Its the original colour postcard (not my posting) in which you can see Lewis's as the white building on the left. Eventually Rackhams ran (as it still does) all the way along from the front door of Dolcis (with the Cobden above) to the corner of Bull Street where it originally had its front door (I think). Have other old photos of Rackhams somewhere (before the extension) but not from this angle.
-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
See Birmingham by Post Card
- Thread starter motorman-mike
- Start date
Its the original colour postcard (not my posting) in which you can see Lewis's as the white building on the left. Eventually Rackhams ran (as it still does) all the way along from the front door of Dolcis (with the Cobden above) to the corner of Bull Street where it originally had its front door (I think). Have other old photos of Rackhams somewhere (before the extension) but not from this angle.
paul stacey
master brummie
my da worked weekends as a barman at the cobden in the 50's, he met a few household names there, one rod laver (tennis star) gave hime some of his playing shirts , lacross an i wore them for 2/3 years, wish I had em now.
Oh thanks Richie that's helpful. Now I understand. Viv.
Hi Paul. I have a vague idea that the Cobden eventually moved to Hagley Road. Did it become a dry house too? Viv.
Hi Jennyann... I think we have corresponded on this site before... as I went to Pitmans too. I am looking on an old A-Z of Birmingham...Rackhams was on the corner of Cherry Street. I cannot find Martineau St...! is that it by the shop called Joans? I thought Pitmans was on the corner of Union Street. In 2000 I stood on the Corner outside Rackhams and took a photo of the new building where Pitmans used to be... and that would be looking across the road and to the right. I watched Rackhams being built from my classroom and I went to Pitmans in 1958. Georgie
Teddy Fan
master brummie
Hi, I think I've seen this picture, or similar, on one of the previous postings.
It appears to have been taken from a little further up than the other posting, it looks very different but the far distant view matches quite closely. It's all a bit confusing!
The whole right-hand row of buildings don't seem to be the same. There is a space on the right side of the street as if a building has been demolished - does anyone know what was there previously or what was built there afterwards? Has anybody got dates for either picture?
Angela
It appears to have been taken from a little further up than the other posting, it looks very different but the far distant view matches quite closely. It's all a bit confusing!
The whole right-hand row of buildings don't seem to be the same. There is a space on the right side of the street as if a building has been demolished - does anyone know what was there previously or what was built there afterwards? Has anybody got dates for either picture?
Angela
Attachments
Last edited by a moderator:
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Hi Georgie: You are right. It was Union Street. I always get Martineau Street and Union Street mixed up. I was working in Brum on Upper Dean Street when Rackhams was started. On this link there are 44 great old photos of Brum. There is a photo of Corporation Street with the C&A Building in place and further up on the left near Lewis's is the new Rackhams store. This photo was taken in 1960. https://www.francisfrith.com/birmingham/photos/41/
M
maxwell bullivant
Guest
Corporation St is fascinating in as much as when it was built it was constructed from opposite ends and met in the middle, a wonderful feat. I wonder if anyone knows where "The join is"? Max
My guess Maxwell they'd have joined at Priory Ringway. Viv
Yes that would make more sense Dek as Bull Street would already have been well established. Viv.
Georgie, here's the correct ref. no of Jennyan's posting LOL
www.francisfrith.com/birmingham/photos/corporation-street-c1960_b100054
I know that this might be turning into a Corporation Street thread, but otherwise I might lose all my customers. Here's yet another photo of Corporation Street (source unknown), 1960's also? I originally thought the modern white building on the right in this latest view might be C and A which fitted into the gap shown on the recent black/white postcard. More likely much further up on the same side with the white buildings accommodating Barrows(?) or more recently Virgin Records(?) In which case the New Victoria Hotel would have been on the corner of Corporation Street/Bull Street East or next one down. Anyone with a Kelly's directory out there please?View attachment 64524
www.francisfrith.com/birmingham/photos/corporation-street-c1960_b100054
I know that this might be turning into a Corporation Street thread, but otherwise I might lose all my customers. Here's yet another photo of Corporation Street (source unknown), 1960's also? I originally thought the modern white building on the right in this latest view might be C and A which fitted into the gap shown on the recent black/white postcard. More likely much further up on the same side with the white buildings accommodating Barrows(?) or more recently Virgin Records(?) In which case the New Victoria Hotel would have been on the corner of Corporation Street/Bull Street East or next one down. Anyone with a Kelly's directory out there please?View attachment 64524
Ray Barrett
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN R.I.P.
My guess for Angela'a photo.is 8.20am in the summer of 1950.The clock and the shadows tell us the time,by the dresses of the girls and women,it's summer.The cars all seem to be 1950 ish.,and the fashionable bloke in the left forefront has a windsor knot in his tie c1950 when they first appeared.Wasn't we a busy lot early in the morning.
Sheerluck Holmes...
Sheerluck Holmes...
dek carr
gone but not forgotten
Richie the new white building was built over the top of Martineau St in the centre of the complex was Martineau Square up the side ran Union St would the passage on the right be part of Union Passage? C&A is just out of shot on the right although there was an entrance down that passage. Dek
Ray Barrett
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN R.I.P.
Forgot to say Angela,your photo.is excellent,it's the kind of photo.that you can keep looking at and picking out people,who were they? where were they going? where are they now?.
Yes I remember C & A being down that passage. I think it later became W H Smith. Seem to remember that low, modern building on the right coming up close to the opposite side of Rackhams. Viv.
john knight
signman
Thank you SO MUCH for posting this.... brilliant...I have been looking for ages to see if I could see my old college.
The Victoria Hotel was to the right of Pitmans College. Where the ABC sign is... this was the old entrance to Pitmans College, my friend and I went to have a look inside one day. Pitmans must have moved 1961'ish. C & A was further down on the right back towards New Street... I am sure it was built where the gap is in the other photo. Union Street was between Pitmans and the modern white building. I have a photo of the modern building which was opposite Rackhams entrance on the corner of Cherry Street/Corporation Street. Georgie
The Victoria Hotel was to the right of Pitmans College. Where the ABC sign is... this was the old entrance to Pitmans College, my friend and I went to have a look inside one day. Pitmans must have moved 1961'ish. C & A was further down on the right back towards New Street... I am sure it was built where the gap is in the other photo. Union Street was between Pitmans and the modern white building. I have a photo of the modern building which was opposite Rackhams entrance on the corner of Cherry Street/Corporation Street. Georgie
The picture by Angela is taken at the junction with Nerw Street and the C&A store was built in the bomb damage gap on the right. It can not be seen in this photo but it did stand back from the original frontage quite a bit. There were also offices above C&A; one of which was a Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth aircraft design office in 1960. When the structure was built is unknown but possibly after 1950. The end facings of the still existing buildings, were cleaned up a bit but not much. As Dek said, Richie's picture is at the junction with Union Street and I also get that street mixed up with Martieau St...they were close together. The white building is on the northerly corner of Martineau and stretched along Corporation street for a distance and as I seem to think was there for a while before the Rackhams expansion. Union St. did lead to Union and Warwick passage and part of the old passge is still there with the old entrance and roof still intact. You can Google it and there is a thread on here about it. Bow tie's apart, (for me anyway but if that can be an indicator then so be it) there is nothing wrong about trying to date the pictures especially so when dating can be assissted by photo numbering routine and directions of shaddows can help in estimating time of day. It all adds to the value. As does a person's daily lfe experience associated with the photo's. It is all grist for the mill and helps to bring the pictures to life a bit.
By the way, AngelaK's photo is clearly in the afternoon at 20min to five. if the clock is right and the shaddows don't lie. Oh and the Windsor knot dates way back before these years 1800s in fact. Not that these facts are important but if posted we might as well have them correct. That area was always pretty busy though, on week days and saturdays.
By the way, AngelaK's photo is clearly in the afternoon at 20min to five. if the clock is right and the shaddows don't lie. Oh and the Windsor knot dates way back before these years 1800s in fact. Not that these facts are important but if posted we might as well have them correct. That area was always pretty busy though, on week days and saturdays.
Last edited by a moderator:
Teddy Fan
master brummie
Hi,
Thanks to Ray and Rupert for the interesting information about the photo I posted.
Thanks also to Richie for the picture of Corporation Street. I have attached another, similar, view of The Victoria Hotel but at an earlier date.
There is a really interesting building in the space at the top of Union Street - anyone know what it was?
Now, this time we can see the clock on the left-hand side really clearly but any guesses as to the year?
Thanks to Ray and Rupert for the interesting information about the photo I posted.
Thanks also to Richie for the picture of Corporation Street. I have attached another, similar, view of The Victoria Hotel but at an earlier date.
There is a really interesting building in the space at the top of Union Street - anyone know what it was?
Now, this time we can see the clock on the left-hand side really clearly but any guesses as to the year?
Attachments
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Jennyann...many thanks for the francis frith link... lovely old photos. Have you seen the photo that Richie posted Ref 1381 on this thread.. not sure if this link will get you there forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15768&page=93 I have been looking for ages for this view... looking up Corporation Street from New Street end. The ABC Warehouse sign is over the old entrance to Pitmans College.. remembering the staircase that went up from Street level... Headmasters office on the right as you turned the corner at the top and more stairs up... I guess that the classrooms were on the 2nd, 3rd,4th and top floors. I cannot remember being on the first floor directly over the shops. I certainly landed up in a classroom on the top floor on the corner (Union Street). My friend and I went into the ABC just to have a look one day...only one floor open..rest closed off. Georgie
This gets better and better. Great photo’s, not seen before, that enlarge on the scope of the existing ones. The last one is taken from a building window on the southern corner of Fore Street looking up Corporation Street again but it shows very well buildings on the east side of the street. The entrance on the immediate right is Warwick Passage and on that corner is the Victoria Hotel and the next entrance up is Union Street and then beyond the School Building, mentioned, is Martineau Street…the latter two close together. Date…yes earlier than the previous one I think…mid 1930s perhaps.
It’s funny; when you walked the sidewalk by these buildings, you never saw the bigger picture from above and without knowing, I would have had a difficult time recognizing this one. I feel sad about it all.
Going back to Richies picture; if you look in the distance to the right of the tower, you can see a tram turning the corner out of Martineau Street next to the school. Different camera lenses distort the distance differently and that has to be born in mind.
Super photo’s and thanks for posting.
The following 1890 survey map shows the buildings and streets. You can use the wheel on your mouse to zoom in.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/m...d=10098&ox=1487&oy=1584&zm=1&czm=1&x=613&y=15
It’s funny; when you walked the sidewalk by these buildings, you never saw the bigger picture from above and without knowing, I would have had a difficult time recognizing this one. I feel sad about it all.
Going back to Richies picture; if you look in the distance to the right of the tower, you can see a tram turning the corner out of Martineau Street next to the school. Different camera lenses distort the distance differently and that has to be born in mind.
Super photo’s and thanks for posting.
The following 1890 survey map shows the buildings and streets. You can use the wheel on your mouse to zoom in.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/m...d=10098&ox=1487&oy=1584&zm=1&czm=1&x=613&y=15
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi all. Agree these get better and better. Could spend hours zooming in on the photos people have posted to examine the details. There's so much craftsmanship in the building details. A joy to look at. In Angela's photo (post # 1389) I notice is the traffic seems to be all one way? Would that have been usual then? Viv.
That clock on the left-hand side of Angela's photo is in all of the views of this part of Corpn. St. and is still there today. The building was once "Pattisons" (vertical signage on the side of the building). Viv.
Jayell
master brummie
Another great photo Angela. The shop in the lower right hand corner is Thomas Donne -I wonder if this is the schools outfitters. I can remember having to go to the Donne on occasions for school uniform but I don't think the shop was in the same position in Corporation Street, mind you it was a long time ago. Judy
....and keeping the Corporation Street/See Birmingham by Postcard (LOL) thread going, here's the clock in Angela's picture from the other side and at ground level. A bit of the then "newish" C and A on the left. Photo (copyright mark kept) from a major international photo-newspaper website.
View attachment 64571
View attachment 64571
Attachments
Last edited by a moderator:
Ah I remember waiting at that bus stop on many Saturdays for the 29 or 29A bus home! (I think it became the 90 and 91 bus). On first looking at this I felt I'd actually stepped into the picture. It also looks like it was a one way street. Date-wise it looks to be very late 1950's or maybe 1961/2. Pure nostalgia for me. Many thanks. Viv.
