Museum of…
The Coffin Works, Birmingham
Where Newman Brothers Coffin Works is a museum on the edge of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, a city centre conservation area.
What From 1894 to 1999 Newman Brothers made coffin furniture (handles, breast plates, ornaments), shrouds and ornate coffin linings. The firm’s products adorned the coffins of George V and VI, Queen Mary, Princess Diana, the Queen Mother and Winston Churchill.
“When the factory closed down, everything – machinery, stock, a pot of tea on the stove – was left in its place, as if it were the end of an ordinary working day,” says Sarah Hayes, the museum manager.
“Visitors experience what it was like to work here: much of the original machinery, some of it over a hundred years old, still works.”
Opened
The museum opened in October 2014, after a 15-year campaign to raise the funds.
Collection
The Coffin Works comprises everything that made up the old factory – raw materials, machinery, products, trade catalogues, the business archive, personal effects of the management and workforce, and oral histories of staff and customers.
“The stories encapsulated in the collection unfold over a century-long period during which enormous changes in attitudes to death and funerary ritual occurred, against a backdrop of the social and economic transformation of Birmingham and the wider world,” Hayes says.
Until recently, the diverse elements of the collection were largely unconnected and the research undertaken limited; but that is changing, thanks to an Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund grant, administered by the Museums Association.
Highlights
“The Coffin Works has been described as a sort of mercantile Mary Celeste because of its time-capsule-like nature,” says Hayes. “For me, the highlights include the original working machinery, which gives visitors the opportunity to see how products were made using the original techniques.”
There is a new permanent exhibition as well – the Newman Brothers Trade Show, based on the trade shows at which the company would display its wares.
Help at hand
The museum is run and owned by the Birmingham Conservation Trust. The Coffin Works employs four staff, supported by about 100 volunteers, who lead guided tours and run front-of-house.
Budget
Revenue sources include admissions, meeting- room bookings, events and donations. Half of the original Victorian factory was turned into five studios, now rented out.
“The historical integrity of the rooms has been retained, and we have the benefit of a creative community here to collaborate with,” Hayes says.
Tenants include graphic designers, photographers, a jeweller and a yoga practice. The rent brings in £32,000 a year.
Sticky moment
“Not yet, but we still have funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. After 2017, we won’t have that.”
Survival tips
“Build a loyal and dedicated volunteer base,” says Hayes. “The goodwill of our volunteers never ceases to amaze me. We really would not survive without them. Secondly, know your running costs. Third, don’t underestimate the value of Gift Aid.
"We get something like an extra £1.65 per adult ticket, which in effect equates to a secondary spend in our shop, and this extra revenue each year can amount to the cost of a monthly wage bill. Lastly, exposure has been key to our success – having a presence on social media and TripAdvisor has maintained our profile.”
Visitors
The venue is on course to achieve 10,000 visitors by the end of this financial year. The aim is to increase this to 15,000 over the next two years.
Future plans
The Coffin Works has recently undergone a restructure, which should help achieve financial sustainability. It now has greater capacity to recruit volunteers, and so can offer more tours. Hayes says the museum is also planning to offer joint tickets in partnership with other local museums such as the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and the Pen Museum.
Alice Durrans is a freelance writer
What From 1894 to 1999 Newman Brothers made coffin furniture (handles, breast plates, ornaments), shrouds and ornate coffin linings. The firm’s products adorned the coffins of George V and VI, Queen Mary, Princess Diana, the Queen Mother and Winston Churchill.
“When the factory closed down, everything – machinery, stock, a pot of tea on the stove – was left in its place, as if it were the end of an ordinary working day,” says Sarah Hayes, the museum manager.
“Visitors experience what it was like to work here: much of the original machinery, some of it over a hundred years old, still works.”
Opened
The museum opened in October 2014, after a 15-year campaign to raise the funds.
Collection
The Coffin Works comprises everything that made up the old factory – raw materials, machinery, products, trade catalogues, the business archive, personal effects of the management and workforce, and oral histories of staff and customers.
“The stories encapsulated in the collection unfold over a century-long period during which enormous changes in attitudes to death and funerary ritual occurred, against a backdrop of the social and economic transformation of Birmingham and the wider world,” Hayes says.
Until recently, the diverse elements of the collection were largely unconnected and the research undertaken limited; but that is changing, thanks to an Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund grant, administered by the Museums Association.
Highlights
“The Coffin Works has been described as a sort of mercantile Mary Celeste because of its time-capsule-like nature,” says Hayes. “For me, the highlights include the original working machinery, which gives visitors the opportunity to see how products were made using the original techniques.”
There is a new permanent exhibition as well – the Newman Brothers Trade Show, based on the trade shows at which the company would display its wares.
Help at hand
The museum is run and owned by the Birmingham Conservation Trust. The Coffin Works employs four staff, supported by about 100 volunteers, who lead guided tours and run front-of-house.
Budget
Revenue sources include admissions, meeting- room bookings, events and donations. Half of the original Victorian factory was turned into five studios, now rented out.
“The historical integrity of the rooms has been retained, and we have the benefit of a creative community here to collaborate with,” Hayes says.
Tenants include graphic designers, photographers, a jeweller and a yoga practice. The rent brings in £32,000 a year.
Sticky moment
“Not yet, but we still have funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. After 2017, we won’t have that.”
Survival tips
“Build a loyal and dedicated volunteer base,” says Hayes. “The goodwill of our volunteers never ceases to amaze me. We really would not survive without them. Secondly, know your running costs. Third, don’t underestimate the value of Gift Aid.
"We get something like an extra £1.65 per adult ticket, which in effect equates to a secondary spend in our shop, and this extra revenue each year can amount to the cost of a monthly wage bill. Lastly, exposure has been key to our success – having a presence on social media and TripAdvisor has maintained our profile.”
Visitors
The venue is on course to achieve 10,000 visitors by the end of this financial year. The aim is to increase this to 15,000 over the next two years.
Future plans
The Coffin Works has recently undergone a restructure, which should help achieve financial sustainability. It now has greater capacity to recruit volunteers, and so can offer more tours. Hayes says the museum is also planning to offer joint tickets in partnership with other local museums such as the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and the Pen Museum.
Alice Durrans is a freelance writer