Sent on behalf of the Leader of the Council

Birmingham’s Industrial Heritage 

Thank you for your recent email regarding your suggestions for promoting
the industrial heritage of Birmingham. 

Whilst I agree entirely that the city’s industrial heritage is a
fundamental element in Birmingham’s unique identity, I cannot agree with
your criticism of Thinktank. It presents many important aspects of
Birmingham’s industrial heritage. Furthermore, it is undoubtedly highly
popular with families and children who are such a key audience not just for
now but also for the future. 

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Our reply

I am not sure how you can say that the Think Tank is popular with families, the emails I get say it is overpriced and sadly lacking but you would be correct in thinking it was a children's museum! I would be interested to know how you have come to the conclusion that it is popular with anyone!

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I should also emphasise that Thinkank is not the only museum that tells the
story of Birmingham’s industrial heritage. Birmingham City Council has the
largest local authority funded museum service in England. This includes a
number of award-winning industrial heritage sites including Matthew
Boulton’s Soho House, and the highly acclaimed Museum of the Jewellery
Quarter, not forgetting Sarehole Mill in Hall Green which illustrates the
earliest phase of the industrial revolution in the city. 

I agree with you about these two excellent facilities which are poorly publicised within the city but one small section of the industrial revolution is not what put Birmingham on the map and is not refelective of Birmingham's unique diverse industrial history. Birmingham, more so than any other city ,was the capital of industry

The main Museum & Art Gallery site in Chamberlain Square also contains
internationally significant collections relating to Birmingham's industrial
heritage, including jewellery, metalwork and social history material.
Indeed, the museum and its collections was a product of the industrial
revolution as it was intended to inspire Birmingham’s manufacturers and
craftspeople to improve the design and quality of their own goods. 

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Our Reply

Again the Museum and Art Gallery contains only a very small section of Industrial exhibits which hardy do justice to an industrial city such as Birmingham. It typifies an out of date stuffy museum experience but  as a building for housing important art and history collections it is ideal.
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The Museum & Art Gallery is in the process of submitting a major
application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the complete refurbishment of
the existing Birmingham History Galleries so that they better reflect and
celebrate the story of the city, which will of course include significant
material relating to Birmingham’s industrial heritage. 

You also make reference to the Museums Collection Centre in Nechells.
Whilst it is true that this is not a public museum, we are working hard to
improve access through open days, pre-booked guided tours and school visits
so it is not the case that the artefacts stored there are inaccessible to
the public. 

Quite apart from City Council funded museums, there are a number of other
excellent industrial heritage sites/attractions across the city including
the National Trust’s Back to Back houses, the Pen Room in the Jewellery
Quarter, various canal boat operators, and the Assay Office collection
(which is accessible by appointment). The Birmingham Heritage Forum website
demonstrates the rich collection of heritage attractions the city is
fortunate enough to possess.

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Our Reply 

Rather than develop another museum which would inevitably duplicate much of
what is already being done at other sites (including the Black Country
Museum), the City Council is keen to develop and improve its existing
heritage assets, including Thinktank.  This does not just include museums
but also our Libraries and Archives, the historic environment, public art
(for instance the splendidly regilded statue of Boulton, Murdoch and Watt
on Broad Street), and perhaps most importantly the stories of Birmingham
people and communities. 

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Our Reply

If business used duplication as a reason for failure to invest we would have a very precarious economy. Duplication exists in all aspects of business and museums are  businesses although they may lack business initative. Should Birmingham City football club close because Aston Villa is down the road? On the basis of Councilors Whitby's argument the city could close it parks, there are plenty of them outside the Birmingham boundary!

The Industry of the Black Country was unique to the Black Country. The Black Country did not have the worlds largest cycle manufacturer, Hercules of Aston (represented in The Think Tank by one headstock badge) and other world famous brands such as Birds Custard, Typhoo Tea, Bladon Blowlamps, Bakelite Plastics, TI Tubes, Cadbury Chocolate, Norton Motorcycles, Weobly and Scott Guns, Austin Cars, Fisher and Ludlow car bodies, Coronet Cameras, Halford Cycles, Chad Valley Toys, Swan Kettles, Wolseley Merry Tillers, Atco Lawmowers, Dunlop Tyres (not even mentioned in the Think Tank although the Railton Special is exhibited with Dunlop Tyres) Valor Heaters. Ansell Breweries, Davenports Beer at Home, Brylcreem, Chemico, Joseph Lucas, Miller Lamps, Albion Gearboxes, Cyclo Gear, Lanchester Cars, BSA Guns, Vickers Spitfire, SU Caburetters, Midland Red Buses, Kunzles Cakes, the list is endless and that is why Birmingham is a special case for a diverse industrial museum

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We are certainly not complacent and recognise that there is still plenty of
room for improvement. As a first step we will shortly be publishing the
Birmingham City Council Heritage Strategy which will provide a framework
for the future conservation and development of the council’s own heritage
assets. 

I hope the above addresses the points you have raised. 

Yours sincerely 

Mike Whitby

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Our Reply

Sorry Mike but it does not address any of the points I have raised, I appreciate that the City would rather spend money on developing department store sites, expensive restaurants and city centre housing but Birmingham needs something innovative that can attract tourists from outside its boundaries and thats just what an open air industrial museum could do.

Single interest museums are just that, SINGLE INTEREST. Boring and stuffy are the two adjectives most heard when describing museums and single interest museums are idealy placed to be just that. Beamish, Ironbridge and The Black Country Living Museum have shown the way way forward with their 'day out museum experiences' taking them away from just being boring dusty places to go when its raining. for a few hours.

What better than to celebrate what Birmingham was best known for, INDUSTRY? 

The figures I have for the Think Tank show it has half  the amount of  vistitors of the old Museum of Science & Industry and costs twice as much!.

I believe that the council is not representing the views of the electorate when it says that The Think Tank is an adequate replacement for the Museum of Science and Industry. The Think Tank is a Museum of Science and most of the old industrual exhibits are hidden away in store in Dolman Street.

We will shortly be arranging a petition on the Downing Street website.

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