Picspam: Jewelry museum in Birmingham

[dieastra]

I must post more pictures of Birmingham. Such a beautiful city.
In 2014 I visited the Jewelry museum. I only can recommend this to anyone who is interested in history and crafts. It was amazing. When this manufactory closed in the Eighties, the workers just left but left everything there. There are even still teacups and their work clothes and everything. A woman showed us how the machines worked, and we each got a little golden dog punched out. And all those old file folders and type machines in the office! Loved it.

Birmingham has a so called "Jewelry quarter" where lots of manufactories and shops can still be found. Even whistles for the Titanic had been made here. The workers were watched carefully to not hide any gold and take it home. Even when washing their hands, the water would be collected and the gold dust re-used. It was a very interesting tour.

Please see all the pictures behind the cut.

Comments

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

I like the one with tightly crammed buildings. It feels storytelling in a way. :)

It's either the most messy museum ever, or a museum carefully maitained to look messy... In the latter case, I must admire the authenticity. :]

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

The right building is where all the machines are standing in. It gets light through the big roof windows. And they put the white stones at the left building so the sun would reflect and it would be even brighter. Clever people!

Before we went down there, there is also a "regular" museum where you learn about the history and with glass vitrines and video screens where you press a button. Every half an hour then a group is led downstairs.

This manufactory was closed in 1981 and then stood like this, untouched for about 20 years, when someone opened the door - I think at first they wanted to tear down the building and build something new but then they realisted what a treasure they have here and made a museum out of it.

I assume they remove the dust once in a while. Sadly we also were not allowed to go down the green steel stairs, we went down another way. I guess it was too old and fragile.

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

And they put the white stones at the left building so the sun would reflect and it would be even brighter.
I love this!