New Futures for Birmingham`s Historic Buildings

Heritage Angel 2015 #bringingitbackforBrum

Posted September 11th, 2015 by jenniwaugh with No Comments

Thank you to all our wonderful supporters and friends, for voting for Birmingham Conservation Trust and our Newman Brothers Coffin Works Restoration to win the Heritage Angels 2015 People’s Favourite Award! It’s a long title, but a very worthwhile prize that means a ...

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Sponsored Marathon in aid of Birmingham Conservation Trust

Posted November 6th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with No Comments

My name is Katie Kershaw and I am one of BCT’s trustees. I became involved with the Trust because I am passionate about historic buildings and my home city of Birmingham. I am enormously grateful for the fantastic work that the Trust ...

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Friday Photo: Coffin Works

Posted October 24th, 2014 by Julie Webb with No Comments

  Friday Photo: Coffin Works I have volunteered for BCT for several years now, but recently joined the Friday Photo team.  As we have finally reached the day of the launch party for the Newman Brothers  at the Coffin Works,  today’s Friday photo could ...

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‘Homecoming’

Posted July 27th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with No Comments

Dawn, as an ex-funeral director, has been an invaluable source of information on the project, helping me developing my own knowledge of coffin furniture. Six months ago I embarked on what was possibly the most daunting (and exciting!) task of my career so ...

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From Cabinets to Coffins

Posted July 14th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with 3 Comments

  Possibly Newman Brothers’ first coffin-furniture catalogue, circa 1894. Familiar with brass since 1882, they continued to use this material in their new business venture producing coffin furniture from 1894 onwards. © Newman Brothers at The Coffin Works.  One of the most common questions ...

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Newman Brothers’ Placement: Valia Goula

Posted June 22nd, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with 1 Comment

Hi, My name is Valia, I come from Greece and I have studied History and Archaeology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Currently, I am studying for my MA in Heritage Management at the University of Birmingham and I have ...

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Volunteers’ Week

Posted June 1st, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with 3 Comments

The research team have been getting to know the likes of ‘Mr Salt’ and other Newman Brothers’ employees through the many documents discovered in the company archive. Tomorrow marks the start of Volunteers’ Week, which gives us the opportunity at The Coffin Works ...

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The Coffin Works ‘Hard Hat’ tour

Posted March 23rd, 2014 by Joe Turner with 3 Comments

Along with a handful of other Birmingham Conservation Trust volunteers, trustees and members – including former BCT Director Elizabeth Perkins, who started the project over a decade ago – yesterday I had the privilege of a ‘hard hat’ tour of the work ...

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Dating the Newman Brothers Collection

Posted March 5th, 2014 by Sarah Hayes with 2 Comments

Page from a Newman Brothers’ trade catalogue, still to be dated. One of the first tasks I set myself as Collections and Exhibitions Manager was to start dating some of the collection. After all, if I’m going to interpret it, I have to ...

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Uncovering Treasures: The Coffin Works Archive

Posted February 23rd, 2013 by Birmingham Conservation Trust with 2 Comments

In an old warehouse just north of Birmingham city centre is a treasure trove of pale, unopened boxes. Hundreds and hundreds stacked up in rows like the tombstones of Manila Bay, filled with reminders of history. Each one contains the intriguing remains ...

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