Victorian Radicals in the Gas Hall

There hasn't been a major exhibition in the Gas Hall at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in about 5 years (since the Black Sabbath one I think in 2019). Then BM & AG was closed on and off since 2020 (pandemic, later re-wiring and restoration works etc). The Gas Hall only reopened in February for the Victorian Radicals from February to October 2024. A late April 2024 visit.

Three generations of British artists, designers and makers revolutionised the visual arts in the second half of the nineteenth century. The Pre-Raphaelites, William Morris and his circle and the men and women of the Arts and Crafts movement transformed art and design.

Selected from the city of Birmingham's outstanding collection, Victorian Radicals presents vibrant paintings and exquisite drawings alongside jewellery, glass, textiles and metalwork to explore their radical vision for art and society. Fresh from an award-winning tour of the US, Victorian Radicals is the first comprehensive showing of the city’s Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts collections in Birmingham for over five years. Discover the story of the Pre-Raphaelites themselves and their influence on artists and makers well into the twentieth century – especially in Birmingham itself. Paintings made by artists including Kate Bunce, Joseph Southall and Arthur Gaskin combined the poetry and intensity of the Pre-Raphaelites’ work with a distinctive identity all their own. Open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm. In the Gas Hall at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Pre-book to guarantee entry. Alternatively you can buy tickets on arrival (subject to availability). This exhibition is organised by Birmingham Museums Trust and the American Federation of Arts. Supported by the Friends of Birmingham Museums.

 

Book your Victorian Radicals ticket(s) at the link and go. Adults from £11 (can be more with gift aid etc). Note that if you buy anything from the shop in the Gas Hall, it's card payments only (no cash). February to October 2024.

 

This visit on the 27th April 2024.

 

The Victorian Radicals signs outside of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, as you pass through Chamberlain Square, and onto the part that was Edmund Street. Entrance at the Gas Hall. The rest of BM & AG remains closed for now.

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Some general views of the Victorian Radicals inside of the Gas Hall.

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Looking to the Future: New approaches to Victorian Art and Design at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

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The First Industrial Nation. Mid-Victorian Art and Design

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Various landscape paintings.

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Gather the Rose of Love While Yet 'Tis Time, 1848. William Etty (1787-1849). Oil on canvas.

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Work, 1859-63 Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893) Oil on canvas.

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The Long Engagement, c. 1854-59. Arthur Hughes (1832-1915). Oil on canvas.

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Two Gentlemen of Verona (Valentine Rescuing Sylvia from Proteus), 1851. William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) Oil on canvas. Based on a play by William Shakespeare.

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Portrait of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1882-83. William Holman Hunt (1827-1910). Oil on mahogany.

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Portrait of John Everett Millais, 1853. Alexander Munro (1827-1910). Marble set in carved slate frame.

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The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple, 1854-60. William Holman Hunt (1827-1910). Oil on canvas.

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The Last of England, 1852-55. Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893). Oil on wood panel.

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Medea, 1866-68. Frederick Sandys (1829-1904). Oil on composite wood panel with gold leaf.

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La Donna della Finestra, 1881. Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) Oil on canvas with underdrawing in chalk and graphite. Depicts Jane Morris as 'the lady at the window', unfinished, due to the artists death a year after it was started.

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Morgan le Fay, 1864. Frederick Sandys (1829-1904). Oil on wood panel.

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Beata Beatrix, begun 1877 (completed by Ford Madox Brown). Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882). Oil on canvas.

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May Morning on Magdalen Tower, 1888-91. William Holman Hunt (1827-1910), artist and designer Guild of Handicraft (London), frame maker Oil on canvas in original copper frame.

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Musica, c. 1895-97. Kate Elizabeth Bunce (1856-1927). Oil on canvas.

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Beauty and the Beast, 1904. John Dickson Batten (1860-1932). Tempera on canvas.

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Stained glass window: Dante and Beatrice II: The Wedding Feast, 1910 Florence Jane Camm (1874-1960), designer T. W. Camm & Co. (Smethwick, Birmingham), manufacturer.

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Tracery light from the east window of Holy Trinity Church, Grazeley, 1849-50. Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852) and John Hardman Powell (1827-1895), designers John Hardman & Co. (Birmingham), manufacturer Stained, painted, and leaded glass.

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Stained glass panel: Saint George Slaying the Dragon, 1872 (designed c. 1862). Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882), designer Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. (London), manufacturer. Stained, painted and leaded glass.

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Stained glass panel: Winter, c.1865 William Morris (1834-1896), designer Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. (London), manufacturer. Stained, painted and leaded glass.

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Stained Glass Panel: Saint Mark, 1883 (designed 1874) Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), designer Thomas G. Bowman (1836-1917), glass painter Morris & Co. (Merton Abbey, London), manufacturer Stained, painted and leaded glass.

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Pair of Stained Glass Panels: Sleepe after Toile, before 1905. Mary Jane Newill (1860-1947), designer and maker Stained, painted and leaded glass.

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Day dress, с. 1865. Maker not recorded Silk, with black ribbon, braid and cord trim.

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Another dress and a tunic.

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Paolo and Francesca by Alexander Munro (1825–1871). Marble statue.

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Chest: The Garden of the Hesperides, 1887-88. Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), designer Charles Lumley (active 1887-89), cabinetmaker Osmund Weeks (active 1879-95), gesso moulder and gilder.

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Bedcover, c. 1908. Mary Jane Newill (1860-1947). Linen embroidered with wool.

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Carpet: 'Old Master', c. 1851. John Crossley & Sons (Halifax, West Yorkshire), manufacturer. Woven wool.

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Wallpaper design: Jasmine. William Morris (1834-1896), designer, 1874. Graphite, red chalk, and watercolour on paper.

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Floor tile, 1851. Minton & Co. (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire), manufacturer Earthenware, inlaid with coloured slips. Made for the Great Exhibition of 1851.

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The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, now newly imprinted (the 'Kelmscott Chaucer'), 1896. William Morris (1834-1896), Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) and co-workers at Kelmscott Press, designers and makers Kelmscott Press (London), printer Joseph Batchelor and Son (Little Chart, Kent), paper manufacturer Bound book with 87 woodcut illustrations on handmade paper.

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Photography by Elliott Brown. Some captions from Birmingham Museums.

Open Day at the Galton Valley Pumping Station in Smethwick

I went along to the first open day of the year at the Galton Valley Pumping Station in Smethwick, on the second Saturday of each month between April and October, each year. Run by Sandwell Museums & The Friends of Galton Valley Pumping Station. Very friendly volunteers, as I had a look around getting photos. Well worth a visit when it's open. Train down to Smethwick Galton Bridge.

I scanned in this leaflet I was handed with the 2024 open day dates at the Galton Valley Pumping Station in Smethwick. Held on the second Saturday of each month from April to October, 11am to 3pm (last admission at 2:30pm). Free entry.

I went on Saturday 13th April 2024. The next dates are as follows: 11th May, 8th June, 13th July, 10th August, 14th September and 12th October 2024. Thank you to The Friends of Galton Valley Pumping Station and Sandwell Museums.

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Here's some of the usual outdoor views of the Galton Valley Pumping Station, that I retook, while I was in Smethwick again on Saturday 13th April 2024, similar to views I've taken before in the past. I approached from Smethwick Galton Bridge Station via the Birmingham Canal Navigations New Mainline, you have to go up the steps to the BCN Old Mainline to go in the entrance, and see the volunteers.

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The views on leaving the pumping station, from Brasshouse Lane over the old and new BCN canals, then over the footbridge that crosses Tollhouse Way.

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A look around the inside of the Galton Valley Pumping Station in Smethwick. There was a Tangyes Birmingham engine on the upper floor.

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Arthur Ross and several old signs on the floor here.

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Into the next room then would be going downstairs.

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A Fellows, Morton & Clayton narrowboat, registers at Birmingham, you could have a look inside, but not sure if there was room to climb on board.

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Working life on the canals.

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Down the bottom with large boiler engines.

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On this wall A C Munford Engineer Colchester.

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The back up more steps, one last look at the Tangyes Birmingham engine, before heading out.

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Photography by Elliott Brown 

Construction of The Octagon - April 2024 Update

The Octagon is about to start the final phase of external construction with the addition of the final floors up to the full height of 155m, currently on floor 39 of 49. Here is a sample of photos from the huge photo gallery for this building from mid February onwards....

There are now over 2600 construction photos of this building in the full gallery:

Click here to view the full construction photo gallery...

April

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

March

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

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Photography by Elliott Brown

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

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Photography by Elliott Brown

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

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Photography by Elliott Brown

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

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Photography by Elliott Brown

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

 

February

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

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Photography by Elliott Brown

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

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Photography by Elliott Brown

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Photography by Stephen Giles.

There are now over 2600 construction photos of this building in the full gallery:

Click here to view the full construction photo gallery...

Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz on Kent Street at Sidewalk in Southside

The Dorothy street art popped up unexpectedly after Easter 2024, on Kent Street, with a ruby red slipper on the line above. On some doors of the Sidewalk gay bar. But by chance The Wizard of Oz will be playing at the Birmingham Hippodrome in June 2024. Is it Joe, as it's not Banksy? Photos from Birmingham We Are's Jack Babington and Elliott Brown. Who run our Instagram page.

The Wizard of Oz at the Birmingham Hippodrome from 11th to 16th June 2024, starring Craig Revel Horwood as The Wicked Witch of the West.

 

The owners of Sidewalk did not expect to find Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz on their building, on a pair of doors. It quickly got into the media, is it a Banksy? No. Who is it by? It is by Joe Lycett? We are not sure yet. Probably not by Disney B32. Perspex has been put over the artwork to protect it. There is also a pair of ruby red slippers on the phone line wire above Kent Street in the Gay Village (Southside BID).

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Photography by Jack Babington | Pro Photography Pictures

 

You will find Dorothy is you make your way to Hurst Street in Southside, when you find Sidewalk, then turn onto Kent Street. She is on the doors. This visit during Storm Kathleen so it was trying to rain, and was a bit windy, like Dorothy flying away in the house from Kansas to the Land of Oz!

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Photography by Elliott Brown | Ell R Brown 82

 

Go here for our post on Facebook: Dorothy FB. And on Instagram: Dorothy Insta.

Replacing the Great Charles Street Queensway footbridge: improving the link from the Colmore to JQ BID's

There is plans from Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands (who hopes to be re-elected for a 3rd term in May 2024) to replace the footbridge over Great Charles Street Queensway. It starts near Church Street, Colmore BID, to Ludgate Hill, Jewellery Quarter BID, then the walk up to St Paul's Square. Has ramped steps on both sides. And the glass building one side full of graffiti.

This walk from Church Street to Ludgate Hill was on Easter Sunday, 31st March 2024 (starting from Coffee #1 Newhall Street and ending at St Paul's Square).

We start at the Colmore BID, from Church Street Square, the view to the rickety footbridge over Great Charles Street Queensway, the view up to Ludgate Hill, St Paul's Square and St Paul's in the Jewellery Quarter.

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Prunus Cistena Purple leaf cherry blossom seen in Church Street Square. Next walk down Church Street, and enter the footbridge at Great Charles Street Queensway, via Britannia House.

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Heading down Church Street, the Great Charles Street Footbridge is on the left. Up Ludgate Hill you can see the spire of St Paul's Church in St Paul's Square.

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After crossing the footbridge, and walking past the construction sites on Ludgate Hill, you get to this classic view from St Paul's Square.

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See Phyllis Nicklin's 1960s photo for a comparison of Ludgate Hill.

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We have put together this 1960 and 2024 comparison of Ludgate Hill from St Paul's Square. Now seven bollards and a heritage lamppost instead of six bollards and a heritage lamppost. Plus two bins. And the pavement has been widened in the last 64 years.

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The zoom in from St Paul's Square down Ludgate Hill shows you that Great Charles Street Queensway has split the city in half since it opened in the early 1970s. You can see Church Street Square on the other side in the Colmore BID, as well as the Hotel du Vin further up Church Street (the former Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital of 1883).

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Head out to have a look at St Paul's Church with daffodils, then leave the Jewellery Quarter via Livery Street, walk down Constitution Hill and Old Snow Hill. No trams at St Paul's Tram Stop, but walk up the steps to St Chads Tram Stop, then walk past the Snowhill estate offices, and back to Snow Hill Station Square and Colmore Row.

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Photography by Elliott Brown