It’s got to be one of the more unusual – and some may feel – macabre ‘pictures of the day’.
I spent yesterday afternoon looking around Newman Brothers Coffin Furniture Factory Museum in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter!
It embraces the social and industrial history of the site which operated between 1894 – 1998 and has been saved and relaunched as a museum by the Birmingham Conservation Trust.
All the handles and plaques attached to coffins were produced here – as well as the linings and shrouds for the deceased.
The growth in popularity of. cremations eventually sounded the death knell (sorry for that) for the business.
One brass handle on display was proudly described as a favourite of the royal undertakers and was used on the coffins of everyone from George V1 to the Queen Mother and Princess Diana.
Once you get over this timely reminder of the fact that all things must pass, it was a fascinating experience. You get to hear about the folk who worked there too! I wonder if some of them got a discount?
