Newman Brothers

Birmingham Conservation Trust, one of the key groups behind the saving and restoration of the Back to Backs on Hurst St, have a new project in the Jewellery Quarter. The Newman Brothers Coffin Factory on Fleet Street closed in 1999 leaving a good century's worth of equipment and records intact. The building was purchased by Advantage West Midlands (who, lest we forget, are evil) in 2002 to ensure it was safe and most of the funding has now been approved for a restoration of the grade II building, the creation of a museum and conversion of rear portions of the building into small managed commercial units, rents from which will fund the museum.

From the Conservation Trust page:

In June 2004 Julian Litten - a leading expert on the funeral industry - summed up its significance as "not only the last surviving 19th century coffin manufacturing but also ... the most important manufacturer of such items at a time when England was regarded as the template for funerary pomp and extravagance". As such it has an enormous amount to tell us about us and our attitudes to death.

The premises include warehousing and offices on the first two floors with the shroud room above. The rooms are heaving with old stock, company records, patterns and fine craftwork. At the back are two long ranges of workshops, including a stamp shop with its original battery of four drop stamps. Beyond is the electroplating room.

There's a short BBC news article but the best piece of reporting I've seen is on 24dash.com. Once all the funding is secured work will start on cataloguing the contents of the building before it's restored. There's also the tantalizing mention of "open days - by appointment only". I'd love to get in there before it all commences...

Photo nicked from the BBC as, to my horror, I haven't been there yet.