John Townley

Curious about C18th & C19th Birmingham History, Steam Mills, Maps, Places, Buildings & People. Intolerant of intolerance and prejudice.

[Brumpic @Brumpic]

Moseley Dance Centre - or the mecca of disco as it once was.

[Brumpic @Brumpic]

Victoria Square looking tight.

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#CityOf1000Trades Chaucer Head Bookshop was founded in 1830 by John Cadby. William Downing born in Birmingham in 1844 succeeded Cadby in 1870. Our archive holds a collection for Downing - MS 1366. Ref: L 50.1 D/2 @LibraryofBham

[Ruth Millington @ruth_millington]

Pls listen to this fantastic podcast on the case of the missing masterpieces at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, which belong to all of us and should be free to see 🎧

https://t.co/OwX9srzuQu

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#PhotoFriday is the Midland Red bus station opened in 1963 as part of the new Bull Ring development. The station never fared well and was closed in 1999. Ref - WK/B11/5924 @LibraryofBham @Brumpic

[Birmingham We Are @BirminghamWeAre]

The wonderful "Lilies of Walsall canal". On a walk from Birmingham to Walsall @bostockjonpaul came across this stretch of the Walsall canal from Darlaston to Walsall. A true wonderland of Lilies stretching for miles. Coming soon - our map of nature & culture across the canals.

[Brumpic @Brumpic]

More of this please...

[Brumpic @Brumpic]

Alcester Rd, Kings Heath, 1967 - Courtesy of Geoff Dowling

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#BirminghamLibrary The Birmingham War Poetry Collection was donated to the library in 1921 by William Cross of Rubery: https://t.co/J2JSLOudI4 Ref: L 53.31 @LibraryofBham

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

We’re sorry to hear of the imminent closure of the House of Fraser. Here’s a trip back to the glory days of the Rackhams Food Hall in a brochure from 1966. Ref – L 62.31 @LibraryofBham @houseoffraser

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

It’s 100 years since the first Birmingham School of Printing publication under the direction of typographer and printer, Leonard Jay. Kathyrn, one of our Archivists looks further: https://t.co/WCdj0uTQJS Ref: E 094/BIR/1927 @LibraryofBham @unibirmingham

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#BirminghamHistory the Birmingham Cinderella Club formed in 1893 took poor children on outings and provided entertainment. In 1898 over 600 children were taken to Sutton Park. Ref: WK/B11/441 @LibraryofBham

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#MapOnATuesday is this March 1913 plan of Reddicap Hill, Home Wood and New Hall Farm #SuttonColdfield. Surveyed by Richard Fowler and Son. Ref: MS 20/434 @LibraryofBham @FOLIOsutcol

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#SundayShowcase is A History of the World in 47 Borders by Jonn Elledge. Those inconsequential lines can mask years of conflict, political identity, hubris & foolishness. This book explains why our world looks the way it does. Ref: 526.09 HRA Map Area @LibraryofBham @jonnelledge

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#CityOf1000Trades: An illustration of John Rubery's Charlotte St premises. The firm made umbrellas, parasols, furniture & steel frames. John inherited the firm from his late father, Jeremiah and his mother, Frances. Ref: New Illustrated Directory, LF 06 @LibraryofBham

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

Howdy 🤠 - for today's #PhotoFriday, we bring you a little slice of old Americana courtesy of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. The location is New Street and was taken between 1900 - 1903. Yee - Haw! Ref - MS 4623 @LibraryofBham @Brumpic

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#LocalHistoryMonth - let’s think about place and street names and what they tell us about the development of a location. Books including Carl Chinn’s Streets of Brum and Joe McKenna’s Birmingham Place Names to help you on your way. Reference – BCOL 89.1 @LibraryofBham @histassoc

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

Join esteemed historian, Norman Bartlam, this Saturday, for a talk on his new book marking twenty years since the last edition of the Birmingham Sports Argus. Book your ticket at: https://t.co/Ds34OPIiC0 @LibraryofBham #Birmingham #Football

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#AVFC After last week’s celebrations, here’s a nostalgic reminder of the 1982 triumph against Bayern Munich. A golden period for English teams in Europe. Ref – L 25.14 @LibraryofBham @AVFCOfficial

[Birmingham Archives & Collections @TheIronRoom]

#MapOnATuesday today is this Red Army General Staff map of Birmingham dated somewhere between 1972-1980. The maps came into our possession in 1996. YHTTOH is possibly the Russian version of Witton and ACTOH is Aston. Ref: LS 905/3 @LibraryofBham