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Ghost signs of Birmingham

The old Municipal Bank building on Broad Street used to have some distinctive key motifs on the front of the building. Has the Council plonked a 'Forward' plaque in their place. Or are the original key plaques still hiding behind the pillars ? Now I'm hopeful that the Municipal Bank key plaques are either still there or have been carefully preserved somewhere and the Forward sign(s) haven't been simply glued over the top. Viv.

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I remember a key logo like that at our local TSB bank, Pype Hayes. It was etched on glass. Wonder what happened to that??
 
They are still on the street view but it is 2014!
 

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Think that answers it Ell. I've zoomed in and can just about make it out. The two plaques on the end are the 'Forward' and the two either side of the doors are the Municipal Bank keys. Thanks Ell. Viv.
 
The history of the bank, the key logo in particular;
https://www.bmbhistory.org.uk/bmb-history_198.htm

The bank has its own thread:
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/birmingham-municipal-bank.43428/

I believe I mentioned this here before, some older Birmingham tramcars had the key logo on the sliding doors between the driving cab and passenger section. As the bank, apparently the only municipal bank in the country, was formed to support the costs of WW1 I suggest it was the older cars.
 
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Vivienne14 said:
Think that answers it Ell. I've zoomed in and can just about make it out. The two plaques on the end are the 'Forward' and the two either side of the doors are the Municipal Bank keys. Thanks Ell. Viv.
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I took some of them in 2009 Viv





In 2013 I took these foundation stone photos



 
Think it's debatable Alan. Don't want to get too prescriptive about definitions, as the important thing here is to keep an eye on any historical hints about former uses these signs give us regarding a structure before they fade/disappear. But shall copy the relevant posts to the BMB thread. Thanks for the suggestion. Viv.
 
Found an old school in Wednesbury, Sandwell.

St James School on St James Street.

This sign is a bit hard to read.



It might date to 1866.

 
Another one from Wednesbury. Seen on Albert Street.

Baptist Sunday School AD 1883 (last number hard to read).

 
Re: #761. I think the first board says "National School" - St James opened in 1845. I assume the lecture hall was added in 1866.
 
It's on Albert Street now in Wednesbury. The front is on Holyhead Road. No idea if the roads got renamed, but there's a Victoria Street nearby (close to the police station).
 
Got it I think? The map from the 1880s could suggest that the Chapel was at the end of Albert Street and Holyhaed Road, but the date is puzzling.

In August 1862 the foundation stone for a new Chapel for the Methodist Free Church was laid by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. It was to be on the junction of the Streets Dudley, Stafford and Albert. After the ceremony it is said the party sat at the Old Chapel at Holyhead Road. However the date on the picture shows 1881 and a Sunday Schoool,

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But syrely the event described in 1882 was at the other end of albert St, and mustvrefer to the Temperance Hall , marked blue on the c1889 map. the plaque is on the building in red.

map c 1889 albert st wednesbury.jpg
 
The event I was referring to was the one below in 1862. It says the new chapel was to be at the junction of Stafford, Albert and Dudley Roads. At the end it says tea was taken at the (described as the “old” in the Staffs Advertiser) chapel in Holyhead Road.

Ellbrown says the front is on Holyhead Road and this would probably be the (old) Chapel refered to, being behind the future Sunday School. The premises or land may have continued in the hands of the Methodist movement and turned to a Sunday School in 1881, or used by some other demonination.

Maybe the new Chapel was to be refered to as Temperance Hall?


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I agree that the methodist chapel would be the Temperance Hall. The chapel on Holyhead road was baptist, and presumably the sunday school also. but there is no reason why the baptists would not allow for their fellow conformists too use their chapel - they were all in agreement about their disagreements with conformist churches
 
Pedrocut said:
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The old map confirms what I thought was an old railway bridge on Victoria Street (I was heading to Wednesbury Great Western Street Tram Stop to go back to Grand Central / New Street Station).



Just industrial units there now.



(don't mind if this post was moved to the railway section of the forum if there's an appropriate thread for lost railways in the West Midlands)
 
What interests me was that the Mayor of Birmingham should have been invited to preside at an event in Wednesbury. perhaps the rivalry between Birmingham and the Black country was not so great in those days.
 
Found some more old signs on a school and former school building in Lye, Stourbridge, Dudley.

On Crabbe Street was this one. Wollescote Board School



Ghost sign behind a more recent sign - corner of Crabbe Street and Pearson Street.



Wollescote Primary School on Balds Lane. Assume founded 1897 on this site.





It says 1897 behind that tree.

 
BEDDING - seen on the back of Argos, seen from Grange Road in Kings Heath (round the back of the High Street).

 
Thanks Ell. Obviously must date before Argos. Presumably it was a company on High Street who were bedding suppliers. Viv.
 
ellbrown said:
Found some more old signs on a school and former school building in Lye, Stourbridge, Dudley.

On Crabbe Street was this one. Wollescote Board School

In the December 2017 issue of the Blackcountryman there is an article entitled...Board Schools and their appearance in the Lye and Wolescote (Part 2)




Ghost sign behind a more recent sign - corner of Crabbe Street and Pearson Street.



Wollescote Primary School on Balds Lane. Assume founded 1897 on this site.





It says 1897 behind that tree.

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