The mighty griffins of Shard End 🦅 — gifted to Birmingham by the Tsar of Russia and once perched proudly on the Lewis’s building in the city centre. Now they stand silent among the trees, guardians of a forgotten story. #Birmingham #History #HiddenHeritage

With the 1834 Grade 1 listed Town Hall in Chamberlain Square and other wonderful historic builds, Birmingham has much to shout out with great architecture. #LookUpBirmingham - photo courtesy Daniel Sturley Photography

This is great news. H’s photo’s are a vital documentation of Brum (and beyond)

#BirminghamHistory We were sad to hear of the passing earlier this year of Dr Marie Rowlands, eminent historian of Catholicism in the Midlands. Also writing texts on the industrial heritage of the West Midlands tinyurl.com/DrRowlands Ref: WK/B11/8651 LibraryofBirmingham RC Birmingham

#NavyHistory Our printed collections include copies of the Navy List like this from June 1815. The list is an official record of naval officers, their ranks and the ships they were appointed to. The first list was published in 1814. Ref: B 359.30942 LibraryofBirmingham The National Museum of the Royal Navy

As if by #Magic, it’s Henri De’Seevah - The Friendly Magician of 136 Harvington Road, Weoley Castle. Included in Abracadabra - the only magical weekly in the world, published in Birmingham (Vol 1. No. 13 April 27, 1946). Ref - L 08.3 / 8410 LibraryofBirmingham The Magic Circle

#PhotoFriday this week is of Mrs Mabel Harris’ establishment at 22 Weaman Street photographed c 1930. Purveyor of many delectables including tea, coffee and cocoa. A very fine window display there. Ref - MS 4557, Box 5 LibraryofBirmingham Brumpic

#CityOf1000Trades today is this trade card for Thomas Jones & Sons, manufacturers of horticultural buildings based at Bradford Street and Cheapside. Ref - MS 4834/1276 LibraryofBirmingham

Join us for the annual Chris Upton Memorial Lecture on Mon 3rd November at 5.30pm tinyurl.com/UptonBaskervil… Prof. Caroline Archer-Parré will be giving her talk: Inhuming and exhuming: John Baskerville’s death, burial, and post-mortem life LibraryofBirmingham Dr Caroline Archer-Parré💙 Baskerville Society

#MapOnATuesday We’re going back to 1785 this week with Thomas Hanson’s Plan of Birmingham. Interesting demographic details provided by the map include the town had 9,500 houses and 52,250 inhabitants. Ref – MAP/72831 LibraryofBirmingham

Good news - the Sutton Coldfield electoral registers are now available to view here. Earliest is 1851 and then there is a gap until the Burgess Rolls start in the 1880s #SuttonColdfield LibraryofBirmingham

The smallest books in the #ShakespeareCollection are a set of miniature complete works in a dedicated case made in honour of actress Helen Terry in 1904. Books measure 38 x 55 mm and bookcase 100 x 100 x 150 mm. Ref: S 190.4 (182986) LibraryofBirmingham Shakespeare B Trust Ewan Fernie

We played host to our pals from Sampad last week for a teacher training day exploring how our resources play a part in developing an awareness of cultural and community identity amongst future generations LibraryofBirmingham Sampad Arts

#PowerAndPride2025 An advertisement for the Female American Serenaders at Birmingham Town Hall for one night only on 9 June 1847. The entertainment was described as ‘the harmony of which has been pronounced a marvel in the history of music’. Ref - MS 1711@LibraryofBham Black History Month 2025

Did you know? Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham has it's own model of the Elan Valley Reservoir, Wales built due to the rapid growth of the industrial city of Birmingham in the late 19th century and a lack of available clean water. #LookUpBirmingham #Wales. Photo Daniel Sturley Photography

When men were men!!

#PhotoFriday Anyone remember Paradise Forum beneath the site of the old Central Library? It became an enclosed shopping arcade with retail units at some point in the late 1980s, only to be demolished with the library in the late 2010s. Ref - MS 4557, Box 5 LibraryofBirmingham Brumpic

#CityOf1000Trades today is this advert for C. Green and Son of 10 Bull Ring who were manufactures of pugilist paraphernalia such as boxing gloves, punching balls as well as bags and purses. Ref: L 08.2 Periodicals D/11 (513710) The Birmingham Pantomime annual, 1899 LibraryofBirmingham

#SundayShowcase #PowerAndPride2025 Birmingham's Benjamin Zephaniah’s Dis Poetry features poems from his Bloodaxe collections, inc. City Psalms, Propa Propaganda. along with some from The Dread Affair and unpublished work/lyrics. Ref: L 52.21 ZEP LibraryofBirmingham Black History Month 2025 Professor Benjamin Zephaniah