Before we go on into the rich history of the City of Birmingham Polytechnic we should remember that this was in fact the city's second polytechnic. The first was the Birmingham Polytechnic Institution which operated from 1843 until 1853. At one stage the institution had 500 members who attended guest lectures from the likes of Charles Dickens however the level of support from the working and middle classes was lower than expected which is one of the reasons it only lasted 10 years.
Charles Dickens gave a speech at the Birmingham Town Hall in 1846 for the polytechnic but maybe the most notable guest at the time was the dramatist Douglas Jerrold, one of the "most popular men of the present time", who gave what is said to have been his first public lecture ever at the polytechnic in 1845. The occasion was the polytechnic's second "literary soiree". Jerrold's reception was said to be "most enthusiastic" and admiration was expressed for his characters and writings especially from the working class which it is said he must have found especially gratifying. He was called a "friend of the working man" and a "champion of the poor". He was presented with a gold ring with an onyx stone inside by the Operative Committee of the Fancy Trades of Birmingham!
Another guest was Sir Robert Peel MP who gave a speech on Switzerland in the Town Hall to raise funds for the polytechnic.
Refs:
The Northern Star and National Trades' Journal (Leeds, England), Saturday, May 17, 1845; Issue 392 & Issue 393
The Preston Guardian etc (Preston, England), Saturday, May 14, 1853; Issue 2124
Birmingham Daily Post (Birmingham, England), Tuesday, December 13, 1870; Issue 3870
No comments:
Post a Comment