• 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

Use Of A Rather Dated Image

mikejee

Super Moderator
Staff member
A book has just appeared on ebay entitled "Birmingham District Old & New. Useful Knowledge for Health & Home" Published 1933.(https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-OLD...862278?hash=item48aeb6d246:g:P-gAAOSwYK1bLBFq) . It appears to be a book of household hints with a large section on estate agents with descriptions of areas of Birmingham and their amenities. I suspect it might have been subsidised by the estate agents.
A few pages are reproduced including the frontispiece (below), What attracted my attention was that although it was published in 1933, the "View of Birmingham" was probably mid 19th century or even earlier. Christchurch is shown next to the Town Hall and the open fields are very close to the town hall.
t is also another early view of the town, though the date is unknown.

view of birmingham from 1933 book.jpg
 
Certainly earlier, I think Mike, judging by the dress of the reclining figure in the foreground.
I wonder what the colonnaded building is, right of picture on the horizon?
 
I thought the building a bit like the town hall towards the right of the picture was Graham Street Zion Chapel but what the square building is I have no idea. Unless it's the pen works, also in Graham St. I took the building on the far right to be some sort of furnace or part of Soho but it really is quite a strange building.
 
I'm not infallible you know. could be wrong. But what do you mean by the square building?
 
Mike, I'm sure you're right. If it is Curzon Street then it couldn't be before 9th April 1838 (wasn't that Brunel's birthday? - strange as this line was in opposition to his line). The 'square' building I was looking at is ringed on the enclosed copy. Judging by my performance in my previous post it isn't even a square building!

(Something that did strike me, which is off at a tangent, is to do with Dennis's query about buildings on an earlier map. Sorry can't find the thread. But there were things that looked like sentry boxes in open fields and we were all trying to figure out what they were. Well there are similar buildings in your picture and I wonder if Dennis's were actually meant to be detached houses?)
 

Attachments

  • Square Building.jpg
    Square Building.jpg
    99.8 KB · Views: 27
Last edited:
You may well be right about the "sentry boxes". As to the square building , I wonder whether it is meant to be St James church
 
Don't think so Mike as St James' was much squatter than that and had a little tower at the front. Could be artistic licence though.
 
You have to allow for some artist's licence in some of these old engravings/etchings. What puzzles me is what appears to look like a huge modern lamp standard on extreme left of pic, any ideas. Eric
 
Re my last post, it appears to be a tall chimney emitting smoke ! Eric
Yes, indeed There does not seem to be many tall chimneys in the engraving which suggests much was still in the cottage or small scale industrial scene.
I believe the location of the chimney and adjacent structure appears to be in the Ladywood area. Any ideas about it folks?
 
never much good at directions but if thats the town hall and to the right of that is christ the king then i took a guess that the next church along could be st phillips colmore row with the old buildings surrounding it..only thing is st phillips does not have a spire as shown in the drawing

lyn
 
Town Hall 1834, No Council House until 1874, Curzon St 1838. St Phillips and St Martins well early. Christ Chuch there until 1899.
So Mikes original between 1838-1874.
 
There's no arguing with the vintage of the buildings in the picture but that geezer in the foreground's attire is definitely Poldark, (even Warleggan) !
 
Maypolebaz, knee breeches were still being worn up to the middle of the 19th century when the fashion died out in favour of trousers so perhaps that helps with the date.
 
Back
Top