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theironroom.bsky.social
Archives & Collections, Library of Birmingham
@theironroom.bsky.social
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Preserving & sharing 800 years of Birmingham's history at the Library of Birmingham.
For enquiries, please email archives.heritage@birmingham.gov.uk
Follow our blog @ www.theironroom.wordpress.com
More info @ birmingham.gov.uk/archives
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Today's blog looks at Birmingham born, Jane Bunford (1895 - 1922) who was the UK's tallest woman, estimated to be around 7 feet 9 inches: theironroom.wordpress.com/2025/11/24/j...
Photo Ref - WK/B6/163 #LibraryofBham
A photograph - a worker's cottage in the bottom left foreground. Other houses behind the property. A horse and cart halfway up the street outside a property. A public gaslight in the immediate foreground of the photo on the right. A tree in the background.
November 24, 2025 at 8:01 PM
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#Disability History Month runs from 20 November until 20 December. Chance to look at Birmingham institutions such as the Birmingham Royal Institute for the Blind started in 1846. Ref - WK/E1/481 #LibraryofBham
Illustration of a two-tiered Victorian institution with a domed clock tower in its centre. The building is in the grounds of a park and figures are stood outside the entrance.
November 24, 2025 at 4:02 PM
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#SundayShowcase this week is Who Will Remain by Kasim Ali. A novel set in Alum Rock, Birmingham focusing on the character of Amir and the decisions he makes to secure his own future and keep out of danger. Ref – L 52.21 ALI #LibraryofBham #juskasim
A photograph of a book on a table. The book is facing cover on. Name of the author at the top of the cover is Kasim Ali. Below this is the title of the book – Who Will Remain. The background of the front cover is a reproduction of an A – Z map of Birmingham. Behind the table on which the book is standing is a bookcase.
November 23, 2025 at 11:15 AM
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#CityOf1000Trades Funny what you find when you least expect it – this advertisement for Cheatham's of Hindoo House, 22 New Street is included in the Illustrated Birmingham Times, no. 2, Sept 1854. Ref - LF 08.2 #LibraryofBham
An illustrated advertisement. The word Archery repeated three times across the top of the page. The words Wholesale and Retail beneath this. Then a paragraph of description explaining the wares sold. Beneath this, numerous line drawings of figures engaged in sporting events including cricket, fishing and archery. Beneath this, another paragraph detailing the goods sold by Cheetham’s. Then details of the shop’s location on New Street.
November 22, 2025 at 10:01 AM
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#PhotoFriday this week is this photograph of the Hope & Anchor pub on Edmund Street taken c 1960. When opened c1762, the pub was a two-story Georgian house. The building unfortunately no longer stands. Ref - WK/B11/4795 #LibraryofBham #Brumpic
A photograph of a street scene - a clocktower in the background. Two buildings on the right of the photograph – the building in the foreground is a public house - a sign for Ansell’s brewery above its entrance. A lone male figure stood in its doorway. The building behind is more austere - in the style of the high gothic revival of the nineteenth century. Pedestrians walk past.
November 21, 2025 at 8:01 AM
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#BirminghamHistory Birmingham born Catherine Hutton (1756 – 1846), a novelist and letter writer. Daughter of William Hutton credited with writing the first official history of Birmingham. Our archive contains a collection of Catherine's manuscripts and miscellaneous papers (MS 168) #LibraryofBham
An illustrated portrait of a female wearing attire associated with the late Georgian and Regency periods. A loose scarf on her head cascading down to her right shoulder. She is looking to her right. She has a locket around her neck falling to her décolletage. She is wearing a billowing dress with an accentuated cord around her waistline.
November 20, 2025 at 9:15 AM
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#SuttonColdfieldMovieMakers are exhibiting films at the Birmingham Film Festival this month. They’re a group of film enthusiasts and people who love watching and talking movies. Details here: www.suttoncoldfieldmoviemakers.org.uk Image Ref: Birmingham Cinemas L 26.6 @LibraryofBham
Photograph of the exterior of an Art Deco cinema. The word Cinema appears at the top of a central concrete column which juts upwards above the entrance. The word Odeon on blocks of concrete on either side of the central column. Bare trees surround the cinema on both sides of the building.
November 19, 2025 at 4:15 PM
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In 1977, a student may have found the previously unknown burial site of Anna Maria, daughter of Olaudah Equiano, a notable Black abolitionist, in St Andrew’s, Cambridge. A recent article reports: tinyurl.com/EquianoDaugh... Ref: 094/1793/36 #LibraryofBham #bcaheritage #BlackHistory
Frontispiece and title page of a book. The frontispiece on the left is a portrait of a man of African heritage dressed in the clothing of an eighteenth-century gentleman. The portrait is identified as that of Olaudah Equiano. The title page on the right shows the title of the book - The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African. Written by himself. Other significant details include the cost of the book which is four shillings and the date of publication - 1793.
November 19, 2025 at 9:00 AM
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#MapOnATuesday this week is this map of the roads and locations in Erdington and Sutton Coldfield associated with the infamous case of the murder of Mary Ashford in 1817. The accompanying text explains the evidence shown on the map. Ref - MAP/304097 #LibraryofBham
A map, title of which is map of the roads near to the spot where Mary Ashford was murdered. Above the title is the map which is a line drawing of the streets and locations associated with the case. The bottom half of the map is dominated by text providing details of the case.
November 18, 2025 at 7:00 AM
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#BirminghamLibrary #teddybear We’re already showing our new recruit the ropes preparing for a busy, yet fun packed day in the library. Why not pick up your own Bearmingham in the Library Shop, retailing at £8 #LibraryofBham
A teddy bear in the bottom centre of the photograph wearing a Library of Birmingham ribbon around its neck. Above the bear is a cardboard box with the word Recall printed on it.
November 17, 2025 at 8:15 PM
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#BirminghamLibrary Check out the sparklingly updated version of our archival catalogue - calmview.birmingham.gov.uk New features include links to our digital gallery, Iron Room blog and Eventbrite for booking a search room appointment #LibraryofBham
A screen grab of the home page of an archival catalogue. Birmingham City Council logo in the top left corner. Tab bars across the top right. A central panel with a photograph of the Library of Birmingham in it. A box superimposed over the top of the central panel headlined - Popular Searches. Text on the bottom left identifying the Archives & Collection catalogue.
November 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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#SundayShowcase is Altar of Remembrance by Alan Fewtrell. A brief insight into the stories behind the service personnel and civilians remembered at the Castle Bromwich War Memorial. Ref - L 75.9 #LibraryofBham
Two books resting on a cushion. Title of the book is Altar of Remembrance - Remembering the fallen commemorated by the Castle Bromwich war memorial by Alan Fewtrell. Insert panel of a photograph of the war memorial in the bottom half of the front cover. A silhouette of a soldier in the top left of the cover.
November 16, 2025 at 11:00 AM
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#CityOf1000Trades this 1900 advertisement for Albert C Neal. The company was first listed in the 1876 edition of the Furniture Gazette. Ref - L 08.2 Periodicals D5/ 229383 #LibraryofBham
An advertisement for Albert C Neal of the Viaduct Works, Oxford Street, Birmingham. Illustration of a folded mattress in the centre of the illustration. Details of services and the address of the premises beneath this.
November 15, 2025 at 10:15 AM
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#PhotoFriday is this mid – 1930s photograph of the King Edward Grammar School in New Street, a year before it moved to Edgbaston. The building was demolished in 1937. Ref: WK/B11/5702 #LibraryofBham #Brumpic #KESBham
A photograph of large imposing Victorian gothic building on a high street. The school is three storeys high. Pedestrians and vehicles outside in front of the building. Electric streetlamps hanging from cables in the top foreground of the photograph.
November 14, 2025 at 8:01 AM
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#EFP This is a copy of Gerard’s Herball (1636) - the most famous of English herbals, renowned for its numerous drawings and lively writing style with anecdotes taken from folklore. Part of the library’s Early and Fine Printing Collection. Reference A 094/1636 #LibraryofBham
Image of a frontispiece, a decorative illustration with three vertical panels. Each populated by classical figures. A female figure is in the top panel. Two older male figures populate the central panel and the bottom is populated by a male figure wearing an Elizabethan style ruff.
November 13, 2025 at 9:15 AM
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#HRAExhibition #Christmas If you’re passing by the library over the next couple of months, why not pop up to Level 4 to take a look at our small, but perfectly formed display of Christmas related documents from our printed collections #LibraryofBham
Side view photograph of a glass exhibition case. Books laid flat in the foreground of the photograph. A book in the left background of the photo raised on a rest. A long line of tinsel running along the back of the case. A bookcase in the background of the photograph.
November 12, 2025 at 5:02 PM
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Staff are working to improve access and visibility of our Black & South Asian History Collection. 10,000+ items have been modified, increasing the percentage of items visible on the public catalogue from 51% to 85%: theironroom.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/1... #LibraryofBham @blackhistorymonth.org.uk
A photo of shelves of books. Certain books have pieces of paper popping out of the top.
November 12, 2025 at 9:15 AM
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#RemembranceDay This Friday, an event will be held in Victoria Square to explore the contribution of the Indian Forces in WW1 and the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. You can book your ticket: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cwgc-first... Ref – WK/B11/8526 #LibraryofBham @cwgc.bsky.social
Photograph of the men of the 8th Punjab Pipe Band leading detachments of Indian and Ghurka troops as the parade enters New Street from Victoria Square. A crowd of people gather to watch on the left of the photograph.
November 11, 2025 at 8:01 PM
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#Railway200 #MapOnATuesday shows the enlargement of New Street Station - the new street to be substituted for Great Queen Street and the intended alteration of streets in the vicinity,1st August 1881. Now we know what became of Bread Street! Ref: MAP/73266 #LibraryofBham @railway200.bsky.social
A map of Birmingham city centre. A collection of named thoroughfares crisscrossing one another - some of the streets have shading around them. Features such as churches and schools identified on the map. A shaded area in the centre with text - L & NW Railway Station above it. Text inside the bulk of the shaded area regards - Proposed Extension of Footbridge. A scale of measurement in the bottom right of the map. A compass lilting at an angle in the bottom left along with text which reads - Copyright Entered Stationers Hall.
November 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
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#RemembranceDay To commemorate this Remembrance Day, here’s the front page of our copy of the Birmingham Book of Remembrance, 1914 – 1918. Ref - L 75.9. The original is held at Birmingham Hall Of Memory: www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/it... #LibrayofBham @britwarmemorial.bsky.social
Laurel garland with the handle and tip of a sword running through it. Legend below the garland reads - For King & Country. Text in the centre of the garland reads - The Roll of Honour of Birmingham Men Who Gave Their Lives in The Great War. On one side of this text is date 1914 and directly opposite 1918.
November 11, 2025 at 7:00 AM
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Stay Calm everyone! Access to our online archival catalogue Calmview: Home Page will be down for essential upgrade work this Wednesday between 8 am - 12 pm. You can still contact us at: archives.heritage@birmingham.gov.uk with catalogue queries #LibraryofBham
Home Page of an online archival catalogue. Text at the top of the page reads Rewriting The Book – Library of Birmingham. Beneath this, a search tab on the far right with tile function keys across the page beneath this. A photograph of two young people using paints and brushes on an easel beneath this. Below, text relating to the catalogue. A menu board on the far left of the Home Page.
November 10, 2025 at 8:15 PM
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For a recent blog, our Conservator, Lucy shed light on the environmental monitoring in our storage areas. Extreme fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity can pose a significant risk to the archives unless monitored: theironroom.wordpress.com/2025/11/03/e... #LIbraryofBham
On the left of the photograph, is a Meaco transmitter on a shelf. To the right are two archival boxes. Boxes on the shelf beneath this.
November 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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#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
A book on a table with its cover facing on to the camera. Title at the top of the cover of the book is The Birmingham Parish Workhouse, 1730 – 1840. Beneath this, a panel in the middle of the front cover containing an illustration of an austere looking brick building. Beneath this, the name of the author – Chris Upton. A doorway in the left background of the photo and an upright cabinet on the right close to a window.
November 9, 2025 at 11:00 AM
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#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
An advertisement. Text at the top of the advert reads Legg & Company, public decorators, Bromsgrove Street, Birmingham. Beneath this, a list of their wares on the left and an illustration of a Victorian ballroom scene on the right. Below this, the words Ball Rooms in bold print and further details regards services.
November 8, 2025 at 10:15 AM
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#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
A photograph of a female figure sat at a stall. Her right arm is resting on the stall and the hand is touching her furrowed brow. She is wearing a long flowing shawl like garment with cowl resting on her head. Behind her, a crowd of people go on their way apart for a solitary male figure in the mid centre of the photograph who looks towards the camera.
November 7, 2025 at 8:15 AM