Birmingham Museum Collections Centre Part 1

Originally published on Photoblog by Gethin Thomas July. 07, 2020 355 views

The Museums Collection Centre is a 1.5 hectare site that holds 80 per cent of Birmingham Museums’ stored collections under one roof.

Among the thousands of objects stored here are steam engines, sculptures, an entire collection of Austin, Rover and MG motor cars and even a red phone box.

This enormous facility is like something from the last scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark or an old curiosity shop.

There are retro toys lined up next to stuffed foxes and delicate tea cups alongside telephone boxes, sculptures, platform boots and chopper bikes.

There's classic cars, motorbikes and the world's oldest 'garden locomotive'.

Birmingham Museums Trust owns an incredible one million items - and a whopping 800,000 of these are in storage at the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre.

The fascinating thing about this place is that unlike a gallery or museum open to the public, none of the items are curated on display. Items are simply stored by size and weight, so you get some weird and wonderful collections of items.

City of Birmingham, Aston Expressway (Spaghetti Junction) Scale Model 1:1250.

Children's Sweets. I remember these in the 70's. Note the "Metric" pack.

Model of a ship's cabin. A Blue Star Line luxury cruise liner possibly the Arandora Star. Sunk in the Atlantic in 1940.

ICL Orion Computer Console used by the Metal Box Company of Worcester.

Riley Elf, Sectional Model.

"A Tragedy in the North. Winter, Rain and Tears" Sculpture by Raymond Mason. It depicts a mining tragedy in Northern France.

Austin A90 Atlantic.In 1949 this Austin A90 Atlantic drove continuously for 7 days and nights, taking 63 American stock car records.

Royal Coat of Arms.

Sleigh and Cow Skeleton.

"Spring" by Alan Bridgewater.

"A Sphere" Chromed Steel, 1970 by Francois Morellet.

Horse and Jockey. Marcus Aurelius by Giacomo Zoffoli. Bust of Queen Victoria.