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Library Area From The Air (1963), Including Empire House

leslam

leslam

Brummie by marriage
birmingham-inc-empire-house-Oct-1963.jpg
When looking for something else (isn't it always the way?), I found the attached photo that was taken in 1963. I think that it was taken for supporting evidence when my husband'd grandfather was fighting compulsory purchase of his premises of Empire House on Gt Charles Street. That's the building at the middle-right that backs onto the empty land. He moved his factory here from the premises in Granville Street that had previously housed Heptinstall & Lawledge who were his ancestors. (They in turn had been at Ann Street - see other threads)
Incidentally, I have also found that he wrote a complete history of that site, but it will take weeks to type it all up.

[I do have a higher resolution version of this photo, but the file is huge, so if anyone wants more detail of a particular area of the photo, please contact me]
 
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Re: Library are from the air - 1963

brilliant shot leslam..when clicked on 3 times the detail is superb...thank you...

lyn
 
Re: Library are from the air - 1963

What a fasinating photo Leslam , thank for sharing it .
ragga :)
 
Re: Library are from the air - 1963

leslam

Is this the building at ground level on the corner of Great Charles St - Congreve St? If so it would be interesting if you could let us have a few of the details of the building. Such as when it was built and when it was finally demolished and other such information.

Phil

e2d53b49.jpg
 
Re: Library are from the air - 1963

Phil, I will need to double check, but I think that it is the one that I have indicated in the attached picture.
I haven't seen this photo before, but if you look at the aeriel picture, it shows that the building that wraps round the corner is a different building. In 1891, that corner site was occupied by Walter Showell & son, but I don't know who was there 1912-1960s

The following is the result of some swift skim-reading of the parcel of documents that I found yesterday:

Empire House occupied 158- 161 Great Charles Street. My husband's grandfather bought the site in 1911, when 158 tp 161½ Great Charles St comprised part of the estate of John Weiss (there are lots of details about the site's history in the bundle of papers we have).
The site had been withdrawn from auction on Sept 13th; I'm not sure why, because the auction papers were issued (I have a copy). However, the private sale of buildings to HTB Lambourne was completed in December 1912.
Empire House was erected for Lambourne & Co (buildings) Ltd in 1912-13 and owned by them, until compulsorily acquired by the Corporation of Birmingham on 29th September 1960. It was demolished in 1964.

The several floors of the building were let out (I have details).
  • The Ministry of Works rented floors one and two for many years and also the ground floor (for the Legal Document Stamping Office was being rebuilt (corner of Paradise St and Hill St apparently)
  • Lambourne manufactory (formerly Heptinstall/Lawledge) was moved from Granville St to occupy the fourth floor.
  • A fifth floor was added in 1926.
The 'history' was, I think, written as part of the evidence to the Land Tribunal when appealing the amount of compensation. It runs to 30 pages. As well as the history, there are incredible details about many aspects of the building and fittings - of things like the lifts, plumbing etc.
The process of compulsory purchase and fight for appropriate compensation is also documented.

I think that in a completely different box I have some photos of the manufactory and offices on the 4th floor.
 
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Re: Library are from the air - 1963

I fully intend to transcribe the full history, but it will take some weeks of evenings and I suspect that it will be too large to include in full on the forum. I will ty to do a cut-down version once I have it complete.
 
Re: Library are from the air - 1963

This is a real treat, Leslam. Thank you for sharing. I'll look forward to future instalments.
 
Re: Library are from the air - 1963

leslam

It sure looks like the building to me, I was just looking in a Kelly's directory and Empire House was a warren of businesses and government offices in the 50's from the basement to the back yard. It certainly looked like it was a busy place.

As you say the building it was attached to was more around the corner in Congreve St, and that looked a busy place in its own right. It's amazing that there could be so many manufacturing businesses that close to town. They certainly wouldn't be able to afford the overheads today. I suppose that is why they all moved out.

Phil
 
Re: Library are from the air - 1963

Just found that I have a picture of the back of the building that was taken in 1961, so adding it here before I lose it. One day soon (hopefully), I'll get round to adding the rest of the information. Skimming through the booklet that grandfather-in-law wrote (based on lease information), he has the history of that plot from 18th century onwards.
empire-house-rear-1961.jpg
 
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