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Hercules Manor Works Long Acre

No problem Oisin I am grateful for the help.

Thank you curly I have so many photo's some are just piles of rubble. Trying to put them together is a real challenge which I wouldn't have done without the help of the lovely members. It is very sad the original photographer didn't name and date them. Still never mind he kept them thats what matters. We never think we are going to get old and forget things do we.
 
Hi all, the third picture that Wendy has posted on page 2 #26 is of the same factory but is taken from Crompton road with the yard of Avon Die castings on the right hand side of the photo.
 
The factory was still listed in 1945 but by 1947 it is not listed in the directory's this may mean that the factory premises were empty or that it has been demolished ?
 
It looks to me as though members have successfully resolved Wendy's problem with regard to the identification of this factory - the Hercules Manor Works in Long Acre acquired in 1929. But in these postwar images no Company logo or sign anywhere.

But I still think there are some "funnies" in the photographs. The design of the building shown in Wendy's post #26 is clearly the same as those in earlier images EXCEPT that it shows an additional storey. Usually storeys are added, not removed. But I wonder if in this case a storey has in fact been removed in the time between the photographs being taken. I can only assume this from the dating of the vehicles in the different images. It looks as though the photograph in post #26 is earlier than the one in post #1 (mid 1950s and early/mid 1960s perhaps?). This would suggest that the top story has disappeared in the meantime.

Another factor in this earlier image #26 (taken I assume from Crompton Street) is the existence of distinctive vents in the roof. I think that I'm right in saying that it is the same building which appears to the left in this July 1942 image of bomb damage behind Long Acre and Crompton Street. There the roof vents can be seen and, presumably the top storey underneath them. (Acknowledgement to English Heritage).

I don't think this in any way alters the conclusion that members have reached whilst assisting Wendy but it may indicate a tiny bit of the history of this building. (Pedantry rules OK!).

Chris
 

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ChrisM said:
........Another factor in this earlier image #26 (taken I assume from Crompton Street) is the existence of distinctive vents in the roof. I think that I'm right in saying that it is the same building which appears to the left in this July 1942 image of bomb damage behind Long Acre and Crompton Street. There the roof vents can be seen and, presumably the top storey underneath them.........
Click to expand...

Chris, you are correct with your statement of the bomb damage heres a pic with the wall of the factory on the right side by the car.

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=85355&d=1364583913

pud.
 
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Thanks, pudding, wasn't sure at first because I was looking at the factory on the horizon. What you say certainly looks correct the Hercules factory is just visible, extreme right

This is a 1938 map of Long Acre.

Chris

PS Going off-topic. I wonder what the factory further up the street on the right hand side was?
 

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As you are all so clever and have identified the building as Hercules cycles in Long Acre. Do you think this is the same building. These buildings were all demolished I would assume late 50's -60's. The photo's are mixed up so I am trying to put the various places together. I have all the Josiah Mason Orphanage ones together ready to scan and put on disk. I now have to sort what I think was the demolition of the old Bull Ring and Hercules works. I am so grateful for your help and it seems like fun too..x

img344.jpg
 
Has to be the same factory, Wendy, but a different face. Could well be the side to the left of your image #26, in Salford Street.

The Vespa helps date it. And what a sad sight some of these images are.

Chris
 
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These pictures are too disturbing to look at. Especially so if the only replacements are warehouses.
 
Wendy. I agree with Chris as you can see the brickwork decor is the same, I think the office part of the factory (the higher building) was demolished about late 1960's as for the works was still there in 1970's.

Chris the factory further up the street is Veritys

Veritys3.jpg

pud.
 
Once again thank you for your help I think I can sort the rest of the photo's out on the Hercules Factory now. I will post some of the other ones later when I have soted these ready to scan. Thanks again for all the help.
 
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