Museum of the Jewellery Quarter

Details

BIRMINGHAM

997/0/10353 VYSE STREET 29-APR-04 75-78

II

Museum, formerly 2 jewellery manufactories. No.75 1909 by George E. Pepper for F. Moore; no.77 1914, also by Pepper; no. 79 replaced 1990. C20 alterations and additions, converted to museum use in 1999. Red brick with vitrified header patterning, ashlar sandstone dressings, and decoration, brick gable stacks and plain tile roof coverings.
PLAN: Elongated E-shaped complex on street corner site, with frontage to Vyse Street made up of 2 former works facades, former workshop elevation to Branston Street, with central and south extensions enclosing narrow yards.
FRONT (west) ELEVATION : Vyse Street elevation made up of Nos. 77 and 78, the former Smith and Pepper Works, to the right, and Nos. 76, 77 and 78 to the left. Asymmetrical frontage of 3 bays, 2 storeys above a basement, with doorway to right within quoined surround. Semi-circular arched head below hoodmould, tripartite overlight and attenuated keyblock. Double doors, formerly half-glazed. To left, 3 wide semi-circular arch-headed windows, the arches banded, the windows rising from a moulded sill band. Tripartite window frames with glazing bars to upper parts, and etched glass below. Upper floor with 2 windows to each bay, the central bay advanced, its windows below a wide banded semi-circular arch. Flanking bays have arched heads to openings and tile lintels, hollow -moulded brick surrounds and a moulded cill band. Steeply-pitched gablet with moulded copings to centre bay. No. 76 , 2 storeys, with wide entrance to right, its semi-circular arched head with voussoirs and keyblock below shallow arched hoodmould. Half-glazed double doors below semi-circular overlight with glazing bars. To the left, 3 closely-spaced windows with segmental arches to shouldered heads. Sash windows, the upper sashes with glazing bars. Moulded sill and storeys bands. Central first floor window of 3 lights beneath joggled flat head, with squat columns separating the 3 sashed lights. Flanking windows have shallow-arched heads and bands to heads and sills. Left-hand end window set below corner parapet with gablet above, the parapet returned onto the 2 bay side elevation which is similarly detailed, with paired windows to the left-hand bay and single windows to the right hand bay, set below a gablet. Beyond the 2 bay return, an attached 10 bay, 2 storey former workshop range with doorways to bays 7,9 and 10. The workshop has an asymmetrically- pitched roof and windows to each floor with multi-pane cast-iron window frames below shallow-arched heads. Within rear enclosure, single-storeyed workshopand taller C20 wing to south extend eastwards.
INTERIOR: The amalgamation and internal remodelling of the 2 former works to form a museum of the Jewellery Quarter has been carried out so as to retain original interiors alongside remodelled spaces for museum display. These include upper floor offices and workshop interiors re-instated with original fittings and equipment, such as jewellers 'peg benches' , and the whole of the central wing workshop with in-situ stamps and line shafting.
A museum devoted to the history of the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, located in 2 late C19 manufactories,and retaining interior fixtures and fittings in both workshop and office spaces. The former works display the distinctive architectural detailing which characterises the industrial buildings of this manufacturing district of Birmingham, now recognised as being of international significance.

Legacy

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505864

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LBS

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