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Dollman Street Stores Discussion Here

My wife and I and our 6 year old Grandson had fabulous day at Dollman street museum collection today, a bus trip to town and back on 2 old buses all for the princely sum of of nothing. PRICELESS
 
Some photos of our day at Dollman street.

Our Grandson Sean with Busy Bee a Traction Engine.
Darwin.
My favorite piece, A Tragedy In The North by Raymond James.
First Bus
Second Bus
 
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We also made a visit yesterday to Dollman Street it was my first visit. It was quite a surprise to find that the storehouse had been built covering the site of the house where I once lived in Inkerman Street. My wife and I spent an enjoyable time looking round the items on display and remembering some of them from Newhall Street.

It really is a crying shame that these objects, some of them part of the history of Birmingham are hidden away only to see the light of day once in a blue moon. Furthermore owing to the way they are stored it looks like at least 75% never are never displayed at all. I signified this much on the opinion poll that was being taken as my wife and I left.

I’m attaching a couple of photo’s of items that caught my eye, and one of a chip frying range, this one simply because as far as I can work it out sits about where our kitchen would have been.

Cheers,

pmc1947
 

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Our Wendy has a letter in today's Sunday Mercury about setting up an Industrial Museum similar to the old Science Museum. Lots of support for this (rightly so).
Well done Wendy!!!!
 
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Thanks Charlie, well as you know I think it is so important to preserve our past. I notice John Young has written too are there any more members who contributed to the letters?
 
Next Open Day Monday 4th May

Just to remind everyone that our next Open Day at the Museum Collections Centre is coming up shortly. It's on Monday May 4th from 10am to 4.30. Added attractions this time are lots of vintage cars brought by their proud owners and for all the family we have a model steam engine (brought by the guys from Ilshaw Heath) which will offer free rides! We have also opened up a couple of extra aisles in the warehouse. Aston Manor will be running the historic bus service again. We are also trying out a new caterer. All free so come along for a great day out!
For bus timetable and/or map email me on [email protected]
 
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Another gentle reminder the museum stores are open to the public on Monday..........see below.:):)
 
I,ll be attending on Monday,with my Wife and grandchildren
be nice to meet up with some forum members there,to help keep it alive
i,ve got a name tag left from the the sixties night,ll be wearing, C U there hopefully.
dereklcg..
 
I went to the Dollman Street stores two weeks ago on the Open Day on 13th May 2012.
Uploaded photos to Flickr here Museum Collections Centre - 25 Dollman Street.

Glad I went. Saw the Dawson statue, loads of busts, various cars, bikes, clocks, TV's, radios, record players etc. Took more than 500 photos!

Small selection of photos

Dawson bust

Museum Collections Centre - 25 Dollman Street - warehouse - Bronze bust of Dawson by ell brown, on Flickr

Equestrian Figure of Edward I

Museum Collections Centre - 25 Dollman Street - warehouse - Equestrian Figure of Edward I by ell brown, on Flickr
 
ellbrown Thanks for the link to your photos on flickr - couldn't get there but your photos are a great and amazing record of what is in store at Dollman St. I remember seeing many of the items on display in the Museums on my many visits as a youngster.
 
Thanks, elbrown, for giving those of us who have not so far got to Dolman Street a glimpse of the treasure trove which is there. So much of it should be on public display - and certainly all that which has a clear West Midlands connection.

I don't want to reopen the Think Tank debate but I wonder how it was that the old, much loved Science Museum, crammed with all sorts of interesting things and giving so much pleasure to my generation and our children, came to be cleared away and replaced by ..... well, something which I vowed never to revisit. But I suppose, after the passing of some years, I ought to give it a second chance.

Chris
 
No problem. I'm glad I went (had heard about it - then found out about this Open Day via the museums @BM_AG account on Twitter

There was so many items from the old Museum of Science & Industry at Dollman Street that never made it to Thintank.
Also those cars, motorcycles, two traction engines (one even said "Presented to the Museum of Science & Industry).

So many small objects locked away in cages (at least that's what I think they were).

Someone else related to the museum said on Twitter that 98% of what the Museums own is in Dollman Street!

On the model of the Civic Centre, was plans for a Planatarium and Natural History Museum that never got made (I would guess that the Natural History Museum would be where the New REP and Library of Birmingham are now).


Museum Collections Centre - 25 Dollman Street - Garage - Model of Proposed Civic Centre by ell brown, on Flickr
 
Was also a good opportunity to see items I saw before, such as this Louis XIV reduction.

In Dollman Street


Three years ago at BMAG



The Spirit of Enterprise fountain sculpture that used to be in Centenary Square (until construction of the new library began)

Now


Over 3 years ago
 
There was also this model of the Joseph Priestley statue



The full statue in Chamberlain Square

 
A wonderful collection such as this really deserves to be on public view all year round rather than just a few open days, i'm sure the photos are just a taste of all the other fine exhibits that can be seen. Is there any plans on the horizon to have them permanently displayed? A real shame if there isn't.
 
There isn't room in the main museums. I heard that 90% plus of the collection is there.

Some things might have been moved here while the Birmingham History Galleries are being built at BMAG.
 
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