People

Image Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797). Gouache on paper Image from: Derby Museum & Art Gallery Mount Vesuvius held… read more »

Image: Cartoon. Mr Burke’s pair of Spectacles for short sighted politicians. Edmund Burke attacked the writings and… read more »

Originally called Fire in Rome, this image is probably one of Wright’s drawings of the Girandola firework… read more »

Image: Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797). Pen and wash on toned yellow paper. Image from: Derby Museum… read more »

Image: Joseph Wright (1734-1797), Portrait of Erasmus Darwin (1792). Oil on Canvas. Image from: Wolverhampton Art Gallery Erasmus Darwin, who started… read more »

Image: Print of Samuel Johnson from John Jackson, History of the City and Cathedral of Lichfield (London, 1805). Image from: Local… read more »

Image: Detail, A Philosopher lecturing on the Orrery (1766).  Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797), Oil on Canvas. Derby Museum & Art… read more »

Image: Pencil drawing of the remains of John Baskerville, in Miscellaneous items relating to John Baskerville (1706-1775)… read more »

Image: Title page for the New Testament in Baskerville’s Holy Bible from the title page in Matthew… read more »

Image: Title Page from The Book of Common Prayer, printed by John Baskerville for Cambridge University, 1760. … read more »

Image: Frontispiece from Quintus Horatius Flaccus, Printed by John Baskerville, Birmingham, 1770. Unlike Franklin, Baskerville published and… read more »

Image: Title page for Baskerville’s edition of the Holy Bible from the copy owned by Matthew Boulton.… read more »

Image: Typefounding. The Book of Trades or Library of Useful Arts, Parts I, third edition (London Tabart… read more »

Image: Sir Rowland Hill, best-known as the inventor of the Penny Post was a son of Thomas Wright… read more »

Image: Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797). Sepia wash with brown ink. Image from: Derby Museum & Art Gallery This… read more »

Image: Political Portraiture no 3 Political Gunpowder Image from: Birmingham City Archives, Priestley Collection by Samuel Timmins… read more »

Image: Cartoon: The Friends of the People, showing Joseph Priestley on the left Image from: Birmingham City Archives, Priestley… read more »

Image: Cartoon: The Repeal of the Test Act: A Vision, 1790. From such implacable Tormentors Fanatics, Hypocrits,… read more »

John Wilkinson Iron Master”, British tokens, copper, Birmingham, 1792 Wolverhampton Art Gallery. M160/107/108/109.

[from “Llangollen Vale with Other Poems”] (22) HERVA*, AT THE TOMB OF ARGANTYR A RUNIC DIALOGUE HERVA.… read more »

Image: The hallway of Erasmus Darwin House, Lichfield (reconstruction). Photograph: David Remes (2003). Despite Erasmus Darwin’s busy… read more »

John Wilkinson (1728-1809) by an unknown painter. Wilkinson was a major contributor to the rapid industrialisation of… read more »

Explore the life and work of John Baskerville – a Birmingham based printer, stone cutter, letter founder,… read more »

Image: Portrait of John Baskerville (1706-1775), Type Founder and Printer, painted by James Millar in 1774. Oil on canvas. Industry… read more »

Caption: An original Boulton and Watt Engine from The Useful Arts and Manufactures of Great Britain, second part (London,… read more »

Image: Interior of a Glass House (no1), c. 1770-1772. Pen and brown ink and grey wash on… read more »

Image: Russian Medallion to commemorate the erection of Peter the Great’s statue in 1773. The medal was… read more »

Image: Print of Joseph Priestley Image from: Birmingham City Archives, Priestley Collection by Samuel Timmins Two hundred years ago,… read more »

Image: Portrait of Joseph Priestley. Image from: Birmingham City Archives, Priestley Collection by Samuel Timmins Joseph Priestley’s importance as… read more »

Alchymist in Search of the Philosopher’s Stone, (exhibited 1775, reworked 1795). Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797), Oil on… read more »

The “Priestley” Riots of July 1791 are one of the best-documented episodes in Birmingham history. The initial… read more »

“…they observed a Gentleman in his own hair…the now celebrated Mr. Shenstone, whose place began to be… read more »

Image: Title page of Erasmus Darwin’s Commonplace Book. Image from: Erasmus Darwin House, Lichfield. (By kind permission… read more »

Portrait of James Brindley from Samuel Smiles, Lives of the Engineers, vol. I (London, 1904). Brindley is… read more »

Image: The Wren’s Nest from The Black Country – Sixteen Etchings of Scenes in the Coal and Iron… read more »

Image: Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). The Hundred Greatest Men: Portraits of the One Hundred Greatest Men, Vol VII Politics, (Sampson… read more »

John Whitehurst (1713-1788) was the oldest member of the Lunar Society. Born in Congleton in Cheshire he moved… read more »

Image: The Four Quarters (Continents), c.1775.  These items date from the time of Samuel Johnson’s visit to… read more »

Image: Portrait of John Baskerville (1706-1775), Type Founder and Printer, painted by James Millar in 1774. Oil… read more »

Image: J S C Schaak, Portrait of Matthew Boulton aged 42 (1770). Image from: Local Studies and… read more »

Image: Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797), The Black Smith’s Shop (1771). Oil on Canvas. Image from: Derby… read more »

Image: Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797), A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery (1764-1766). Oil on Canvas. At… read more »

Image: Plan of the Town of Derby showing the silk mill and china works in the top… read more »

Image: Group of Rocks called Mock Beggar Hall, Derbyshire. Visitors to Derbyshire, such as Samuel Johnson were… read more »

Image: Westley’s East Prospect of Birmingham, c 1730. R K Dent, Old and New Birmingham, (Birmingham, 1879).… read more »

Image: John Gwynn’s Bridge over the River Severn at Worcester. Thomas Harral, Picturesque Views of the Severn… read more »

Image: Portrait of John Taylor. Lantern Slide. Image from: Local Studies and History, Birmingham Central Library In… read more »

Image: Spinner. The Book of Trades or Library of Useful Arts, Part III, third edition (London Tabart… read more »

Image: Entrance of the Great Cavern at Castleton, Derbyshire. This is an example of the type of… read more »

Image: Masson Mill, Matlock Bath, near Cromford, Derbyshire. This factory was built by Sir Richard Arkwright, the… read more »