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Great Queen Street
- Thread starter mossg
- Start date
Moss
Old queen St was what became Queens drive , but before the other half of New St station was built. The north side was completely occupied by the station , the south by buildings, of which in 1878-80 no 5 was Coates Jas.Douglas & Co.fish salesmen and in 1873 (not numbered but after no 7 ) was
Humphreys W. wholesl. fishmgr
mike
Old queen St was what became Queens drive , but before the other half of New St station was built. The north side was completely occupied by the station , the south by buildings, of which in 1878-80 no 5 was Coates Jas.Douglas & Co.fish salesmen and in 1873 (not numbered but after no 7 ) was
Humphreys W. wholesl. fishmgr
mike
My first posting and it's a request for information! Sorry.
Attached is a painting by my g-g-grandfather Alfred Freeman Smith(1847-1932) entitled 'Great Queen Street, Birmingham' and dated 1883. Alfred was an architect in Birmingham and also taught at the Municipal School of Art. I am no expert on Birmingham so any thoughts on this picture or the artist himself would be most appreciated.
Some questions:
Is this really Great Queen St? Is it an accurate view at the time? (I notice there are no horse buses for instance). What's the building that runs the whole length of the street? What's that large building in the distance?
I know it's not a photo but this seemed the best place to post it, given its subject matter.
thanks
Tony
Attached is a painting by my g-g-grandfather Alfred Freeman Smith(1847-1932) entitled 'Great Queen Street, Birmingham' and dated 1883. Alfred was an architect in Birmingham and also taught at the Municipal School of Art. I am no expert on Birmingham so any thoughts on this picture or the artist himself would be most appreciated.
Some questions:
Is this really Great Queen St? Is it an accurate view at the time? (I notice there are no horse buses for instance). What's the building that runs the whole length of the street? What's that large building in the distance?
I know it's not a photo but this seemed the best place to post it, given its subject matter.
thanks
Tony
Attachments
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Pomgolian
Kiwi Brummie
There was a Great Queen St it's on an old map that I have of Brum... The long building on the right looks from my map and the painting to be the back of New Street Station .
I can't post the map just now as I'm on the lap-top and the map is on my other computer.
However if no one post one I'll post it later after I've transfered it to the lap-top..
Hope this helps
I can't post the map just now as I'm on the lap-top and the map is on my other computer.
However if no one post one I'll post it later after I've transfered it to the lap-top..
Hope this helps
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BordesleyExile
master brummie
Thank you so much for posting you gg grandfather's painting for us to see, AJS. Its both beautifull & fascinating. What unique insights it gives us to this otherwise artisticly neglected area of Birmingham.
Thanks for the kind words and helpful hints. I now believe the painting shows a view from the junction of Worcester Street and Gt. Queen Street just in front of the Market Hall. The building on the right is the back of New Street Station before the Midland Railway opened their extension to the station in 1885. This extension appears to have obliterated Great Queen Street. I think the pub on the left is called the Bulls Head, though so far I have only looked at an 1867 Kelly's.
Thanks again
Tony
Thanks again
Tony
Great Queen St was about where Queen's Drive later was. In 1880, and a little before, the north side was occupied by the L & NW station, whilst the south side was assorted businesses. In the drawing there is a building, the third down, which looks a bit like a pub . In 1876 there is a pub listed . the Bulls Head, but it does not appear in 1878 or after. In 1884 Great Queen St is listed as "now part of Station St".Can't find any that would fit in with "ASH" that appeatrs to be on the upper stories of the first building
mike
mike
N
Neville Philpott
Guest
Couldn't agree more, truly wonderful painting.
Many thanks for posting.
Are there any more in the attic?
Neville..
Many thanks for posting.
Are there any more in the attic?
Neville..
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BordesleyExile
master brummie
Tony you will find a few examples of Alfred Freeman Smith's work in The Making of Birmingham Dent 1894
https://www.midlandshistoricaldata.org/SHPLoader.aspx?x=books.html&sc=1440
BordesleyExile
master brummie
Great Queen St. Just reposting following the forum hack.
That's another painting I'd happily have on my wall Bordesleyexile! So full of activity and atmosphere. I wondered if any part of this view still exists. I know Great Queen Street disappeared when New St Station was built, but it would be so nice to find something in the painting that still exists. I can't spot anything. Thanks for posting. Viv.
OK thanks Mike. I did also wonder if, on what looks like a hill in the distance, there's a glimpse of the Town Hall. But it's all a bit too vague. Viv.
I'm afraid I have no large scale map of the period. the c 1889 map covers when there were no buildings other than the stations, and the much earlier maps do not have queen st on them. Cambridge house was on the south side betwenn dudley st junction and the worcester st end, and this is marked in red on the 1855 small scale map below
The almshouses which stood on the site of the old New Street Station - all swept away to make way for the LMS extension. Viv.
viv
I have some difficulty in accepting all the details of that place as described in the clipping. The map below is from 1866, well before 1879, and seems to show that "facing the junction of Gt Queen St and Dudley St" already was the station. So, as I see it, either the position or date given would seem to be wrong.
I have some difficulty in accepting all the details of that place as described in the clipping. The map below is from 1866, well before 1879, and seems to show that "facing the junction of Gt Queen St and Dudley St" already was the station. So, as I see it, either the position or date given would seem to be wrong.
I think the writing (bottom left of the image) says Great Queen Street - Dudley Street. Seems quite precise. Maybe Tarlington was drawing a retrospective view, to represent the view before the Station, putting it back to pre-1854.
Are any of the other buildings recognisable ? Viv.
Are any of the other buildings recognisable ? Viv.
Small, old and dilapidated dwellings were being cleared across a large area, including Gt Queen St and Dudley St in 1882. In total 180 houses, as well as the Old Meeting House (the houses were supposed to be at the rear of the Meeting House) were cleared to make way for the LNWR New St extension. So Gt Queen St was still in existence in 1882 and couldn’t have been covered over by the old Midland part of New St Station. Is the last sentence wrong in that it should have read ‘covered by the later LNWR extension’ ? The confusion could be because the journalist is commenting on the present day - well in 1957, the date of the press cutting.
Viv.
Viv.
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