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Birmingham Town Hall

I think the original post gave some more details Lyn, if you can find it. It is also possible that the date of thephoto I put on was given as 1937 because it was erected for the coronation and assumed to be 1937.
See you later
Mike
 
I have found a reference on on old thread about whatever happened to old statues. Apparently it was used twice but was only "disposable" and a bronze one should have been made but never was!
Sorry I can't put the link.
rosie.
 
The cynic in me thinks Birmingham even today makes 'temporary' 'disposable' statues. This seems to be a re-occurring theme, the statue's on the street one day, then it disappears, goes into storage or moves. Viv
 
When Paradise Birmingham is completed, they'll return the statues to Chamberlain Square. So James Watt, Joseph Priestley and Thomas Attwood statues will be gone for quite a while now.

Library demolition isn't quite finished yet.
 
Thanks Janice and Roseie, that certainly answers the question. The post on that thread (copied below for easy ref) says there was one column/statue, it was of St. George and was used for the Coronation and the Pageant the following year. It was made of wood and plaster and, although there were plans to make a permanent column/statue, the onset of WW2 meant the plans were never carried through.

Viv.
 

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I think this might be a mid-1800s image of the Town Hall judging by the stovepipe hats the cabbies and an onlooker are wearing.

Lots of cabs lined up ready for customers. Are they lined up in the middle of the road? At one time there was a cab shelter at this point, but don't seem to be able to see it. Maybe that was placed there at a later date. Viv.

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they look like they are in the middle of the road viv...nice photo not seen it before

lyn
 
View of Birmingham Town Hall from today. Seen from Level 9 at the Library of Birmingham (view now possible due to the demolition of the 1974 Central Library)

 
A wonderful shot ellB. It is without doubt my favourite Birmingham building, I was able to appreciate its majestic beauty even at the tender age of nine or ten.
I hope an open space might be achieved where the demolition has taken place - but somehow I doubt it. It does not deserve to be hemmed in by tall structures (usually cliff face architecture). I know St. Martins church is very much appreciated but the Town Hall can be 'all things to all people'.
 
Saint Martins was once the dominant feature in the Bull Ring (as it should be) but is no longer, I would hate to see the Town Hall go the same way, dwarfed by some glass and concrete monstrosity, knowing the philistines running the Council I would not be at all surprised if this happens. Eric
 
This is the crap that is going up next to the Town Hall. I'd rather have kept the old library.
 

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thing is we can sign petitions..go on protest marches..write in..go to public meetings to try and save our national treasures but no one listens..no one cares..ive done all this but to no avail...it wont be long before birminghams history is literally a thing of the past and buildings that are only 50 years old will be grade listed and viewed with wonderment and amazement that they are still standing. i am a proud to be a brummie but to be quite honest i am ashamed of how our city centre and out lining areas look...the city centre is a right mish mash of buildings that just look totally out of place..nothing seems to look right...a right mess and some of the buildings built in the 60s are filthy..the other week i walked the short distance from corporation to smallbrook queensway..a ten min walk in which i counted no less than 7 people lying on the pavements asleep in sleeping bags... of course this view is just through my eyes others will no doubt see it differently..
 
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YES, Lynn
you are quite correct there minds are made on any decsion on any subject or buildng in question
we the public elect them to run our city , but after that you canot tell them about any think
any planning organised by the city council , no matter what party or what as been decide they dismiss public oppenion
you can petion all you like your democrated right to so along with the public
they say we will look at any bodies pettions bug it hog wash and demostrate its a complete waste of time
whom,s idea to recomend any think and it goes through they will go down in history book record
that he brought it to birmingham
I cannot see them knocking down the town hall i am sure there would be more than a demostration on there hands
as regards the building which is the further away i think its better than that old libary we had
in my eyes it was just concrete block , i used to travel there nearly every other day of the week
that old libary doing my research i would be until late
and i used to see these homeless people from the saly army cominng in and squatting on arm years
reading the news papers awaiting for the time they was allowed to get into the hostel
still that another matter i know , i do not want to go off thread
but judging by the last photograph on here i think its fine
and another question all these council cuts pleading poverty where is the finance coming from
dont say the london office white hall its sems all councils are wasting money
they want to look at the inner cities close to the city centre instead of all these swarf office blocks
i do not like these giant green houses with tons of glass it aint right
best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,,,,,
 
Re Frothie's post #385, this proposal is absolute sacrilege and there appears to be nothing the rate payer can do about it. They council never learns, never listens and has no interest in the cities history, all cities will all look the same one day. How sad. Eric
 
It is difficult to assess whether that new building will have much sympathy with the older more elegant structures nearby. The picture suggests it might. One thing seems to be of interest and that is it not a high multi storey structure towering way above the nearby buildings.
Not knowing who represents the people of the city on the council, from some comments here, from time to time, suggests that many are not deeply rooted in the city and its tradition.
Of course it is not just in Birmingham that decisions of a disputable nature occur. The ancient fishing harbour of Brixham (Devon), which most tourists find of interest and pleasure, once had a newcomer to the area suggest it was in filled for a car park!! Other cities and towns have also used canals, railway cuttings and other areas for infilling only to find that that subsequently - and at great financial cost I might add - the infill needed removing to enable the original purpose to be renewed.
 
cookie273uk said:
Re Frothie's post #385, this proposal is absolute sacrilege and there appears to be nothing the rate payer can do about it. They council never learns, never listens and has no interest in the cities history, all cities will all look the same one day. How sad. Eric
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I love old building. As you probably know I also like new buildings which have some character about them but I don't like tall greenhouses.
 
I personally find natural materials like stone, marble, terracotta, slate etc... age naturally, but man made concrete does not, it simply gets grubby and stained over a period of time. I think what ever they decide to build adjacent to the Town Hall should be well below its height and anything but concrete.
 
I don't think any new buildings, even important ones, are usually designed to last very long. Therefore they put no real effort into designing something that is good. apart from that, many architects have peculiar ideas as to what is good . Just watched an old program i had taped which showed the Belfast museum. Started 1920s, but only half built. completed 1970s with whya looks like part of the 1970s birmingham library stuck on the side. Yet someone was saying how well the two parts went together !!!!
 
A familiar view of the Town Hall. But each column has a shield attached to it. No date for the postcard but could be 1940s/50s. Viv.

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Was wondering if the shields on each column were something to do with the Birmingham Pageant/King's visit of 1938 ? Viv.
 
Thanks Tim. That's helpful. The shields must have been for a particular event as they're temporary. So we're still looking at 1940s- 1950s. Viv.
 
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