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Birmingham Printing Companies circa 1900

A

alblol

Brummie babby
I am looking for information, old photos and advertisements from the late 1800's early 1900's for two printing companies from Birmingham.

The first is from Walter Hill where my Gt Grandfather earned his Printers Machinist Apprentice. Their location was #45 Albert St, Birmingham. Hill, Walter B. & Co. American Printers. I have attached a copy of the apprentice contact which I find fascinating.

The second printing company was located at 100 John Bright Street. My great grandfather worked there about 1907. The company was called Harold Saunders Electric Press. I have attached a copy of the letter Harold gave to my great grandfather when he was immigrating to Canada.
Frank Murrell job recommendation letter..jpg
I have hunted though just about everything I can from Canada, but cannot find anything other than addresses from the County Directories.


I look forward to hearing back from someone. Thanks in advance
 
Where did you get the address for Saunders? In the 1912 directory 100 John Bright St is a publisher (National Labour Press Ltd) but Bright Buildings (shown on the letterhead) is at 110 John Bright Street and Harold Saunders is in office number 9. It's unlikely that you'll find a photo of the office but the building was between a pub called the Malt Shovel and W H Newman tobacconists.
 
wam said:
Where did you get the address for Saunders? In the 1912 directory 100 John Bright St is a publisher (National Labour Press Ltd) but Bright Buildings (shown on the letterhead) is at 110 John Bright Street and Harold Saunders is in office number 9. It's unlikely that you'll find a photo of the office but the building was between a pub called the Malt Shovel and W H Newman tobacconists.
Click to expand...

Hi, yes, I got the address from the 1912 directory. I was hoping to maybe find some ads for the printing compnay in local papers from back then. I would also like a photo of the building if it could be found. Thanks for your help.
 
Alblol.

What period exactly do you want to cover. Between 1911 and 1940, when they were still in business), they have had three changes of address and around 1926 they became a limited company. In searching between 1890 and 1940 I have only found Situations Vacant and Hospital Saturday Fund contributions - no commercial advertisements at all. The addresses changed from John Bright Street to 40 Great Charles Street (around 1914) to 19 Cornwall Street. These are from searches of the British Library Newspaper Archive for newspapers published in Birmingham between 1890 and 1940.

EDIT: I've just noticed that a Special Resolution for the Voluntary Winding Up of the Company was passed on 11 January 1951.

Maurice :cool:
 
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sospiri said:
Alblol.

What period exactly do you want to cover. Between 1911 and 1940, when they were still in business), they have had three changes of address and around 1926 they became a limited company. In searching between 1890 and 1940 I have only found Situations Vacant and Hospital Saturday Fund contributions - no commercial advertisements at all. The addresses changed from John Bright Street to 40 Great Charles Street (around 1914) to 19 Cornwall Street. These are from searches of the British Library Newspaper Archive for newspapers published in Birmingham between 1890 and 1940.

EDIT: I've just noticed that a Special Resolution for the Voluntary Winding Up of the Company was passed on 11 January 1951.

Maurice :cool:
Click to expand...




Thanks Maurice,

I am looking for around the 1900-1910 timeframe as that is when my great grandfather was working there.

Thanks!!

Alice
 
Alice,

I'm afraid there is nothing in the Newspaper archives prior to 22 May 1911 in the Situations Vacant column of the Birmingham Mail. It reads:-

PRINTING - Youth Wanted for Plate Machine; able make ready - Harold Saunders, Bright Buildings, John Bright St.

Between 1890 and that date there is absolutely nothing searching on the key phrase "Harold Saunders".

Where records do survive from defunct businesses, they very rarely include personnel records, and you are seeking records that were over 40 years old when the business closed. I presume you have the 1901 Census entry at Blake Lane where his occupation is shown as Printer's Machine Minder?

Maurice :cool:
 
thanks Maurice, I appreaciate what you have looked up. I do have the Census records I was just hoping for a photo of the building from the era or the company's name in print. Just a little something more for my records. Thanks again.
 
mikejee said:
There is an online webinar on thursday on the printing industry in the midlands. It is free , but you have to register and some of the subjects are a little ephemeral to the Birmingham printing industry

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Artsfest Online: Printing and Print Culture in the Midlands: a Webinar

Printing and Print Culture in the Midlands: a Webinar
www.eventbrite.co.uk www.eventbrite.co.uk
Click to expand...
Thank you Mike, I did join this webinar, it was an interesting 2 plus hours! Very convenient for me at 11.00am central US time.
 
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