Museum of the Jewellery Quarter - A Birmingham Gem!

The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is situated on Vyse Street in Birmingham. Built around the preserved Smith & Pepper Jewellery Factory.


The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is on Vyse Street in the Jewellery Quarter.

Museum of the JQ

Museum of the Jewellery Quarter on Vyse Street (December 2012). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

75-80 Vyse Street

Jewellery Quarter

Birmingham

B18 6HA

0121 348 8140

Go here for the official Museum of the Jewellery Quarter website.

 

History of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter

The museum occupies the former Smith & Pepper jewellery manufacturing firms premises which closed for good in 1981. They ceased trading, leaving the premises as a time capsule unaware that they would be leaving it for future generations. The museum opened here in 1992 and is a branch of the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery. Smith & Pepper was founded by Charles Smith and his uncle Edwin Pepper in 1899 and specialised in gold bracelets and other jewellery until it closed down in 1981. When the company closed, all the tools, machinery and papers were left behind.

Museum of the JQ

Museum of the Jewellery Quarter on Vyse Street (December 2012). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

It is a Grade II listed building (from 2004). No 75 Vyse Street was built in 1909 by George E. Pepper for F. Moore.No 77 Vyse Street was built in 1914, also by Pepper. No 79 Vyse Street was rebuilt in 1990. The building had alterations during the 20th Century. Built of red brick and ashlar stone dressings. No's 77 and 78 was the former Smith and Pepper Works. The museum to the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter is located in two late 19th Century manufactories. The Birmingham Museums Trust took over the running of the museum from Birmingham City Council in 2012.

Museum of JQ

Museum of the Jewellery Quarter on Vyse Street (December 2019). Photography by Elliott Brown

Project dates

21 Feb 2021 - On-going

Passions

History & heritage, Civic pride, Art; Culture & creativity
People & community, Classic Architecture

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Contact

Your Place Your Space

Jonathan Bostock

0121 410 5520
jonathan.bostock@ yourplaceyourspace.com