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Birmingham and Midland Institute

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Birmingham and Midland Institute

The Birmingham and Midland Institute (grid reference SP066870), now on Margaret Street in the city centre of Birmingham, England was a pioneer of adult scientific and technical education (General Industrial, Commercial and Music) and today offers Arts and Science lectures, exhibitions and concerts. It is a registered charity. There is free access to the public.

It was founded in 1854 by Act of Parliament for the Diffusion and Advancement of Science, Literature and Art amongst all Classes of Persons resident in Birmingham and the Midland Counties, as the Council had rejected the Free Libraries and Museums Act 1850. The BMI commissioned architect Edward Middleton Barry to design a building next to the Town Hall in Paradise Street. Half completed, in January 1860, the first public museum was opened in the BMI. Immediately the Council reversed its decision, and adopting the Act, bought the rest of the site from the BMI. The other half of the planned building was completed by William Martin using the intended facade but redesigned behind. The municipal Public Library opened in 1866, but burned down in 1879. Exhibitions of art were moved from the BMI to Aston Hall during rebuilding. In 1881 John Henry Chamberlain (architect and Honorary Secretary of the BMI) completed an extension to the Institute.

When its old building was demolished in 1965 as part of the redevelopment of the city centre the BMI moved to Margaret Street, the home of the private Birmingham Library which is a Grade II* listed building, designed 1889 by architects Jethro Cossins, F. B. Peacock, and Ernest Bewley.

Charles Dickens was an early president after giving recitals in the Town Hall to raise funds. The BMI contains the 100,000 volumes of the Birmingham Library, founded in 1779.

Various independent societies are affiliated to the BMI including:

the Birmingham Philatelic Society, Moseley United Nations Association, Institute Ramblers, Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society, Alliance of Literary Societies, Birmingham Art Circle, Birmingham Water Colour Society, Midland Painting Group, Midland Spaceflight Society, Workers Educational Association, Dickens Fellowship, Olton Recorded Music Society, British Russian Society, the Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry, the Royal Institute of British Architects, Birmingham Film and Television Festival and Midland Co-operative Society.

Presidents

  1. Baron Lyttelton of Hagley. 1854
  2. Charles Dickens

Sources

  • All About Victoria Square, Joe Holyoak, The Victorian Society Birmingham Group, ISBN 0-901657-14-X
  • Exploring Birmingham: A Guided Tour, Peter Groves, ISBN 1-869922-00-X
  • By the Gains of Industry - Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery 1885-1985, Stuart Davies, ISBN 0-7093-0131-6
  • Birmingham City Council on BMI
  • Birmingham Heritage on BMI



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