Digital Preservation at the Library of Birmingham: digital legacies of the Commonwealth Games and the Library

The recent Birmingham Commonwealth Games were an undoubted highlight of 2022, drawing huge numbers of visitors from across the world. The library became an operational hub for the City Council Games Team and a training venue for volunteers and other staff. Further to this, Archives and Collections recently received an archive documenting an associated project, as well two collections containing born-digital records, one relating to the Games, the other to the library itself.

In October 2020 the Birmingham-based Asian cultural organisation SAMPAD announced the awarding of a major grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to curate two major photographic exhibitions alongside an extensive community engagement programme to coincide with the 2022 Games. From City of Empire to City of Diversity: A Visual Journey drew extensively on the photographic archive of the Dyche Studio. The project gathered an extensive digital archive documenting various aspects of the exhibition and outreach programme.

Dyche touring exhibition, Moseley Road Baths, 14 July 2022 [MS 5040 Acc. 2022/075]

The archive was recently transferred via a series of OneDrive transfers. Some of the digital photos were taken by professional photographers. Using applications like EXIF Tool I pulled out useful technical and structural metadata that can help us identify the rights information, date/time taken, and other technical information. However, many others were captured on a variety of mobile devices. File naming conventions vary, in some cases EXIF camera metadata has been stripped out and important contextual information lost, particularly where images may have been re-copied or converted from another format. Challenges aside, as a legacy record of project outputs the archive is extremely valuable, particularly the recorded memories of workshop attendees who had migrated here and contributed so much to the city during the decades after the Second World War.

Towards the end of September, we received a collection of largely digital photos taken by the Host City Volunteers recruited to greet and direct visitors during the recent Games, plus some digital film footage and training presentation slides. Most of the photos were captured on mobile devices, providing a street record of volunteers engaging with visitors across Birmingham. Others show volunteer recruitment and training sessions held at various venues.

Host City Volunteer Coordinators outside the Library of Birmingham, July/August 2022 [BCC Additional Acc. 2022/069]

The photos were deposited by a manager of the City Council Commonwealth Games Team towards the end of September. Similar issues to MS 5040 were identified – for example incomplete metadata and robustness of file formats. Some images comprise screengrabs from social media feeds. Duplicate images were also flagged and removed from the deposit post-transfer.

Metadata files were created detailing street location and subject matter of each image. The photos have been ingested into our Preservica digital repository system, where preservation monitoring can be undertaken more effectively – one file has been corrupted and cannot be rendered in the system, for example, whilst in other cases the characterisation process revealed various cases where file extensions do not match the technical characteristics of the images itself! For now, we can retain a duplicate copy of the archive outside Preservica, analyse the problematic files in more detail, and hopefully re-ingest content again later. The photographs capture the sense of energy and colour that was palpable here during those weeks, highlighting Centenary Square (where the Games Megastore was situated) as a focal area for volunteer activity.

In terms of the history of the Centenary Square site, a large collection of digital photographs and paper records came to us last year showing the construction of the Library of Birmingham a decade ago. The material will be added to the City Council archive and presents a detailed month-by-month visual record of construction works at ground level (taken by Perspective-I) and from above (by Commission Air) over the period 2010-2013.

Perspective-I photo of Library of Birmingham construction works, 5 January 2011 [BCCBCC/1/HF/D/1/3/8/1 Acc. 2021/019]

The images were taken using high-spec equipment – image metadata remains intact, image folders and storage devices clearly labelled, and image rights transferred to the Council as part of the contract. I have very recently got round to moving the images into Preservica. Although there have been no major technical issues, progress has been slow due to the large volume of material, amounting to around 30 gigabytes of data stored on 40 portable storage devices!

All these collections present their own innate challenges in terms of management and preservation, yet in all have intrinsic value in terms of documenting of recent heritage projects and events as well as the modern history of the city, making a persuasive case for the need to develop workflows and systems which ensure these resources survive and remain accessible for future generations.

Michael Hunkin, Digital Preservation Officer

The Birmingham Dolobran Athletic Club

Members of Birmingham Dolobran Athletic Club team, 1906 [LP25.12]

Browsing the sports section of the Local Studies collections in our Archives & Collections stores, it’s obvious from the quantity and variety of material on the shelves that over the last 170 years or so sports clubs and associations proliferated in Birmingham. Some of them, such as Birchfield Harriers Athletics Club (formed in 1877), Edgbaston Archery & Lawn Tennis Society (formed in 1866), the Speedwell Bicycle Club (formed in 1876), and of course the football clubs Aston Villa (formed in 1874) and Birmingham City (formed in 1875), still exist today, but others, such as the Birmingham Dolobran Athletic Club, weren’t so long-lived.

The Birmingham Dolobran Athletic Club was founded in 1883 at Christ Church Sparkbrook, but by 1900 its membership had reached nearly 700 and it required bigger facilities. Its President, the Quaker industrialist and philanthropist, Barrow Cadbury (1862–1958), provided facilities for the club at the Moseley Road Friends’ Hall and Institute. This building had been commissioned by his father, Richard Cadbury (1839-1899) as a centre for adult school, mission and social work, and along with a main hall, lecture hall and 37 classrooms, it also had a gymnasium which became the home of Birmingham Dolobran AC.

Sporting Heritage: A Victorian Baths

National Sporting Heritage Day, held on 30th September, was established to highlight sporting heritage post the 2012 Olympics. More information can be found on the National Sporting Heritage website.

As an enthusiastic swimmer, and occasional dipper in its pool, Woodcock Street Baths, now called The Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre, seemed an ideal subject to investigate in recognition of the day for the Iron Room.

Frontage, Woodcock Street, Public Baths Photos [Acc. 2012/146]

Woodcock Street Baths opened in 1860, the second baths to open in the city after Kent Street in 1851. Their formation was prompted by the Baths Act of 1846, whereby local authorities were obliged to provide bathing and washing facilities for residents.

The original architect of Woodcock Street Baths was Edward Holmes, who designed and built the baths for £12,000. At their opening they consisted of an engineer’s quarters, swimming baths, and private washing baths for men and women, each with their own plunge pool. In 1902, the building was completely renovated and a First Class Swimming and Baths were added.

Plan of Woodcock Street Baths [BCC 200]

This above ‘proposed’ plan is by Holmes. If it was for the initial construction, it suggests that originally the two pools were intended for men only. I’m unclear without additional research if this is what was actually built as much of the literature suggests that first class swimming and baths were added in a 1902 renovation, and that women had swimming facilities from the outset.

Plan of Woodcock Street Baths, 1920s [in Souvenir Programme of Gala Baths, LP 25.12]

In 1926, the washing facilities were again revamped and this time, a gala baths was added for events.

Programme 1929 [LP 25.12]

This programme above from 1929 highlights how events at the Gala Baths attracted local, national, and international competitors—a Miss Joyce Cooper of London, and two competitors from Holland, Miss Marie Braun, and Miss Marie Baron, who all took part in the non-local events, including relay races, 100 yards back-stroke, 100 yards free-style, 200 yards breast-stroke, plus an ‘Education Exhibition of Correct Strokes’ and ‘Ornamental, Scientific and Trick Diving’.

Programme 1959 [LP 25.12]

The Gala Baths held many different championships, including water polo tournaments and also ‘Speed Swimming’ contests as this programme from 1949 demonstrates. Improvements were also made to the lighting, as in 1948 under-water lighting was added to aid both swimmers and to help display the swimmers’ abilities for the audience.

Gala Baths, Woodcock Street, Public Baths Photos [Acc. 2012/146]

Many more modernisations of the baths have been made in the subsequent years, for example in the 1980s the Gala pool was covered over and turned into an assembly/sports hall. The most recent changes I’m aware of took place in 2010 when the complex was again refurbished (bringing a hiatus to my attending a very pleasant aquafit class!)

Swimming baths, Woodcock Street, Public Baths Photos [Acc. 2012/146]

As I understand, only the Second Class Baths from 1902 still remain. They are, however, beautifully restored.

Rachel Clare, Senior Archives Assistant

Further reading:

History of the Corporation Vol II, Bunce [BCOL 31 HIS]
The City of Birmingham Baths Department, 1851-1951, Moth. J [L45.33 MOT]
BCC Baths Committee [BCC 1/BN/1/1/1-]

Nellie Batson Loines: In honour of a career in sport

Nellie Batson Loines (far right) and team-mates in Copenhagen, 1959.
[MS 2739/3/1/4/6]

On this day in 1995, a noted national and international athlete, Nellie Batson Loines, passed away. Nellie was a native of Birmingham and had a highly successful track career, winning over 200 medals in track races.  Born on 12 February 1927 Loines entered her first competition as a member of the Small Heath Harriers sport club before the age of twenty.  She made a spectacular national debut, taking first place in both the 800 metre and one mile races at the 1947 Women’s Amateur Athletic Association competition at Chiswick.

Nellie Batson Loines was also an avid road walker and was co-founder of the first British international road walking team.  In 1959 they travelled to Copenhagen to successfully represent England against the Danish national team.  Amongst her papers can be found the itinerary for the visit, hosted by the Dansk Gangforbund, a member of the Danish Sports Federation (Central Association of Physical Training).

Itinerary for a visit to Denmark in 1959
[MS 2739/1/1/4]

 After twelve years of regular competition, Nellie decided to retire from track to, in her words, ‘take things easy’. Following her retirement from athletics, she worked as a clerk at Wilsdon and Company until her death on 13 January 1995.

In 1960 Nellie Batson Loines was elected a lifetime member of the Small Heath Harriers and the collection attesting to her athletic achievements can be found in Archives, Heritage and Photography at the Library of Birmingham.

Kevin Roberts, Archivist       Nicola Crews, Archivist

Guest Blogger: From the Searchroom

Report on the shooting of Aston Villa player, Thomas Ball, from the Birmingham Mail, 12 November 1923

I joined the local history society in 1990, I found that one of the items that they had was a transcript of the Burial register of St Johns Church. As I was the postman at the Church I decided that when I retired I would transcribe the Baptism and Marriage registers – this is what I am doing at the moment.

There are many entries of interest, but two are regarding Aston Villa Players:

1. the Marriage of Joseph Henry Hampton (known as Happy Harry Hampton) in 1906 (EP 18/2/3/4)
2. the Burial of Thomas Edgar Ball (known as Tommy Ball, the first Footballer to be murdered in England)  in 1923  (EP 18/2/4/4)

With special thanks for this article to: Roger Henney

Citius, Altius, Fortius – Faster, Higher, Stronger!

Sketches of excercise movements from ‘Cinematographic Reader’, Birmingham Athletic Institute, 1930s (Ref: MS 1468/4/1)

With the London Olympic Games still in mind it seems timely to examine some of the history behind the ideals of the Games through the records of the Birmingham Athletic Institute.

Firstly, a quick re-cap of Olympic history: the first Olympians (official starting date 776 BC) engaged in running events, a pentathlon (jumping, discus, javelin, foot race and wrestling), boxing, wrestling and equestrian events (more chariots than dressage), and was staged in Olympia, Greece.

All hail Coroebus, who tradition has it, was the first Olympic Champion and a cook from the city of Elis. The ancient games were not only a manifestation of human physical endurance, but also of hugely fundamental religious significance; the sports went side by side with ritual sacrifices honouring Zeus whose famous statue by Phidias stood in his temple at Olympia and was known as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The ancient games had run their course by the 5^th century AD, mainly due to the spreading Roman influence in Greece. Official ending date is either 393 AD (end of all pagan cults and practices by order of the emperor) or 426 AD (ordered destruction of all Greek Temples) – take your pick.

A Bicycle Made for Two

This bicycle was already about 80 years out of fashion when it appeared in the 1900 catalogue, with the aim of showing prospective purchasers how much better new bicycles were [Ref: MS 4208/3/9/4]

If you have been inspired by Bradley Wiggins’ triumphs in the Tour de France and in the Olympics to take up cycling as a sport, think of those who were inspired a hundred years ago or more  – cycling was one of the sports featured in the modern Olympics from the beginning in 1896.

Who Steers? Tricyle for Two, 1898

All of these exhibitions were held at Bingley Hall, which was on a small section of the site now occupied by the ICC, just off Broad Street.

What choice was there then – a bicycle or even a tricycle made for two. The illustrations in this blog are from a series of Birmingham exhibitions catalogues bound in volumes:

• 1884 – Catalogue of the Third Annual Exhibition of Bicycles, Tricycles and Accessories, organised by Speedwell Bicycle Club [MS 4208/3/8/3]
• 1897 – First Annual Midland Cycle & Motor Car Exhibition [MS 4208/3/9/1]
• 1898 – Second Annual Midland Cycle & Motor Car Exhibition [MS 4208/3/9/2]
• 1900 – Fourth Annual Midland Cycle & Motor Car Exhibition [MS 4208/3/9/4]
• 1902 – Sports and Pastimes Exhibitions Ltd. [MS 4208/3/9/5]

Birmingham Exhibition Catalogues: 1884; 1897; 1900; 1902 [Ref: MS 4208/3]

The catalogues represented the most up-to-date bicycles – or motor bicycles –  available then. By 1900 some of the bicycles on sale are not unlike some bicycles today.

Maggie Burns