Here's my draft response to the request from the Birmingham Civic Socuety in post #1. Please feel free to comment on any omissions/errors or other observations before I send it off to the Society. In particulatpr does anyone know the exact number of images there are in total (ie the Chrysallis images plus the Nicklin Unseen/Brumpic) ? Viv.
PHYLLIS NICKLIN : REQUEST TO CONSIDER A BLUE PLAQUE APPLICATION FROM THE BIRMINGHAM HISTORY FORUM
Phyllis Nicklin was born in 1909 in Birmingham. For most of her life she lived in Birmingham, except while appointed as temporary lecturer at Nottingham University during World War II. She was a graduate and postgraduate of the University of Birmingham, following which she pursued a career in teaching and teacher training before being appointed staff tutor in Geography at the extra-mural department at the University of Birmingham. She died in post at the age of 60 in 1969.
Phyllis Nicklin's photographic legacy
During her career she produced a substantial number of 35mm photographic slides (approximately 1,200 slides) which, on her death, were donated to the University of Birmingham by her brother Harold C Nicklin. The slides contain images of Birmingham city centre and its suburbs on the cusp of major change. They provide viewers and researchers with a valuable historical and photographic record of the buildings, it's urban topography, street scenes and local people of the 1950's and 1960's. Many show landscapes that have since disappeared altogether and have, subsequently, been completely replaced.
This vast collection clearly demonstrates her skill as a photographer, particularly in the composition and range of images. Additionally they show her as a perceptive observer, attuned to the social and environmental conditions of mid-20th century Birmingham. Undoubtedly her collection was initially used to aid her University teaching role with each slide meticulously annotated. Such attention to detail signals her intention to use the material in a later study or book. Sadly she passed away suddenly in 1969 before the work could be realised during her lifetime. The images remained locked and undisturbed in a university cupboard for many years after her death.
Projects
Over time, the extent of the collection has gradually been uncovered. The value and significance of Phyllis's legacy has in recent times been more fully realised and her work has become the subject of a number of projects and exhibitions.
'Chrysalis'
The first digitisation project of her slides covered a selection of 446 slides by the "Chrysalis" digitisation project of the West Midlands Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. This digitisation took place in 2004 and comprised a selection, not the full range, of Phyllis's slides. The images, covering the city centre and several districts and suburbs, documented Birmingham buildings, urban topography and street scenes during the 1950s and 60s. From 2007 the images were moved to the University of Birmingham's ePapers repository site.
https://epapers.bham.ac.uk/chrysalis.html
'Unseen Nicklin'
In 2014 further previously unseen 35mm slides were uncovered in a filing cabinet at the University. Brumpic - a community site sharing archive images - was consulted and an initial look through the box revealed there were something in the region of 1,100 slides with more than 600 of these unseen by the general public. Brumpic is currently carrying out the task of digitising and publicising the slides in conjunction with the University. For reference both website links are given below.
https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/b...hotographs-by-Phyllis-Nicklin-discovered.aspx
https://www.brumpic.com/phyllis-nicklin-unseen/
Exhibitions
Phyllis bequeathed a stunning, visual photographic legacy of Birmingham. Over the last year the most recently unearthed ‘Unseen’ images (approximately 750 images) have been exhibited through various media including an exhibition at Snow Hill, at the University of Birmingham, inclusion in local and social media and through touch tables at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and at the Library of Birmingham. Ultimately it is planned that all of the recently unearthed images will feature on the Brumpic site.
'Nicklin Revisited'
Phyllis's legacy has given us a unique insight into Birmingham’s history. Through the 'Nicklin Revisited' project artists have been invited to produce new work inspired by her photographs. Their individual responses to the images now form a major exhibition in Birmingham. Underlying all the paintings are the skill and vision of Phyllis herself.
Comments by Professor Carl Chinn on the value of Phyllis Nicklin's archive
"
The hundreds of superb photographs of street scenes and buildings of Birmingham taken by Phyllis Nicklin make up one of the most remarkable collections of historical images for any city in the United Kingdom. They bring into sharp yet sensitive focus the rapidly changing face of Birmingham in the 1950s and 60s, highlighting places and sights soon to be lost as well as those new developments that were placing their mark upon the city's landscape. Nicklin's photographs, however, are not only evocative and memory stirring for they are also highly valuable historical records of Birmingham's physical layout, its landmarks and structures, and its people.They are made all the more powerful because they were taken in colour in what was still a black and white world and as such they have the ability to engage younger generations who grew up not in an austere time but who have lived their lives in more vivid tones. An unassuming person dedicated to her work, Phyllis Nicklin's achievements went unnoticed in her lifetime but they should now be recognised for their invaluable views into our past.
Consequently I fully support the application by the Birmingham History Forum to erect a blue plaque for Phyllis Nicklin." Professor Carl Chinn MBE Ph.D.
Phyllis Nicklin and the Birmingham Geographic Association
Phyllis was an active member of the Birmingham Geographical Association. Her valuable contribution is recognised in the following two extracts
Obituary extracted from ‘Geography, Vol. 55, No. 2, April 1970 – (c) The Geographical Association':
"
With the sudden and untimely passing of Miss P. A. Nicklin, for many years the indefatigable Honorary Secretary of the Birmingham Branch, the Association in particular and geography in general has lost one of its staunchest adherents. A graduate and postgraduate of the University of Birmingham, Phyllis Nicklin gained wide teaching experience in schools and colleges before becoming Staff Tutor in Geography to the Extra-mural Department at Birmingham. For well over twenty years she has been the driving force behind what is possibly the most successful liaison between an academic department, an extra-mural department, and a local branch of the Association that could be found in any university city. In that time she saw the growth of the Branch to a present membership of 1200, the holding of a most successful Spring Conference in Birmingham in 1965, and the publication by the Branch of a series of excursion guides to the West Midlands. She will be long remembered for her valuable contributions to Council and Executive meetings, for the stimulating courses that she arranged on behalf of thousands of extra-mural students, for her well-organized excursions, and, not least, for her kindly, effective and dedicated service to the Birmingham Branch".
An extract from Avril Maddrell's book "Complex Locations: Women's Geographical Work in the UK, 1859 - 1970":
"
Phyllis A Nicklin,........... was described as 'the indefatigable Honorary Secretary of the Birmingham (Geographical Association, GA) branch' which had a strong membership, allowing them to organise a Spring Conference in 1965 and publish excursion guides to the West Midlands. She was also a popular speaker at other GA branches, for example, the Crewe and Nantwich branch in 1959 and again in 1963. Within the national organisation, Nicklin served on the Council and Executive Committee. On a personal level she was remembered for her kindness, efficiency and her stimulating extra-mural course and field excursions (GA 1970). 'Miss Nicklin was considered a great rock in the world of geographical education and spent over twenty years as the driving force behind what is the most successful liaison between an academic department, extra-mural department, and the local branch of the Association that could be found in any University city" (Source: GA 1970 232 - 3)"
The homes of Phyllis Nicklin
18 Link Road in Ladywood, Birmingham (Source: 1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census)
44 Gillott Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, known to be at this address 1927 - 1940 (Source: Electoral Roll, Birmingham, Warwickshire)
84 Willow Avenue in Edgbaston, Birmingham, known to be at this address 1945 (Source: Electoral Roll, Birmingham, Warwickshire)
16 Middle Park Road, Birmingham, known to be at this address 1952 - 1965 (Source: Electoral Roll, Birmingham, Warwickshire)
Financial contribution
The Birmingham History Forum is run entirely by volunteers and exists on donations. For this reason pledges of help are being sought from anyone with an interest in the work of Phyllis Nicklin. Some Forum members have already come forward with personal pledges but, at this stage, the level of our financial contribution is unknown.
Viv Walker
On behalf of Birmingham History Forum
...... February, 2016
