#SundayShowcase rounding off the Chris Upton lecture week is Chris’ posthumous book on the Birmingham Parish Workhouse, 1730-1840. Very little is known of the first workhouse - the assumed date of its building given as 1733 is apparently wrong! Ref - L 41.11 #LibraryofBham

#CityOf1000Trades Legg & Company of Bromsgrove Street in this 1900 advertisement of their Ball Room decorating service. They publicised their services as far as Wales and at one time made flags and banners. Ref - L 08.2 Periodicals D/5 / 229383 #LibraryofBham

#PhotoFriday this week is this photograph of an ice cream seller, possibly of Italian heritage with hand on furrowed brow at her stall in Smithfield market, c 1901. Ref - MS 4557 Box 5 #LibraryofBham #Brumpic

Queen's Hospital, established in 1841 by William Sands Cox on Bath Row, was a teaching hospital named by Queen Victoria. Its medical school became Queen's College in 1843. Later merging, with others, to form part of #UoB's medical faculty. Ref: WK/B11/3760 #LibraryofBham

#BonfireNight #Fireworks A Sutton Coldfield Warden’s notice from 5 November 1799 prohibiting bonfires - ‘No Bonfire will be allowed in the public street near the Town Hall nor in the public street of the town by persons pulling up hedges, etc.’ Ref: BCU/182 #LibraryofBham #RoyalSutColTC

#BonfireNight #Fireworks Here’s a trade catalogue advertising where Brummies of yore may have purchased their fireworks from at C. Adams & Co. on Summer Street in 1887. Reference - Birmingham Trade Catalogue Collection : LS 10/A/6 #LibraryofBham

Don’t forget to join us this Saturday for Kevin’s talk on his book investigating the body snatchers and grave robbers of the West Midlands. Book your place at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-diggum... #LibraryofBham

#MapOnATuesday today is this 1824 specimen of the proposed map of the town of Birmingham and its environs, being a survey of part of the High Street and Five Ways - John Pigott Smith, Surveyor. Ref - MAP/72845 #LibraryofBham

Meet #MadameNellie Nellie, the parachutist who would dive 6,000 feet unattended from a hot air balloon. Pictured here in The Birmingham Owl magazine on 6 July 1906 in advance of her leap at Mount Cottage Farm. Ref – LF 06 #LibraryofBham @solihulllibraries.bsky.social

#SundayShowcase #Railway200 this week is Off The Rails: The Inside Story of HS2 by Sally Gimson. An analysis of the project in which the author meets with politicians, engineers and ordinary people affected by HS2. Ref: L 47.34 #LibraryofBham @sallygimson.bsky.social @railway200.bsky.social

#CityOf1000Trades this 1900 advert for R. Reppington of Worcester Street, purveyors of fish, game and rabbits who appear to have flourished in the late 19th century. Ref - L 08.2 Periodicals D/5 229383 #LibraryofBham

#PhotoFriday #Railway200 A photo of the platforms at New Street Station in 1905. The golden age of rail travel. Ref - MS 4557 Box 5 #LibraryofBham @Brumpic @railway200.bsky.social

#BirminghamHistory Don’t forget to Join us for the annual Chris Upton Memorial Lecture on Monday 3rd November, 5.30pm - tinyurl.com/UptonBaskerville Ref: MS 897,Volume II, Image 218 #LibraryofBham @typetweets.bsky.social #BaskervilleSoc

#Erdington This late 1960s, early 1970s poster created by the Erdington and District Inter - Racial Council promoting cultural and ethnic coexistence. Ref - BCC 18/8/1/2 (2000/129) #LibraryofBham

#Halloween It’s Aston Hall in 1900 - reputedly the most haunted building in the Midlands. Why not check it out for yourself - www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/aston-hall/w... Ref - WK/A8/6 #LibraryofBham #AstonHallMuseum

#PowerAndPride2025 The library is hosting an exhibition celebrating the public service of black Royal Air Force (RAF) veterans from the West Midlands since the Second World War www.birmingham.gov.uk/events/event... #LibraryofBham @blackhistorymonth.org.uk

#MapOnATuesday is this survey of licensed houses in Birmingham, 1891 showing locations of licensed victuallers, beer houses and off licenses. Copied from the map of licensed houses prepared by the City Surveyor. Ref - MAP/149421 #LibraryofBham

#PowerAndPride2025 Today’s blog highlights one of Birmingham’s many contributions to life of the mind: the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies under Stuart Hall's Directorship theironroom.wordpress.com/2025/10/27/s... Photo: Permission of Vanley Burke #LibraryofBham @blackhistorymonth.org.uk

#BlackCountry Come and join us on Saturday 8 November for a talk by Kevin Goodman on his book investigating the body snatchers and grave robbers of the West Midlands. Book your place at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-diggum... #LibraryofBham

#SundayShowcase this week is Japanned Papier Mache and Tinware, c 1740 – 1940 by Yvonne Jones. A history of the industry which centred on three towns in the West Midlands - Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Bilston Ref - LF 66.71 #LibraryofBham

#CityOf1000Trades this week is this advert for H Sanderson of Camden Street - purveyors of sparkling waters, giant syphons and delicious thirst-quenching drinks….Kola, Cycling Punch and a good glug of Vinky Stout. Ref: L 08.2 Periodicals D/11 - The Birmingham Pantomime annual, 1899 #LibraryofBham

#PhotoFriday today is this 1896 photograph of a bustling Colmore Row. The Council House in the left foreground and Christ Church churchyard on the right. Before development in the 18th century, Colmore Row was a country lane called New Hall Lane. Ref: MS 4557 Box 5 #LibraryofBham @Brumpic

#NotPhotoFriday? This Inter - war years inspired line drawing of Tintern House, 74 Church Street close to the junction with Cornwall Street. One occupant in the 1920s and 30s were Stevenson & Co, Paper Merchants & Wholesale Stationers. Ref - WK/B11/4183 #LibraryofBham

#BirminghamCinema If you were going to the Flicks on 23 October 1933, you could have brought a ticket at the Scala Cinema, Smallbrook Street to watch Laurel & Hardy in Fra Diavolo. 2025 is the sixtieth anniversary of Stan’s death. Ref - L 26.6 #LibraryofBham #Stan_And_Ollie

#BirminghamHistory today is this view of Birmingham from Bradford Street in Deritend published by John Aston in 1816. It’s been gathered from The Aylesford Collection: tinyurl.com/AylesfordColl Ref - MS 3015/1, page 79 #LibraryofBham

#MapOnATuesday today is this plan of the Parish of #Handsworth from 1872. It includes the townships of Handsworth and Perry Barr. It was surveyed by R.H. Burman, Ref - MAP/73597 #LibraryofBham

#PowerAndPride2025 The Dyche Collection (MS 2912) is a photographic collection representing migration to Birmingham from Africa, the Caribbean, Indian Sub-Continent and Ireland after 1945 theironroom.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/e... #LibraryofBham @blackhistorymonth.org.uk

#SundayShowcase #PowerAndPride2025 Birmingham's Benjamin Zephaniah’s Dis Poetry features poems from his Bloodaxe collections, inc. City Psalms, Propa Propaganda, along with some from The Dread Affair and unpublished work/lyrics. Ref: L 52.21 ZEP #LibraryofBham @blackhistorymonth.org.uk #BZephaniah

#CityOf1000Trades today is this advert for C. Green and Son of 10 Bull Ring who were manufactures of pugilist paraphernalia such as boxing gloves and punching balls as well as bags and purses. Ref - L 08.2 Periodicals D/11 (513710) The Birmingham Pantomime annual, 1899 #LibraryofBham

#PhotoFriday Does anyone remember Paradise Forum beneath the site of the old Central Library. It became an enclosed shopping arcade with retail units at some point in the late 1980s, only to be demolished with the library in the late 2010s. Ref - MS 4557, Box 5 #LibraryofBham @Brumpic

#PowerAndPride2025 An advertisement for the Female American Serenaders at Birmingham Town Hall for one night only on 9 June 1847. The entertainment was described as ‘the harmony of which has been pronounced a marvel in the history of music’. Ref - MS 1711 #LibraryofBham @blackhistorymonth.org.uk

We played host to our pals from Sampad last week for a teacher training day exploring how our resources play a part in developing an awareness of cultural and community identity amongst future generations #LibraryofBham @sampadarts.bsky.social

The smallest books in the #ShakespeareCollection are a set of miniature complete works in a dedicated case made in honour of actress Helen Terry in 1904. Books measure 38 x 55 mm and bookcase 100 x 100 x 150 mm. Ref: S 190.4 (182986) #LibraryofBham @shakespearebtrust.bsky.social @efernie.bsky.social

Good news - the Sutton Coldfield electoral registers are now available to view here. Earliest is 1851 and then there is a gap until the Burgess Rolls start in the 1880s #SuttonColdfield #LibraryofBham

#MapOnATuesday We’re going back to 1785 this week with Thomas Hanson’s Plan of Birmingham. Interesting demographic details provided by the map include the town had 9,500 houses and 52,250 inhabitants. Ref – MAP/72831 #LibraryofBham

Join us for the annual Chris Upton Memorial Lecture on Mon 3rd November at 5.30pm tinyurl.com/UptonBaskerv... Professor Caroline Archer-Parré will be giving her talk: Inhuming and exhuming: John Baskerville’s death, burial, and post-mortem life #LibraryofBham @typetweets.bsky.social #BaskervilleSoc

#GrainPhoto The Pete James Memorial Lecture is this Thursday, 16th October, 6.30 PM – 8.00 PM at the Birmingham School of Art tinyurl.com/GrainPhoto. Between 1989 and 2015, Pete (1958-2018) was the Curator of Photography Collections here at #LibraryofBham #grainphotohub

#SundayShowcase today is A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant. A sleuth resident in the imaginary Birmingham suburb of Bigglesweigh investigates a murder in an investors’ network. Ref - L 51.3 PEN #LibraryofBham @blackhistorymonth.org.uk #MelPennant

#CityOf1000Trades today is this trade card for Thomas Jones & Sons, manufacturers of horticultural buildings based at Bradford Street and Cheapside. Ref - MS 4834/1276 #LibraryofBham

#PhotoFriday this week is of Mrs Mabel Harris’ establishment at 22 Weaman Street photographed c 1930. Purveyor of many delectables including tea, coffee and cocoa. A very fine window display there. Ref - MS 4557, Box 5 #LibraryofBham @Brumpic

As if by #Magic, it’s Henri De’Seevah - The Friendly Magician of 136 Harvington Road, Weoley Castle. Included in Abracadabra - the only magical weekly in the world, published in Birmingham (Vol 1. No. 13 April 27, 1946). Ref - L 08.3 / 8410 #LibraryofBham #MagicCircleHQ

#NavyHistory Our printed collections include copies of the Navy List like this one from June 1815. The list is an official record of naval officers, their ranks and the ships they were appointed to. The first list was published in 1814. Ref - B 359.30942 #LibraryofBham #NatMuseumRN

#BirminghamHistory We were sad to hear of the passing earlier this year of Dr Marie Rowlands, eminent historian of Catholicism in the Midlands. Also writing texts on the industrial heritage of the West Midlands tinyurl.com/DrRowlands Ref: WK/B11/8651 #LibraryofBham @rcbirmingham.bsky.social

#MapOnATuesday #Harborne this week is this 1907 Harborne Tenants Ltd plan for the Moor Pool Estate developed between 1907 and 1912 as a garden suburb, designed by architects Martin & Martin. Ref - Medical Health Officers Report, 1908 L 45.11 #LibraryofBham @moorpoolht.bsky.social

#PowerAndPride2025 tinyurl.com/BHMOct25 Local photographer Herbert Walters’ collection-Portraits of Black Britain (MS 5183/3) has become available on birmingham.access.preservica.com/archive. Photographs mostly taken in Birmingham and London between 2008–2022 #LibraryofBham @blackhistorymonth.org.uk

#SundayShowcase #PowerAndPride2025 tinyurl.com/BHMOct25 this week is Black Success by Tony Sewell. Discover how the Windrush generation thrived and the lessons these stories offer for young Black people. Ref: Black & South Asian History Collection 305.896 #bhmuk #LibraryofBham

#CityOf1000Trades today is this trade card for John Stokes, coal and coke dealer based in 1852 at the Old Wharf which at the time was a pivotal industrial site on Paradise Street for coal distribution from the 18th century onwards. Ref: MS 4834/1280 #LibraryofBham

#PhotoFriday this week is this photograph of Aston Cross Library in 1913. One of the Carnegie Libraries erected at the expense of Andrew Carnegie. Opened in October 1903, the library unfortunately closed in the 1990s. Ref: WK/A7/90 #LibraryofBham #Brumpic #Aston

#Rackhams - Selling all the ‘loveliest things in the world’, included in the Birmingham Sketch - magazine of the Sporting, Social and Commercial Life of Birmingham, August 1964. Reference - LF 08.2. What are your memories of the shop? #LibraryofBham #houseoffraser

For this week’s blog, Archivist Nicola opens the page on the work she has been doing to safely move the archives and local studies collections from Sutton Coldfield Library to the Library of Birmingham - theironroom.wordpress.com/2025/09/29/s... Image Ref: BCU/13 #LibraryofBham #RoyalSutColTC