Friday Photo – Taylor and Challen Building

The Grade-II listed building, which dates from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was originally constructed as a foundry specialising in producing metal works and a wide variety of machinery for Birmingham’s booming metal trades, including presses and stamps. It was home to Taylor and Challen and founded in 1852 by Joseph Taylor. The company developed rapidly over a 70-year period, following the common pattern of expansion within the Jewellery Quarter, facilitated by a large pool of skilled labour in the city.

The building is vast and stretches across three streets; Water Street, Livery Street and Mary Ann Street. The Water Street entrance was the building’s primary facade, with the Mary Ann Street entrance (this photo) housing the main offices for the company.