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New Street City Centre Birmingham

A 1926 view of New Street which I assume is looking towards High Street. Jo Lyons on the left, love the milk churns on the cart just outside. Wondering if the arched building to the right is the Burlington Arcade/cinema? Viv.
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This is a print from 1879. The subject of the print is King Edward's Grammar School. But we can just see a glimpse of the Hen and Chickens to the left. (Been taking lessons from you Rupert and started scrutinising more closely the extreme edges of images!) viv.ImageUploadedByTapatalk1366378173.669772.jpg
 
Here we are in 1908 at the top of end of New Street looking towards the Society of Arts building on the left. (I presume this was taken from Victoria Square - or was it Council House Square at that time?) Viv.

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I can't place this 1890s RIBA photo of Brunswick Buildings in New Street. Wonder if it's near Christchurch Passage perhaps? Also wondering what 'Madam Howe's' was. Seems she would have run a quality establishment as she has a 'by appointment' shield. Viv.

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hi viv ; surely the building directly at the top of the picture on your right hand was the old GPO post office as i seem to recall
and that corner of the building used to be the entrace and below ground of that building was a seriers of run ways for the post office sorting departmant
and they would also come out of an exit and across the rd to thee main sorting and despatching department they had little motorised flatform trucks
and drive them across the other side of the rd and on the subject of madam howe ; which i cannot quite recall but it coukld have been the hgh class shop
for the rich for ladies of society to purchase long evening gownd s and ball room gowns and as the thearter was close bye
and pattersons was the high class resturuant for dinning ; and if i recall it correctly the thearter was demoshed in the 1956-7 years as it was stated ; and further along from madams shop yo see looking down the street the first corner was a high class pen sellers of high class from around the world
fountan pens ordinary pens some of pearl made and gold and silver penns it was a very large shop inside with different sections for the cliental
quite a snobbs shop in fact and pattersons was a high clas resturuant and also patterson had one in the arcade they wore outfits that matched joe lyons ]
tea rooms ; in the twentys ; and my mother told me about how she usedto be taken there with her parents and said it was the jelfs grand father whom bought
the one in the arcade from patision and hughes and they carried with the waitress service in uniform in a linnen pinafores and black skirts and a little head band
to wear ; and george jelf openend a tea bar yards from snow hill
best wishes alan; Astonian;;;
 
Must have missed this thread for a while. Yes a couple of fine photo's of New Street and a particularly nice sketch of King Edwards with the end of the Hen And Chickens...showing it's coach entrance which must have been a challenge for coachmen. The roadway was pretty wide there and coaches seem to be in the cantre of the road a lot. So perhaps that is where they parked on a tempory basis between trips to wherever.
 
Many thanks Alan, Phil and Rupert. It's possible the building is still there, but you can't get to see it on Streetview as it's now pedestrianised. Be great if it is still there. Viv.
 
I arrived and next day left from there last week, it is a b...... muddle in there. The taxi drivers are going to strike as they are losing business because of the lack of room to drop off passengers. In the year since I was last there in so far as the platforms go, work hasn't started.

I think that the Brunswick building is still there Viv, not much has been altered on that side of New Street, somewhere on the Forum is a photo I took near there, you can still see a faint sign for the Kardoma Coffee House high up on the wall.

I love the street lights with the big round glass globes. The present ones are the same, it would be nice to think they are the originals but I guess not.
 
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Much, much more altered at this end of New Street Di! This view is pre-WW2 bomb damage. Hyam & co to the left. You can just make out the arcade entrance sign further long. The buildings you can see on High Street in the distance must have been pre-Times Furnishers, Burtons etc. Seems odd to see a low skyline at that end of New Street. Viv.

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Two more New Street views. Both are taken from the High Street/New Street end. The first doesn't quite show the junction with High Street (right) but shows one of the Georgian buildings near the Arcade. You can see the feint outline of King Edward's school to the left. Two lovely gas lights in the centre of the road. The second shows a little more of the junction with High Street. There's a notice for the Swan Hotel in one of the upper rooms (was this on High Street?). And I notice this was taken from a balcony (lower left edge - wonder which building? Was it on High Street/Spiceal Street?). Of course much of these two views (to the right) disappeared after WW2 and the construction of the Big Top development. And most of the left-hand side would have been re-developed in the 1960s with the Rotunda/Lloyd's building etc. Viv.

PS sorry no dates, but they must be early 1900s.
 

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What an interesting thread. My great, great grandparents address on the 1851 census was Post Office Yard, New Street. 1861 they were 2 Court, New Street, 1871 Little Fire Station Yard, Cannon Street.
The images have stimulated my imagination as to where and how they carried out their everyday lives. I find myself looking for them, but I don`t know what they look like. Is that just me or do any of you do that ?
 
I'm always looking at the people in the old pics and wondering about their lives. Yesterday I was looking at an old photo of a tram being driven by a man who would have had to stand most of the day on the draughty open platform of his tram and wondering what his working days were like .... but maybe his job was better than others back then !
 
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Oh yes Crimble. Do it all the time! Think photos are are so vital in trying to relate to our ancestor's lives. For me photography couldn't have come soon enough. But for earlier views I love to browse old trade cards, letter headings and of course paintings too as these often have lots of visual info. So keep on imagining, it's one sure way of understanding our ancestor's lives! Viv.
 
I don't think this 1846 line engraving by J. Harwood has been on before. Lovely scene. I think it's looking down towards St Martin's Church. So I think it's the corner of New Street (right). There seems to be very little of New St in the view and I'm surprised it's labelled New Street. Viv.

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If I have the right position (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) it is the view from the front of the building - top left in this earlier post - but looking down towards St. Martin's Church.
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Anybody remember Woolworths when they were on this side of New Street, as I have no recollection of the store at all, perhaps it was before my time though it doesn't look that old.
 

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I don't but probably should do as I used to visit the theatre opposite that was replaced by the new Woolworths.
 
Phil
Woolworths disappeared from the north side of the street between the 1961 and 1962 editions of Kellys
 
Mike

Thanks, I should have thought to look there in the first place, it's strange that I don't remember the store as I would have been up and down New Street like a yo-yo during those years.
 
Bearnard
The thearter Was originaly slightly 90 yards away up new street on the original sight
Of complex,s of old oringinale shops that stood along that section of new street
Before they demolitioned that section and the first building of commencement to come down was the thearter
And they worked demo, back to where woolworhs stood
And before Woolworths taken over it was another business big store but I just cannot recall there name at the moment I am under a lot of pressure
At this moment but it will come by tonight I hope but also I can tell you on the very top floors of that building was used for the electoral register offices
Before Woolworths moved in and opersite them directly was boots the chemist
Then there shop was a amusement machines open late for the youngesters eventually
After a years or two they moved out and it became an american ice cream parlour
And back across the road where there was a brown building if you look at a recent pic put up on the forum
It concist of a restaurant ,, blue line proffessional employment office for secretatyies cook and waiter and waitress and if my memo is serving me correct
There was an Australian over seas office for people to emigrate to Aussie land with posters in there windows advertising come to Aussie for ten pounds
Best wishes Alan ,,,Astonian,,,,,
 
Anybody remember Woolworths when they were on this side of New Street, as I have no recollection of the store at all, perhaps it was before my time though it doesn't look that old.
I certainly remember the Woolworths at that site in the 1950s. Next door, nearest to us, was a J. Lyons tearoom. Almost opposite, at the corner of Ethel Street, was the Forum cinema. Dave.
 
Your picture looking down new street was from the
Parafitt of the town hall in the early years see the horse and carts and Woolworths was in
New street in the late fiftys when they came up there Astonian,,,,
 
Here's a busy scene looking down New Street from the Town Hall in July 1909 when the Royal visit took place. It's possible this view is of the day after, so 8/7/1909. Think you can just make out the Royal College of Artists on the left and the Theatre Royal on the right edge. Just to the right of the globe lamp (and big specs !) is a road sign on the wall. Would this be Fire Office Passage? Viv.

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Day's shoe shop around 1950. These ladies look well-heeled(!) but look at the hobnails on those men's shoes. Viv.

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