Welcome to Birmingham Archives and Heritage online catalogue

IMPORTANT NOTICE

CLOSURE OF THE ARCHIVES SEARCH ROOM IN PREPARATION FOR THE TRANSFER OF STOCK TO THE NEW LIBRARY OF BIRMINGHAM

The archives search room of Birmingham Archives and Heritage Service is now closed to enable the preparation, packaging and removal of stock to the new Library of Birmingham.

We will re-open on 3rd September 2013.

We regret the inconvenience this is likely to cause to our users. A new Library of Birmingham website will be launched soon and this will include contact details for the new Library.

This website provides access to the Birmingham Archives and Heritage online catalogue.There are now 1543 collections available to search on the online catalogue.

Searching the catalogue.
To start your search either click on the 'search' button top right, or click on the 'Advanced Search' button above. For help with searching please click 'How do I search the catalogue?' under 'Help'.

This catalogue covers Archives and Heritage material, and does not include the general published book stock of Birmingham Libraries. To search for a books and journals etc. click here

Central Library is changing, please click here for information regarding the Library of Birmingham. If you are planning a visit, please see the 'Using the Archives' page.

What's New?
Have a look at 'What's New' every time you visit as we will be updating the content of the online catalogue on a regular basis.

Online exhibitions
The New 'Image Gallery' features material from Records of the Birmingham Ladies Negro's Friend Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves.

The New 'Showcase' features entries from the newly catalogued New Meeting House, Moor Street, Birmingham.

What's New: Cadbury Collection Catalogue

This catalogue concentrates on the papers of Elizabeth Mary Taylor, born on 24th June 1858, the second daughter of John Taylor, a stockbroker (died 1894) and Mary Jane Taylor, a philanthropist (nee Cash, 1833-1887).

She was educated at a Quaker day school before being sent to a private girls' school in Saxe-Meiningen, Germany, in the early 1870s. Her faith served as a motivating force shaping her life and work. Both the Taylor family and the Cadbury family which Elizabeth Taylor married into shared an active and practical Quaker faith, identifying their endeavours supporting the welfare of less fortunate people as a practical manifestation of their religious faith. Included within the papers are boxes and albums of photographs taken between 1824 and 1965 including images of the Cadbury chocolate factories at Bull Street and Bridge Street in Birmingham and nine boxes of images relating to the Cadbury factory at Bournville and Bournville village. The following images are a small selection from these boxes.

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Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury presided over a visit by Prince George, the Duke of Kent, to The Beeches

Photograph taken in December 1938 when Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury presided over a visit by Prince George, the Duke of Kent, to The Beeches, a centre for training in crafts established in the former children's country holiday home in Bournville. The Duke was inspecting centres providing crafts training for women affected by unemployment.

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Mounted black and white photograph showing Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury opening the first house to be tenanted in Bournville after the Second World War, No. 5 Charfield Close.

The photograph shows Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury and Edward Cadbury with prospective tenants of the house.

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Mounted black and white photograph showing Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury presiding over the Bournville Village Schools' Christmas party whilst a man dressed as Father Christmas distributed presents to a large group of children.

Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury arranged and attended annual Christmas parties for children attending the Infants and Elementary schools in Bournville for many years. [n.d. 1920s].

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