Birmingham Maps Display

[mikejee]

Paul from Mapseeker has asked me to pass on news of a new display of maps. it sounds very interesting.

Please can you let Birmingham History Forum members know that there is an exhibition of large format (40 x 30 ) plans of Birmingham now on show from tommorow at Birmingham Central Library.

We have decided to do the exhibition in two stages, the first available from this week are up to the arrival of the railways.

Comprising -

Panel 1 -
A rare map of Anglo - Saxon Britain by John Speed
The County map of Warwickshire 1603

Panel 2 -
1553 Conjectural plan of Birmingham by Hill
1731 Plan of Birmingham by Wesley

Panel 3 -
1750 Plan of Birmingham by Bradford
1778 Plan of Birmingham by Hanson

Panel 4 -
1810 Borough Survey by Kempson
1832 Plan of Birmingham by James Drake
1836 Map of Birmingham and the Black Country

In addition we are shortly to commence an ongoing project with Birmingham Archives and Heritage that will see the availability of much more material available for easier and clearer access.

 

[davidfowler]

Morning Mike. Just phoned the Library but they don't seem to know anything about it. As I travel from Banbury I want to be sure that the display is actually on! Can you get a bit more info please? Also, any idea when the second stage will start?

Cheers
David

 

[mikejee]

David
I contacted Paul and got the reply below;
We delivered the plans of Birmingham to the library on Friday. It is being put up by Richard Albutt - Digi Lab
He said he was going to try and put the maps up on the Saturday, however I spoke to someone at the library after receiving your message and both Richard and another member of staff are now apparently off ill. Richard may be in tommorow. As soon as I have confirmed the exhibition is up to view I will let you know. It should run through to end February. Hopefully the post railway maps/plans will be on display around July.
Obviously I'll post his further reply when he sends it
Mike

 

[davidfowler]

Just to let people know that I was in the library yesterday and I saw 2 general maps and 4 specifically of Birmingham. No-one had any info but I think these could be the ones. There was no explanation on the wall. They're certainly beautiful and I took pics of the 4 B'ham maps but a) it was on my mobile and b) I didn't hang about as I wasn't sure if this was allowed So the quality is really poor, sorry Still I hope people will get the idea of the area covered.
The 4 maps are 1553, 1731, 1750 and 1778. The display is on the 6th floor. As you get to the top of the escalator you turn right where there is an area for reading and they are on the wall on the left. Well worth a look.
I'm only posting 3 of the pics as the 4th was EVEN worse

 

[mikejee]

David
I know how difficult it is to get a good picture of documents in an exhibition, and think yours aren't too bad. I have now recieved a further communication from Paul as follows. It sounds as if they will all soon be on his website:
Please can you let members know that the maps are now on display at Birmingham Central Library. The exhibition will run up until end of February.

We have officially started a project partnership with Birmingham Archives and Heritage. This will mean that we will be working with them to scan, artwork and make available archives from the collections, making them available at the detailed level to use for research/study. This will not just be maps and material covering Birmingham, but places like Sutton Coldfield, Aston and so on.

Over the next week the early town plans of Birmingham, Hills 1553 Survey, Bradfords 1750, Hansons 1778 and many more will be loaded, along with streets and places so searches can be performed onto the mapseeker website resources. These maps from the Birmingham Archives will also be available to purchase as prints from the mapseeker website.

On the long list we will be working on are Piggott Smiths 1847 Birmingham plans - 4 very large sheets - extremely detailed down to the gardens - The plan here is to produce "Piggott Smiths A-Z of early Victorian Birmingham", available as a colour paperback book.

I am half way through my next book to follow Birmingham "A History in Maps", this will be Sutton Coldfield.

Regards
Paul

 

[davidfowler]

Thanks Mike for that info. I'm already a member of his site.