Children’s Hospital Special Appeal
In 1886 the Children’s Hospital organised a campaign to raise funds to stop a ward from closing with the loss of ten beds. The Children’s Hospital was dependent on charity and donations in order to deliver ...
Choir Boys at Worcester Cathedral
This photograph shows the choir boys of Worcester Cathedral in the Chapter House. They are wearing red cassocks.
Church Lane Children's Home (no. 112), Handsworth Wood
112 Church Lane was purchased towards the end of 1970 for use as a children’s home. After being adapted, it was opened in the early 1970s.
It was a three storey building about 60 years old when it ...
Church Lane Children's Home (no. 150), Handsworth Wood
In February 1961, 124 Church Lane was transferred from the Public Works Committee to the Children’s Committee to use as a children’s home.
The building had been purchased by the Public Works Committee ...
City Road, Edgbaston
This children's home was opened in 1967 in two adjoining (semi-detached) houses. The use of the houses as a children’s home was thought to be only temporary because of a planned road-widening scheme which ...
Clopton Road Children's Home, Sheldon
This was opened in 1952 as a type of children's home known as a family group home or scattered home.
It was a purpose-built detached house on the new Garretts Green housing estate. It was in very close ...
Copeley Hill Hostel, Copeley Hill, Erdington
The building for the Copeley Hill Hostel, originally called Burlington House, was given to the City by Barrow Cadbury in 1934. In his letter making the donation, Barrow Cadbury said that the building ...
Copeley House, Frankfort Street, Newtown
Copeley House was opened as a working boys’ home in 1968 as one of the units replacing Copeley Hill Hostel when it was forced to close because of the development of the Gravelly Hill Interchange (Spaghetti ...
Creating Space for Play
The Sparkbrook Association's interest in child development and welfare led to the opening of a number of playgroups. Playgroups were places mothers and fathers could bring their children to play alongside ...
Cyril Burt, Report of an Investigation on Backward Children in Birmingham
The idea of the ‘normal child’ was reinforced by research by psychologists in the early 20th century which identified and categorised some children as being ‘abnormal’. Cyril Burt designed tests to identify ...
Daily routine in Norton Reformatory
The boys’ lives were strictly regulated. Activities were timetabled for each day between waking up at 6am and going to bed at 10pm. Cleanliness was required at all times. The boys were under constant ...
Domestic Economy Lesson, Somerville Road Board School, Birmingham by William Woollaston
This photograph has been carefully constructed. It was taken to be displayed or circulated as evidence of good educational practice. The blackboard is used to describe what is happening. The subject is ...
Dormitory rules in Norton Reformatory
Dormitory, Sir Josiah Mason's Orphanage by Sir Benjamin Stone
As Mason’s Orphanage was so large the dormitory could accommodate three rows of beds. The room is essentially bare except for a few reproduction paintings. There is no evidence of any personal belongings ...
Drawing of a Church by Jessy Watt
Drawing of a Middlemore Girl
As an Edgbastonian, John Middlemore was proudly celebrated in the pages of the Edgbastonia magazine:
‘A benevolent Edgbaston gentleman who has solved one of the difficult social problems of modern ...
Drawing of George De Courcey, All Saints Mental Health Casebook
This drawing by Robson, the asylum doctor, is the only visual record of a child in All Saints Asylum. George was admitted from the workhouse in 1876 aged 9. Like Ellen Allport he is described as insane ...
Drawing of Trees by Gregory Watt
Birmingham born Gregory Watt (1777-1804) was the son of the inventor James Watt’s second marriage, to Ann McGregor. Gregory and his younger sister Jessy (1779-1794) were both accomplished child artists ...