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City Centre Photographs
- Thread starter bobsummers
- Start date
hi sticher
yes indeed it is where maggs think it was by the art gallery and if you moved away from that fountain going backwards you would cross over the main rd
there was the wite horse pub and bear left along the main road was the orininal registry office before they moved acros to broad street i think it was in the late fifties they moved across to broad street astonian;
yes indeed it is where maggs think it was by the art gallery and if you moved away from that fountain going backwards you would cross over the main rd
there was the wite horse pub and bear left along the main road was the orininal registry office before they moved acros to broad street i think it was in the late fifties they moved across to broad street astonian;
brummie nick
master brummie
Modified this photo shows some flaws, but shows off the buildings better
Interesting to see that 'horse less carriage' I can't see then becoming very popular though.
DavidGrain
master brummie
Nothing new about Shared Space as they are doing in Coventry City Centre and other towns then.
Vivienne, I seem to recollect that the floors above the ground floor were the Birmingham Law Library, the ground floor used to be a Building Society, but I can't remember which one.
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
The Angel drinking fountain can be seen here on the wall of Christchurch in the bottom middle of the photo.
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ellbrown
ell brown on Flickr
A century later it has been replaced by this!
A quiet, wet Victoria Square on New Years Day 2014.
The Floozie in the Jacuzzi is malfunctioning again (and is turned off again). Too expensive to keep repairing!
ellbrown
ell brown on Flickr
That fountain in what is now Centenary Square, seems to be approximately in the location now occupied by the amphitheatre of the new Library of Birmingham!
Two images of the fountain from my Images of Birmingham feature: www.jlb2011.co.uk/iob
Note the colonnade behind the fountain. The daytime shot was taken in 1959, the night-time shot in 1963.
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Such a pity it was removed, even more so as the new library footprint doesn't seem to reach that far. Maybe maintenance was an issue. But two lovely photos of the fountain JLB.
Phil, your aerial photo is excellent. The three features; the Colonnade, the fountain and the Hall of Memory fitted so well together. A place to reflect, especially for those visiting the Hall of a Memory. The view is especially interesting to me as it shows Alpha Tower being built - bottom left. The Tower was, from memory, 26 floors high, and the floor I worked on (24th) hadn't yet been created, only 17 (and a half) floors in the photo. The lift shafts were in the middle of the building and the stairways ran down the two extreme edges. Nightmare when it came to practice fire drills. The lifts were claimed to be the fastest lifts in Europe when it was built - don't know how true that was. The offices were open plan, modern for that time too. The open plan offices views to the back and through to the front of the building (well they were on the floor I worked). At each end of the building, near the staircases, were two smaller offices which had great views across all parts of B'ham and beyond. Viv.
Phil, your aerial photo is excellent. The three features; the Colonnade, the fountain and the Hall of Memory fitted so well together. A place to reflect, especially for those visiting the Hall of a Memory. The view is especially interesting to me as it shows Alpha Tower being built - bottom left. The Tower was, from memory, 26 floors high, and the floor I worked on (24th) hadn't yet been created, only 17 (and a half) floors in the photo. The lift shafts were in the middle of the building and the stairways ran down the two extreme edges. Nightmare when it came to practice fire drills. The lifts were claimed to be the fastest lifts in Europe when it was built - don't know how true that was. The offices were open plan, modern for that time too. The open plan offices views to the back and through to the front of the building (well they were on the floor I worked). At each end of the building, near the staircases, were two smaller offices which had great views across all parts of B'ham and beyond. Viv.
Dennis Williams
Gone but not forgotten
Another of Christchurch and fountain, dated 1896...
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BernardR
Guest
Surely the fountain disappeared for the construction of Centenary Square?
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
This is one of two floral fountains said to have stood at each end of Broad Street. They depict a young Smith stood astride Birmingham Council House. I've always wondered exactly where they stood and why they were removed and where are they now?
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rosie
brummie
There was a replacement fountain after the beautiful large one Bernard, it was like satellite dishes propped up with masks and splashed everyone as they walked by on a breezy day! I didn't like it as much as the one on the photos. Also I think people walked on the stones and broke them.
I seem to remember Ellbrown put some photos of the second one in store now? (Is it called Dollman Stores?)
rosie.
I seem to remember Ellbrown put some photos of the second one in store now? (Is it called Dollman Stores?)
rosie.
B
BernardR
Guest
Yes Rosie I am aware of that but thought that that one was closer to Baskerville House but I could be wrong. I have some photos of it when operating I will see if I can find them. Yes Dollman Stores is correct and is a fascinating place to wander around on one of their Open Days.
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The later fountain was on the other side of the Hall of Memory nearer Suffolk Street Queensway (although I don't think it's called that now). Viv.
![SiteOfLibrary[1].jpg](/forum/data/attachments/15/15024-8aff0de725b24d9db352f5047d0622a3.jpg)
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BernardR
Guest
Well Phil that proves me wrong regarding the location of that fountain. Funny how time plays with our minds.
DavidGrain
master brummie
The original fountain near the Hall of Memory, I believe commemorated the Birmingham waterworks in the Elan Valley. When Centenary Square was laid out a new fountain was installed and yes I believe it could have been where the hole in the ground is now.
It was indeed nearer to the hall of memory, off centre; the intention was to have the square as a symmetrical layout; two Baskerville House like building, two hall of memory's and another colonnade and another fountain. There was a model in the Art Gallery a few years back, but have not seen it in recent years.
