Invitation to the Opening of Calthorpe Park
This invitation was issued to William Sands Cox, founder of Queen's Hospital in 1840 as a clincal school for the Birmingham Royal School of Medicine. The invitation is richly illustrated and contains ...
Letter from Eliezer Edwards to Hugh Nettlefold
In November 1884, a lengthy article about the Botanical Gardens appeared in Edgbastonia magazine. This letter illuminates the background to the publication of that article.
Correspondence about the ...
Letter from Hilda Chamberlain to Neville Chamberlain
This letter was written by Hilda Chamberlain to her brother, Neville, while he was living on Andros, in the Bahamas, managing the family's sisal plantation. It describes the proposed layout of newly acquired ...
Letter from Mary Endicott Chamberlain to her Mother
In this letter Mary Endicott Chamberlain describes her attendance at the opening of Moseley Park and Pool.
Letter from Mr Bloxham to George Edwards
Mr Bloxham, an Edgbaston resident, writes to the Estate Office of his landlord Lord Calthorpe objecting to plans to convert the Edgbaston reservoir on Hagley Road into a public park.
News Article on 'Suicide in Cannon Hill Park'
There are a surprisingly large number of references in the Birmingham Daily Post between 1857 and 1900 to suicide or attempted suicide in Calthorpe and Cannon Hill parks. This evidence gives an insight ...
Norman Chamberlain
Norman Chamberlain was the paternal cousin of Neville Chamberlain. He was Chairman of the Parks Committee of Birmingham City Council between 1912 and 1914, when he volunteered to serve in the First World ...
Notebook of Robert Aglionby Slaney
These pages are from a series of notebooks kept by Robert Aglionby Slaney, who served as MP for Shrewsbury for several periods between the 1820s and early 1860s. He was interested in social, economic ...
Offences Committed in the Parks
During the 1920s and 1930s the Administration Sub-Committee of the Parks Committee submitted regular reports listing the offences for which people were prosecuted. Most of the offences were minor. They ...
Oral History Recording of Frank Jones
In this 'City Childhoods' oral history recording, Frank Jones talks about his memories of using Calthorpe and Cannon Hill parks.
During the 1920s, Calthorpe Park and Cannon Hill Park were popular play ...
Organised Games
This report was compiled by the organisers of schemes that ran in a number of Birmingham parks and recreation grounds during the summer of 1911. It was managed by Norman Chamberlain, chairman of the Parks ...
Pearson’s Fresh Air Fund Day at Manor Farm Park
A number of ‘Fresh Air’ funds were set up in both Britain and North America during the late nineteenth century, to provide days out or sometimes summer holidays, in the countryside, to children from low ...
Pearson’s Fresh Air Fund Day at Manor Farm Park
One of a series of photographs documenting days out at Manor Farm Park for children from city centre schools, run by Pearson's Fresh Air Fund with the assistance of Elizabeth Cadbury who offered the use ...
Plan for a Midlands Arts Centre for Young People
This plan formed part of a proposal prepared by John English concerning the establishment in Cannon Hill Park of a Midland Arts Centre, which he hoped would be administered by an independent trust. The ...
Playing Tennis at Birmingham Botanical Gardens
'The lovers of lawn-tennis will perhaps be surprised to learn that Major Gem was the first to bring that game before the public, but it is an unquestionable fact'.
An obituary for Major ‘Harry’ Gem ...
Political Demonstrations in the Parks
During the 1920s and 1930s, the Parks Committee minutes contain detailed information about the type of organisations applying to use Birmingham’s parks for meetings and demonstrations. The issue of whether ...
Postcard of Calthorpe Park
This birthday greetings postcard of Calthorpe Park was sent from D.S. to L. Payne of Solihull. Calthorpe Park was one of Birmingham’s first public parks, laid out in 1856.
Postcard of Moseley Park & Pool
This postcard shows the pool in Moseley Park. The park was created from part of the grounds of Moseley Hall, and opened to keyholders in 1899.