Ann Street School, Birmingham
Oil painting by Alfred H. Green (c.1822-?).
Past schooling is brought vibrantly to life in this painting. We can see infants sewing, reading, listening, watching, falling asleep, crying, putting on ...
Birmingham and Moseley Society Journal
In contrast to the general movement to open up green spaces in the city to provide parks for Birmingham’s urban and suburban population during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Moseley Park ...
Adventure Playgrounds
Danish landscape architects and town planners became interested in the concept of adventure playgrounds, also known as 'junk playgrounds', in the 1930s, after observing children using building sites and ...
Brighter Birmingham Programmes
In common with other cities and towns in Britain and as promoted by the government, Birmingham City Council organised a variety of events during the Second World War to provide entertainments for war ...
Swimming Costume
Woman's woollen one-piece bathing costume.
Women with Bicycles in Cannon Hill Park
Cycling was an activity that became increasingly popular with women during the early part of the twentieth century. Cycling in parks, however, was subject to restrictions.
Roller Skates
Ice skating on frozen ponds, boating pools and lakes in Birmingham’s parks was popular during both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although restrictions were placed on the activity by the Parks ...
Women Dancing in the Dell at Muntz Park
From about 1914 organised dancing in some of Birmingham’s public parks became a popular activity. The Parks Committee made arrangements for dances to be held on public holidays and during the summer season ...
Calthorpe Park
Painting depicting the opening of Calthorpe Park, by Samuel Lines Snr.
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 ...
Programme for Joseph Chamberlain's 70th Birthday celebrations
As part of Birmingham's celebrations to mark the 70th birthday of Joseph Chamberlain, fireworks and entertainments were held in several of the city's parks.
The Chamberlain Family at Highbury
This photograph is from an album compiled by Mary Endicott Chamberlain, third wife of Joseph Chamberlain. The album contains a number of photographs of the grounds at Highbury Hall, and includes several ...
Postcard of Queen's Park, Harborne
Queen's Park was opened in 1899. It was formed from land at the corner of Court Oak Road and Turk’s Lane, purchased by fund raising by the Harborne Charity Fete committee, and named following Queen Victoria's ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Letter to the Guild of Undergraduates, University of Birmingham
This letter was written to the Guild President, Humphrey Humphreys, by solicitors acting for the American skating rink who had refused entry to a student from West Africa. The letter expresses regret ...
Letter from Norman Chamberlain to Boys Club Members
Norman Chamberlain wrote this letter to members of the Boys Club he organised, to be read in the event of his death while serving in the Grenadier Guards during the First World War. He encourages them ...