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BIRMINGHAM. 



BIRMINGHAM. 



perpendicular style. In the centre of the principal front Is a square- 

 headed gateway, over which in a lofty bay window ; the wing* exhibit 

 numerous square-headed window* and guble-roofc. The college baa, 



'. oratories, refectories, vestries, studies, dorn 

 \.| nil the requirements for a Roman I'atholic college. 

 lino accommodation for about 150 student*, besides sin 

 profeworv Ac. Tin- length of the principal front is 150 f. 

 tower in the centre in i ii. The interior if generally 



bat the chnp-d if richly decorated, glittering with 



in gold nml colours. It is IU'2 feet liy '' feet, n<l . 

 mmie curious specimens of onk-carving, and three stained windows by 

 Warrington of I.<HH|M. 



There are in Birmingham numerous charitable inBtitut ions, which are 

 well managed and liberally supported. These include several hospitals, 

 infinnarit , dispensaries, asylums, nnd almshouses. Among them may 

 be named the General Hospital, whose funds are assisted by the cele- 

 brated triennial musical festivals, now held in the town-hall ; the 

 Queen's Hospital, Holloway Head ; the Dispensary ; a Magdalen insti- 

 tution ; an Institution for the Blind ; a Lying-in Hospital, Ac. ; and 

 a great variety of minor associations for supplying clothing nnd other 

 comfort-^ to the necessitous poor. 



There are two public subscription libraries. The most important 

 is in Union Street ; it contains nearly 80,000 volumes, of which about 

 4000 are medical. It was projected in 1779 and remodelled in 1782 

 by Dr. Priestley. The other, called the New Library, was established 

 in 1796, and contains about 7000 volumes. An attempt was made at 

 the commencement of 1 852 to establish a public library under the Act 

 18 ft 14 Viet. cap. 65, but it was not successful, the votes of the rate- 

 payers being 584 against, and only 363 in favour of the scheme. 



In Benriett's-Hill is a news room, built in the Doric style from tin- 

 designs of Messrs. Rickmnn and Hutchinsou. The Society of Arts 

 ami ( Jovernment School of Design, near the town-hall, has a bold and 

 lofty Grecian portico. The large exhibition-room in the int. 

 of a circular form, 52 feet in diameter ; and adjoining it are smaller 

 rooms for the reception of casts, marbles, ftc. The formation of this 

 institution was in great part due to Sir Robert Lawley, who in 1821 

 presented a collection of casts moulded from the Klgin marbles. The 

 School of Design had 490 students in April 1851 ; of these 159 were 

 females. The rooms of the Society of Artiste are in Upper Temple 

 Street. The Odd Fellows Literary Institute linn n new building in 

 Temple Street, built in the Vencto-Italian style. There was a 

 mechanics i nt Birmingham for many years, but it never 



flourished ; and on it abandonment a polytechnic institute was 

 founded, for popular lectures, classes, library, Ac. 



The Town-Hall, appropriated for musical festivals, assemblies, 

 meetings, ftc., is. with the exception of the New Grammar School, 

 the fluent building in Birmingham. It is a peristylnr composition, of 

 the Corinthian order, presenting ranges of columns along each side. 

 The proportions were taken from those of the temple of JupHer Stator 

 at Rome : the material is Anglesey marble. There is a rusticated 

 basement, rising to a height of about 20 feet, and pierced with doors 

 and windows. On this basement the body of the building is placed, 

 in front of which, on each side of the building, is a range of Corinthian 

 columns, supporting entablatures above ; there arc 15 of these columns 

 along each side ; eight on the principal front, and the same nut. 

 the northern end. Behind the columns, in the body of the building, 

 are ranges of windows, one to each intercolumnintion : the column* 

 are about 40 feet high. The large hall, which occupies the main 

 portion of the principal area, is nearly as large as Exeter Hill, in 

 London ; it is 145 feet long, 65 feet wi. At one 



end is the celebrated organ, one of the (incut, in tin- I 

 Rtmcted by II 11 ! lie outer case 



of this organ in 40 feet wide, 45 feet high, nnd 1 7 feet deep ; there are 

 73 drawsti.pn, four set* of kr-ys, and nbove 4000 pipes ; the largest 

 wooden pipe ha* n inter. of 224 cubic feet. From the 



elevation of the ground on which !,:ill is built, it forms a 



very conpintou object from all *!<!< of I! unim-ham. The building 

 belongs to the Corporation ; the organ belongs to the General Hospital 

 The buildings connected with the corporate and judicial govern- 

 ment of the town are few in number and of little beauty. In the 

 other building* of a public character, too, there is in most case* a 

 want of architectural merit. The Public Office in Moor .street, 

 erected in 1806, contains rooms for the magistrates and the co:,,,,,-: -- 

 sionrrx, and separated from the public office by n yard is n 

 The Court of BankrnptOT and ''ounty Court in \V 

 Stamp Office ne-. 



Office, in New Street, are mostly plain building*. The gr. 

 separate court of quarter sessions for the borough has Ted to the 

 erection of a boro'i.-li j ; iil, which was cor 



red out of the through rate. 



'H within r 



wll-. S20 cells fit f"i M many 



'i" design. It ha 1 " an i> 



Hided by n l-onndai-y v.-ull '.'II 



Mi f-iur warders' turrets overlooking tin- prixon yards. 



em of discipline an-Minilm 



of Mi- model prison ivt Pentonville ; it is situated at Winson Green, 

 about 2J miles from the centre of the town. Adjoining it is n lunatic 



asylum capable of containing 850 inmates ; the estimated cost of this 

 building was 45,000^., also to be provided for out of the borough 

 rate. The infantry barracks for the Birmin in 



ililii-lil market. The cavalry barracks 

 Great Brook Street ; they were built in 1 

 and arc ' 'ill King is a v 



market-hall, exten 

 Mr. K<! s are arched, and supp" 



Mi of the market is 360 feet, the breadth is 108 feet, and the 

 T the buildin- is 60 feet. It is light' .vs on 



.--, with three nt the en->t end, and six at th- The 



hall, which cost about SO.OOOf., and is under the control of the 

 Corporat ion, contains accommodation for 600 Italia, Smithfield market, 

 for live stock and hay, is not far from the same spot ; it was formed 

 in 1816, on ground which was formerly the residence of the lords of 

 the manor. The fish-market in Dale End, and the market hull in 

 Bclmont Row, for vegetables, provisions, &c. (a private speculation), 

 ill but convenient for their purpose. The new com-exchangc, 

 erected in 1847 by a joint stock company, is an oblong Doric stm 

 172 feet long, including the vestibule, with entrances at both ends, 

 and counters and desks arranged on either side for the accommoda- 

 tion of the dealers; the roof is waggon-vaulted, and remarkably 

 light and elegant in its decorations. 



The places of amusement in Birmingham arc not numerous. The 

 town-hull, already described, is the seat of the most important of 

 them. The thwtr*, in New Street, has been frequently burnt 

 but the present facade has survived most of the rontlaprai 

 there is a colonnade in front, nnd on the wings nre medallions of 

 I Can-irk : the interior of the theatre is large and well 

 up; it will contain about 2000 per 



;iing Smithfield market a building was erected for n circus, 

 but is now occupied by a congregation of Baptists, under the t 

 the Circus Chapel. The Bull Ring is an open spot, where me, 

 and large assemblages have frequently taken place ; in the centre is a 

 statue of Lord Nelson. 



.Vnnt</f"-'un and Trade. The manufacture of goods in iron and. 

 steel has been carried on in Birmingham for n considerable period. 

 About n century and a half ago the manufacture of articles in brass 

 was introduced. The use of this valuable compound metal has much 

 increased during the last hundred years, and the talent ol 



r has been tasked in the invention c-f ne<7 forms, and 

 adaptation of classical models to the purposes of mc.d -m do-- 

 comfort and ornnment. The introduction of the stamp especially, 

 which wns first applied to the multiplication of 

 wares, as buttons, buckles, and cloak pins, and which wax at 1 

 adapted, by increasing its power, to the production of large forms, 

 has caused the greatest change in this branch of mm There 



are establishment* in Birmingham which have from two to three 

 hundred thousand dies employed in stamping. 



In plat.cd wares the ntyle. and form were 1 -it in grace, 



but the taste and spirit of Messrs. Boulton and V 

 mental in improving the forms of the articles usually prmi 

 and an ''amiliarity with ancient models, nnd with the florid 



of the age of Louis XIV., 

 nmfacture. The introduction of the i: 

 Albata, or -British plate, was the forerunner of a ven 

 branch of manufacture at Birmingham. The convenient material 



is also largely mnnufact 



!' iron is rapidly improving nnd extciiilinir itself in 

 this town. A comparatively few years ago the principal east a) 

 of thin material were heavy kitch .-nite- ,-uid *f..v 



increased care in the selection of the metal, and a desire to produce 

 elegant forms at a cheap rate, have caused cast ir 

 .-lured of small size and of light and tasteful 

 loured by bronzing, almost equal Mi. 



wares; an. I in hollow vessels such perfection in th light- 



nesa is attained, that the use of beaten 



'I'h.- manufacture of guns was in' 



the last century, and has been carrie : use extent; 



nearly 6,000.' arms were supplied from Bin- tween 



the yean 1804 and 1818 inclusive, to men 



and of private trade. A proof house, under the conduct of n master, 

 wardens, and trustees, wa established by Act of Parliament in isi:;, 

 where the fabric "f all guns and pistol barrels, is heavy 



charge; all 'nin the explos- 



Teit which is felony; and to sell such barrels with 



Me by heavy fines. There is also n government 



. department. 



.,- :md bu. ' articles of ornament, almost 



t..k ti, The buckle has b 



rent changes moulds of \v I or horn being 



-. ith silk or some other woven material 

 as a sn' ' The button f:' 



th" large - - -i Hirmingham. Th.- 



the Toy Shop of Kuriipe,' given to Diniii. ISurkc, wns 



the extensi . 



lie character of the staple product 

 d steel toys, gold and gilt Jewell- 



