Museum back in the day.   Back then if a museum had a button to press you could bet your life I would press it.  Nothing has changed now I am older, especially in a shop with toys etc.  If it says press me or try me (or even if it doesn’t) then it has to be done! 

Blog Posts

Local History: The Museum Collection Centre. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 2.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 3. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 4. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 5.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 6. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 7.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 8.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 9.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 10.

Notes And Links

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker. 

Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

Museum Collection Centre on Twitter.

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required.

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website.

Wikipedia – Official website.  This is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Go To The Museum Collection Centre: Photos - Page 2
Go To Local History: The Museum Collection Centre
Go To Local History
Back To Homepage

Local History: The Museum Collection Centre

Image © Frank Parker

On Saturday 17th September 2022,  I visited the Museum Collection Centre in Dollman Street, Nechells, Birmingham as part of Birmingham Heritage Week.  I had been wanting to go there for a long time and I am glad I finally did for two reasons. 

Firstly,  this was the road where I used to live in the 1960’s, from when I was born in 1966, up until I left in 1970.  Apart from a very brief return visit here with my Dad in a car when I was in my early days in secondary school (I think?), this was the first time I have been and walked up the whole of it on my own.  It felt strange being here again because I can not recall any of it the first time around because I was a baby/toddler yet I felt at home.  

Secondly,  I knew I would see some things growing up from many visits to the Museum and Art Gallery and the old Science Museum.  I wasn’t disappointed and they brought a smile to my face and good memories of going with my Mom and family when I was younger, to when I was a teenager going on my own or with friends and then with my kids when they were younger.

I didn’t take a photo of everything. I was going to but the place was bigger than I thought it would be, A LOT BIGGER.  I only stayed on the bottom floor.  I was given a map of the place but was too busy taking photos to realise there was another floor to explore.  I am not sure if I saw everything on the ground floor, that is overwhelming this place was on my first visit.

As it was my phone ran out of battery anyway and I was only there for an hour and had to use my spare phone but I did manage to take over 200 photos!

I have edited them and sorted out the best ones to put in the gallery below.  I couldn’t decide if they were to go in my West Midlands History or History category as they cover both so I decided they were worthy of their own album on this page.

I plan to go again for sure as there is a lot more I want to see that I missed out on the first time and have a better look at everything.  If you are into West Midlands History and History like me then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you visit the Museum Collection Centre in Birmingham, you won’t be sorry, I know I wasn’t.  

The Museum Collection Centre Photos

Click here to see my photographic memories of my day out.  

About The Museum Collection Centre

The Museum Collection Centre is the main store for Birmingham Museum Trust, holding over 80% of a collection of around a million items, many offering a real insight into life in Birmingham and the West Midlands over the centuries.

With only a small percentage of collections on display at Birmingham Museums, or on loan to other organisations, it is the only place to see collection items not normally on display.

A huge number of the objects are held on open storage in one very large warehouse which contains everything from aircraft engines to zoological specimens. Among the hundreds of thousands of objects stored here are steam engines, sculptures, cars, a giant spider crab, a retro chip fryer, and many more. Smaller objects, and objects that need more stable temperature and relative humidity, are stored in purpose-built spaces.

In front of the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Frank Parker

Opening Times

With its mix of fascinating finds and a behind-the-scenes atmosphere, this hidden gem is an intriguing place to explore. It is open to the public on designated open afternoons which take place every two weeks on a Friday. These open sessions last up to 1.5 hours and pre-booking is essential.

Visitors will only be admitted on scheduled open event afternoons and days.

Tickets for the Open Afternoons can be found on the What’s On page.

The back of the Museum Collection Centre: Image © Chris Allen via Wikipedia

Address

Museum Collection Centre

25 Dollman Street

Nechells

Birmingham

B7 4RQ.

Click here to see how to get there.

For accessibility when you get there click here.

Facilities

Free car park.

Bicycle racks.

Toilets, including Disabled toilets.

Lifts to all floors.

A Place Of Work

The Museum Collection Centre is the main place of work for some of the staff who care for, research, or otherwise work with their collections, as well as the volunteers who support them in doing that.  Their teams care for the collections in store (as well as those on display at our other sites) and work on improving the documentation of the collection.

Safety Notice

They want to make sure your visit is as safe and enjoyable as possible so some safety measures will continue:

They support staff and visitors who wish to wear a face covering.

Staff who test positive for COVID-19 will isolate at home for at least 5 days until they have two successive negative tests.

There are hand sanitisers at the entrance and throughout the building.

Contactless card payments will limit personal interaction, but cash will also be accepted.

They have cleaners working throughout the day focusing on touch points and toilets to keep them safe and clean.

Please do not visit them if you are feeling unwell, have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in contact with anyone that has had the virus in the last 10 days.  Please contact them if you have any further questions.

Open Day

You can also visit their Open Day which runs as part of Birmingham Heritage Week each year, and includes activities for children, themed tours, and conservation demonstrations.  The annual event will allow you to see a vast range of objects, often with a real focus on Birmingham and the West Midlands.  The contrasting mix of objects and the behind-the-scenes atmosphere at the Museum Collection Centre make it an intriguing place to explore and discover more about museum stores.

The Open Day will also include a pop-up shop, meet the experts, curator tours, conservation demonstrations, family-friendly events, story telling, object handling and more.

Refreshments are available to purchase.

Pre-booking is essential. They expect high demand so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Your entry is timed so please arrive at your allotted time, late arrivals may not be able to enter.

Warm clothes are recommended and sensible footwear is essential for all.

Tickets for the next annual Open Day can be found on the What’s On page.

Blog Posts

The Museums Collection Photos: Page 1.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 2.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 3. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 4. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 5.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 6. 

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 7.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 8.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 9.

The Museum Collection: Photos – Page 10.

Notes And Links

The Museum Collection Centre entrance and exit image above is copyright of Chris Allen and was taken from Wikipedia.  It comes with a Creative Commons licence.  

All the above images are copyright of Frank Parker unless stated. 

The Museum Collection Centre on Facebook.

The Museum Collection Centre on Twitter.

Birmingham Museums Collection – Find out more about Birmingham’s collections including art and design, human history, natural science and science and industry categories.  Each category contains sub-categories full of useful information and great photos.

Birmingham Museums Trust’s Digital Asset Resource – Official website.  There is no registration or log-in required to use this website for out-of-copyright collection images  Download free Public Domain image files up to 3mb in size with free Creative Commons licenses.  You are entitled to unlimited downloads.  Also download free Audio Files complete with a license.  These can be downloaded for non-commercial use only and attribution is required.

BirminghamMAG – Official YouTube channel.   Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery provide world-class museums at the cultural heart of Birmingham.

Birmingham Museums – Official website.

Thinktank: Birmingham Science Museum – Official website.

Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery – Official website.

Aston Hall – Official website.

Blakesley Hall – Official website.

Museum Of The Jewellery Quarter – Official website.

Sarehole Mill – Official website.

Soho House – Official website. 

Weoly Castle – Official website. 

Go To The Museum Collection Centre Photos: Page 1
Go To Local History
Back To Homepage

Local History: Narrowboats

Image © Unknown

About Narrowboats

A narrowboat is a particular type of canal boat, built to fit the narrow locks of the United Kingdom.   The UK’s canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, but with the advent of the railways, commercial canal traffic gradually diminished and the last regular long-distance transportation of goods had virtually disappeared by 1970.  However, some commercial traffic continued.  From the 1970’s onward narrowboats were gradually being converted into permanent residences or as holiday lettings.  Currently, about 8580 narrowboats are registered as permanent homes on Britain’s waterway system and represent a growing alternative community living on semi-permanent moorings or continuously cruising.

For any boat to enter a narrow lock, it must be under 7 feet (2.13 m) wide, so most narrowboats are nominally 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) wide.  A narrowboat’s maximum length is generally 72 feet (21.95 m), as anything longer will be unable to navigate much of the British canal network because the nominal maximum length of locks is 75 feet (22.86 m).  Some locks are shorter than 72 feet (21.95 m), so to access the entire canal network the maximum length is 57 feet (17.37 m).

The first narrow boats played a vital role in the economic changes of the British Industrial Revolution.  They were wooden boats drawn by a horse walking on the canal towpath led by a crew member.  Horses were gradually replaced by steam and then diesel engines.  By the end of the 19th century, it was common practice to paint roses and castles on narrowboats and their fixtures and fittings.  This tradition has continued into the 21st century, but not all narrowboats have such decorations.

Modern narrowboats are used for holidays, weekend breaks, touring, or as permanent or part-time residences.  Usually, they have steel hulls and a steel superstructure.  The hull’s flat base is usually 10mm thick, the hull sides 6mm or 8mm, the cabin sides 6mm, and the roof 4mm or 6mm.  The number of boats has been rising, with the number of licensed boats (not all of them narrowboats) on canals and rivers managed by the Canal & River Trust (CRT) estimated at about 27,000 in 2006; by 2019, this had risen to 34,367.  Although a small number of steel narrowboats dispense with the need for a rear steering deck entirely, by imitating some river cruisers in providing wheel steering from a central cockpit, most narrowboats’ steering is by a tiller on the stern.  There are three major configurations for the stern: traditional stern, cruiser stern and semi-traditional stern.

Narrowboats are Category D boats intended only for navigating rivers, canals and small lakes; but some intrepid boaters have crossed the English Channel in a narrowboat.

Image © RHaworth via Wikipedia

Terminology

The narrowboat (one word) definition in the Oxford English Dictionary is:

“A British canal boat of traditional long, narrow design, steered with a tiller; spec. one not exceeding 7 feet (approx. 2.1 metres) in width or 72 feet (approx. 21.9 metres) in length.”

Earlier quotations listed in the Oxford English Dictionary use the term “narrow boat”, with the most recent, a quotation from an advertisement in Canal Boat & Inland Waterways in 1998, uses “narrowboat”.

The single word “narrowboat” has been adopted by authorities such as the Canal and River Trust, Scottish Canals and the authoritative magazine Waterways World to refer to all boats built in the style and tradition of commercial boats that were able to fit in the narrow canal locks.

Although some narrow boats are built to a design based on river barges and many conform to the strict definition of the term, it is incorrect to refer to a narrowboat (or narrow boat) as a widebeam or as a barge, both of which are definable by their greater width. In the context of British inland waterways, a barge is usually a much wider, cargo-carrying boat or a modern boat modelled on one, certainly more than 7 feet (2.13 m) wide.

Another historic term for a narrow boat is a long boat, which has been noted in the Midlands and especially on the River Severn and connecting waterways to Birmingham.

Usage has not quite settled as regards (a) boats based on narrowboat design, but too wide for narrow canals, or (b) boats the same width as narrowboats but based on other types of boats.

Narrowboats may have ship prefix NB.

Size

The key distinguishing feature of a narrowboat is its width, which must be less than 7 feet (2.13 m) wide to navigate British narrow canals.  Some old boats are very close to this limit (often built 7 feet 1+1⁄2 inches or 2.17 metres or slightly wider), and can have trouble using certain narrow locks whose width has been reduced over time because of subsidence.  Modern boats are usually produced to a maximum of 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) wide to guarantee easy passage throughout the complete system.

Because of their slenderness, some narrowboats seem very long.  The maximum length is about 72 feet (21.95 m), which matches the length of the longest locks on the system.  Modern narrowboats tend to be shorter, to permit cruising anywhere on the connected network of British canals, including on canals built for wider, but shorter, boats.  The shortest lock on the main network is Salterhebble Middle Lock on the Calder and Hebble Navigation, at about 56 feet (17.07 m) long.  However, the C&H is a wide canal, so the lock is about 14 feet 2 inches (4.32 m) wide.  This makes the largest go-anywhere-on-the-network narrowboat slightly longer (about 58 feet or 17.68 metres) than the straight length of the lock because it can (with a certain amount of shoehorning) lie diagonally.  Some locks on isolated waterways are as short as 40 feet (12.19 m).  Where it was possible to avoid going through locks, narrow boats were sometimes built a little larger.  Wharf boats or more usually ‘Amptons, operated on the Wolverhampton level of the Birmingham Canal Navigations and were up to 89 feet in length and 7 foot 10.5 inches wide.

Hire fleets on British canals usually consist of narrow boats of varying lengths from 30 feet (9.14 m) upwards, to allow parties of different numbers or varying budgets to be able to hire a boat and get afloat.

The Development Of Traditional Working Boats

The first narrowboats played a key part in the economic changes of the British Industrial Revolution.  They were wooden boats drawn by a horse walking on the canal towpath led by a crew member, often a child.  Narrowboats were chiefly designed for carrying cargo, though some packet boats carried passengers, luggage, mail and parcels.

The first canals to feature locks in the now standard size were the canals designed by James Brindley and approved by Parliament in 1766, including the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and Trent and Mersey Canal.  Although construction took many years, the lock size became standard for many canal-building projects.

Boatmen’s families originally lived ashore, but in the 1830’s as canals started to suffer competition from the burgeoning railway system, families (especially those of independent single boat owners/skippers) began to live on board, partly because they could no longer afford rents, partly to provide extra hands to work the boats harder, faster and further, partly to keep families together.  As late as 1858, a Household Words article states that “the Grand Junction Canal company did not allow the boatmen’s families on board.” The crew of the non-stopping flyboat in the article (skipper, two crew and a youth) is said to be typical.

The rear portion of the boat became the boatman’s cabin, familiar from picture postcards and museums, famous for its space-saving ingenuity and interior made attractive by a warm stove, a steaming kettle, gleaming brass, fancy lace, painted housewares and decorated plates.  Such descriptions rarely consider the actual comfort of a (sometimes large) family, working brutally hard and long days, sleeping in one tiny cabin.  However many shore-bound workers endured harder indoor trades in less healthy conditions and in worse accommodation, where the family was separated for long hours rather than being together all day.  The lifestyle afloat, by definition itinerant, made it impossible for children to attend school.  Most boat people were effectively illiterate and ostracised by those living on the bank, who considered themselves superior.

As steam and diesel progressively replaced the tow-horse in the early years of the 20th century, it became possible to move even more cargo with fewer hands by towing a second, un-powered boat, referred to as a butty, buttyboat or butty boat.  Although there was no longer a horse to maintain, the butty had to be steered while being towed.  So that the butty boatman could lengthen or shorten the towline as needed, the towline wasn’t tied off on the bow, instead travelled over the buttyboat through permanent running blocks on stands or retractable middle masts and managed in the stern.  On a wide canal, such as the Grand Union Canal, the pair could be roped side-to-side (breasted up) and handled as a unit through working locks.

Cargo-carrying by narrow boat diminished from 1945 and the last regular long-distance traffic disappeared in 1970.  However, some traffic continued into the 1980’s and beyond.  Two million tonnes of aggregate were carried on the Grand Union (River Soar) between 1976 and 1996, latterly using wide beam barges.  Aggregate continues to be carried between Denham and West Drayton on the (wide) Grand Union Canal and on the tidal estuary of Bow Creek (which is the eventual outflow of the Lee & Stort Navigation).

A few people are doing their best in the 21st century to keep the tradition of canal-borne cargo-carrying alive, mostly by one-off deliveries rather than regular runs, or by selling goods such as coal to other boaters.  Enthusiasts remain dedicated to restoring the remaining old narrow boats, often as members of the Historic Narrow Boat Owners Club.  There are many replicas, such as Hadar, ornately painted with traditional designs, usually of roses and castles.  Boats not horse-drawn may have a refurbished, slow-revving, vintage semi-diesel engine.  There are some steam-driven narrow boats such as the ex-Fellows Morton & Clayton steamer President.

Image © Mike Fascione via Wikipedia
Image © G-Man via Wikipedia

Painted Decoration

By the end of the 19th century, it was common practice to paint roses and castles on narrow boats and their fixtures and fittings.  Common sites include the doors to the cabin, the water can or barrel and the side of the boat along with ornate lettering giving the boat’s name and owner.  This tradition did not happen in all regions, the Chesterfield Canal being one waterway where narrow boats never bore such decorations.

The origin of the roses and castles found on canal boats is unclear.  The first written reference to them appears to be in an 1858 edition of the magazine Household Words in one of a series of articles titled “On the Canal”, showing that the art form must have existed by this date.  For some time, a popular suggestion was that it had some form of Romani origin; however, there does not appear to be a significant link between the Romani and boating communities.  Other suggestions include the transfer of styles from the clock-making industry (in particular the decoration on the face), the japanning industry or the pottery industry.  There is certainly a similarity in style and a geographical overlap, but no solid proof of a link.  There are similar styles of folk art in Scandinavia, Germany, Turkey and Bangladesh.

In the 18th century, similar Dutch Hindeloopen paintwork would only have been a sailing barge journey away from the Thames.  There is also an article in the Midland Daily Telegraph on July 22nd 1914 that credits the practice of painting of water cans, at least, to a Mr Arthur Atkins.

While the practice declined as commercial use of the canals dwindled, it has seen something of a revival in recent times with the emergence of leisure boating.  Narrowboat decorations with roses and castle themes are a common sight on today’s canals, although these may utilise cheaper printed vinyl transfers in place of the traditional craft of hand-painted designs.

Image © Laurence White via Wikipedia

Modern Narrowboats 

The number of licensed boats on canals and rivers managed by the Canal & River Trust (CRT), a charitable trust, formerly British Waterways, was estimated at about 27,000 in 2006.  By 2014 this number had risen to over 30,000.  There were perhaps another 5,000 unlicensed boats kept in private moorings or on other waterways in 2006.  Most boats on CRT waterways are steel (or occasionally, aluminium) cruisers popularly referred to as narrowboats.

Modern leisure narrowboats are used for holidays, weekend breaks, touring, and as permanent or part-time residences.  Usually, they have steel hulls and a steel superstructure, but when they were first developed for leisure use in the 1970’s glass reinforced plastic (fibre-glass) or timber was often used above gunwale height.  Newer narrowboats, say post-1990, are usually powered by modern diesel engines and may be fitted inside to a high standard.  There will be at least 6 feet (1.8 m) internal headroom and often or usually similar domestic facilities as land homes: central heating, flush toilets, shower or even bath, four-ring hobs, oven, grill, microwave oven, and refrigerator; some may have satellite television and mobile broadband, using 4G technology.  Externally, their resemblance to traditional boats can vary from a faithful imitation (false rivets, and copies of traditional paintwork) through interpretation (clean lines and simplified paintwork) through to a free-style approach which does not try to pretend in any way that this is a traditional boat.

They are owned by individuals, shared by a group of friends (or by a more formally organised syndicate), rented out by holiday firms, or used as cruising hotels.  A few boats are lived on permanently: either based in one place (though long-term moorings for residential narrowboats are currently very difficult to find) or continuously moving around the network (perhaps with a fixed location for the coldest months, when many stretches of the canal are closed by repair works or stoppages).

A support infrastructure has developed to provide services to the leisure boats, with some narrowboats being used as platforms to provide services such as engine maintenance and boat surveys; while some others are used as fuel tenders, that provide diesel, solid fuel (coal and wood) and Calor Gas.

Image © Per Palmkvist Knudsen via Wikipedia

Types

On almost all narrowboats steering is by tiller, as was the case on all working narrow boats.  The steerer stands at the stern of the boat, aft of the hatchway and/or rear doors at the top of the steps up from the cabin.  The steering area comes in three basic types, each meeting different needs of maximising internal space; having a more traditional appearance; having a big enough rear deck for everyone to enjoy summer weather or long evenings; or protection outside in bad weather.  Each type has its advocates.  However, the boundaries are not fixed, and some boats blur the categories as new designers try out different arrangements and combinations.

Traditional Stern

Many modern canal boats retain the traditional layout of a small open, unguarded counter or deck behind the rear doors from which the crew can step onto land.  It is possible to steer from the counter, but this is not very safe, with the propeller churning below only one missed step away.  The tiller extension allows the steerer to stand in safety on the top step, forward of the rear doors.  On a working boat, this step would have been over the top of the coal box.  On cold days, the steerer can even close the rear doors behind themselves, and be in relative comfort, their lower body in the warmth of the cabin, and only their upper body emerging from the hatchway and exposed to the elements.  In good weather, many trad-stern steerers sit up on the hatchway edge, a high vantage point giving good all-around visibility.  On trad boats, the bow well-deck forms the main outside viewing area, because the traditional stern is not large enough for anyone other than the steerer to stand on safely.  Internally, trads may have an engine room forward of a traditional boatman’s cabin, or an enclosed engine tucked away out of sight and the increased living space this brings.  

Image © Jongleur100 via Wikipedia

Cruiser Stern

The name for this style arises from the large open rear deck resembling that of the large rear cockpits common on glass-fibre (glass-reinforced plastic or GRP) river cruisers which in turn derives from elliptical sterns used on cruisers and larger warships in the 20th century.  At the stern, a cruiser narrowboat looks very different from traditional boats: the hatch and rear doors are considerably further forward than on a trad, creating a large open deck between the counter and rear doors, protected by a railing (perhaps with built-in seating) around back and sides.  The large rear deck provides a good al fresco dining area or social space, allowing people to congregate on the deck in good weather and the summer holiday season.

In winter (or less than perfect weather in summer) the steerer may be unprotected from the elements.  The lack of an enclosed engine room means that engine heat does not contribute to keeping the boat warm and there may be wasted space above the deck area.  A cruiser stern allows the engine to be located under the deck, rather than in the body of the boat.  Although this may make access to the engine more of a nuisance (due to weather considerations) the whole deck can usually be lifted off in whole or in sections, allowing the operative to stand inside the engine bay, the cruiser stern has a major advantage that the engine is located entirely outside the living space.  In this configuration also, it is common to find that the engine bay contains batteries, isolator switching, fuel tanks and seldom-used kit, spares and equipment. 

Image © Norman Rogers via Wikipedia

Semi-Traditional Stern

A semi–traditional stern is a compromise to gain some of the social benefits of a cruiser stern while retaining a more traditional design and providing some protection for the steerer in bad weather or in cooler seasons.  As with the cruiser stern, the deck is extended back from the hatch and rear doors, but in this case, most of the deck is protected at the sides by walls which extend back from the cabin sides – giving a more sheltered area for the steerer and companions, usually with lockers to sit on.  The engine is located under the deck, much like a cruiser, again allowing a separation between the cabin and the engine bay, with the steps down to the cabin being located past the false sides of the semi-trad social area.

Image © Mark Ahsmann via Wikipedia

A Butty Stern

A butty boat is an unpowered boat traditionally with a larger rudder with (usually) a wooden tiller (known as an elum, a corruption of helm) as the steering does not benefit from the force of water generated by the propeller.  The tiller is usually removed and reversed in the rudder-post socket to get it out of the way when moored. A few butty boats have been converted into powered narrowboats like NB Sirius.  The term butty is derived from the dialect word buddy, meaning companion.

Centre Cockpit

While the vast majority of narrowboats have tiller steering at the stern, a small number of steel narrowboats dispense with the need for a rear steering deck entirely, by imitating some river cruisers in providing wheel steering from a central cockpit.  This layout has the advantage (as many Dutch barges) of enabling an aft cabin to be separate from the forward accommodation.

Image © PBS via Wikipedia

National Organisations

Scottish Canals.

Inland Waterways Association.

National Association of Boat Owners (NABO).

National Community Boats Association (NCBA).

The Canal & River Trust.

Read more here.

The above articles were taken from Wikipedia and are subject to change.

 

Blog Posts

Books: The Allcotts By Jeffrey Allen

Notes And Links

The narrowboat interior image above is unknown copyright and was taken from here.

The modern narrowboats for leisure cruising image above is the copyright of photographer Roger Haworth and you can find more great work from him by clicking here.

The historic working narrowboats image above is the copyright of photographer G-Man and you can find more great work from him by clicking here.

The Horse-drawn narrowboat image above is, as far as I know, the copyright of photographer Mike Fascione.

The narrowboat decoration image above is the copyright of photographer Laurence White.

The modern narrowboats on the Kennet and Avon Canal image above is the copyright of photographer Per Palmkvist Knudsen.

The traditional stern narrowboats image above is the copyright of photographer Jongleur100 and you can find more great work from him by clicking here.

The cruiser stern narrowboat decoration image above is the copyright of photographer Norman Rogers.

The semi-traditional stern image above is, as far as I know, the copyright of photographer Mark Ahsmann.

The narrowboat with a centre cockpit image above is the copyright of photographer PBS.

All the above images were found on Wikipedia with the exception of the Narrowboat interior one.

Go To Local History
Go To The West Midlands
Go To The Black Country
Back To Homepage