Located in Soho, just off the main Soho Road, Birmingham is the glorious Georgian home of Birmingham Industrialist, Matthew Boulton.
Boulton was an incredibly intelligent, business minded gentleman who joined partners with Scottish engineer, James Watt, creating the popular and well known first Steam Engines. Watt and Boulton were clever enough to patent their design for a number of years, ensuring no one could copy them. Boulton created a state of the art factory (Soho Manufactory) that business men from across the World would come and see, to create the same in their own factories. The factory classified as a toy factory (not in the sense of toys of today but instead, ‘toys’ in those days was the name of small mechanical objects) worked with the top of the range Watt Steam Engine. The first of its kind. Later it became the home to the first steam-powered Mint, whose presses were used in the first Birmingham Mint. As a nod to this work, Matthew Boulton and James Watt now have their faces on the Bank of England £50 note alongside the Whitbread Engine.
Exploring the house, which is now in the care of Birmingham Museums is a must for locals to hear of the history of the area, the house and Matthew Boultons connections to other famous Birmingham men with connections to the arts, sciences and theology. I do not want to spoilt the whole tour, but the Lunar Room and the history and story in that room may have been my favourite.
Soho House and Museum is open Wednesdays until Sunday. You can pre-book tours online and experience a full tour of the house including areas such as the cellar, the bedrooms, the kitchen, dining room, lounge and gardens. Children are encouraged to explore in certain rooms like the kitchen where they can open all the drawers and cupboards. The tours are free if you are Birmingham Museum Members like we are. Or a small fee – do check out the website for more details.
Next to Soho House is the Museum, a new building which although modern and contemporary, somehow fits in well with the house.
At the moment they have an exhibition on, which is free to attend. Blood and Fire: Our Journey Through Vanley Burke’s History. We were really engrossed in this exhibition. Our girls aged 6 and 9 were too, looking at photographs, images and dancing to the record player. The exhibition room is filled with evocative images by renowned photographer Vanley Burke. We were transported through Burke’s history and the Black British experience using the communities of Birmingham as a lens. It is raw, it is deep and it is affecting to see. The news stories used as wallpaper, were a real eye-opener to the Black British experience. An emotional exhibition that was both educational and thought-provoking.
Downstairs in the café they have a section where you can research your history and print out pictures of your family to share on the wall. A chance for the local Birmingham Community to share their history too. My girls loved the selection of books for them to read through.
Blood and Fire is an exhibition for all ages to get involved with and learn the history of the Black British experience in Birmingham.
For more information, to find out what events are coming up, or to book tickets, check out the Soho House website here; https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/soho