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Chamberlain Square - The Changing Face

  • Thread starter Thread starter Humph3
  • Start date Start date
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Humph3

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I found this on the web and thought you would like to see it also.
Click on the link at the bottom.
Humph

'In the 1960s and 70s research chemist and amateur photographer Derek Fairbrother made over 20 photographic time-lapse sequences showing the demolition of old buildings and their replacement by new buildings and road systems in Birmingham city centre.'




https://vimeo.com/7329952
 
What a disaster. Bit of cleaning would have made the old buildings great again. The western aspect of the Town Hall seems to have improved though...sans the close proximity of the surrounding buildings. Unfortunately the surrounding buildings happened to be the Central Library/Midland Institute and Masons College which were wonderful period pieces. I would have moved the Town Hall to another location and kept the other buildings. What a cold indifferent face the replacement structures offer up...soon to be gone.
 
Cheers Alf, I hadn't come across it, although I am still trawling through a lot of old threads still.
 
Utterly astounding. A literal externalization of psychic implosion. How that kind of monstrous brutal hooliganism could have been perpetrated at public expense is actually incredible. Collective genius reservoir cultural heritage.
I'd forgotten buses used stop outside the steps of the m&ag.

(those public miscreants got away with what they did because of depression.)
 
Cannot see what all the fuss is about.....

We gained a Macdonald's and Wetherspoons out of it didn't we ...... ;-)

wheres me smilies gone?
 
img403.jpg
Chamberlain Square in 1936 when a wreath was placed at the statue of Joseph Chamberlain to mark the centenary of his birth.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Quote "Chamberlain Square in 1936 when a wreath was placed at the statue of Joseph Chamberlain to mark the centenary of his death."

Would you mean his birth?

Terry
 
I'm just as bad Trevor, it's just that I can see other peoples mistakes easier than my own :-)

Terry
 
img663.jpg
This was how it appeared in 1954 after the alterations for the Festival of Britain in 1951.
The square underwent more reconstruction work in 1980.
 
I come back to UK about every 6 months and usually visit centre of Birmingham. I would like to see statues etc as mentioned in the previous post especially in the area around Chamberlain square. You know what it's like, as I walk around I pass things but never realise what I am missing.
 
Chamberlain Square was named in honour of Joseph Chamberlain on October 10th 1880 and the fountain is his memorial. I don't think there was ever a statue of him on the square.
 
Good to see that pic of the Fountains In around 1933 my brothers and I used to sail ouR putput boats on therE and some times have to paddle in to retrieve them Also recallwhen some one threy in a bag of soap flakes and made a LOT of bubbles
 
I've just been exploring that bit of town, on a visit for some Allday family research. So much change in relatively little time. It seems a shame to have lost the college buildings, but the Town Hall and Museum still make a fine view.

Here's Thomas Attwood reclining in front of the aforementioned, yesterday:

IMG_20230628_152035.jpg
 
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