Smith and Pepper
Encyclopedia
Smith and Pepper was a jewellery
manufacturing firm in Birmingham
, England
, which traded between 1899 and 1981. The factory is now the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
.
in adjoining buildings 75 and 79 Vyse Street. The company became known around the world.
The firm made a wide range of jewellery, notably swallow designs, popular during the World War
s and Egyptian style snake designs, after Egyptologist
Howard Carter
made ancient Egypt
fashionable. It finally stopped trading in 1981, when the three owners decided to retire. For its 82-year history the firm was run as a family business, although by the end it was being run by the Smith family alone.
. It was several years before the doors were reopened, and the council employees discovered a virtual time capsule of jewellery production, and techniques, as well as more personal work life related items some dating back as far as 1899.
The factory and buildings are now open to the public as the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
which can be found by its website as part of Birmingham Council's Birmingham Museums and Art Galleries site.
The museum includes a guided tour of the actual jewellery factory, showing the tools and industry-related architectural features of the trade.
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
manufacturing firm in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which traded between 1899 and 1981. The factory is now the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is a museum at 75-79 Vyse Street in Hockley, Birmingham, England. It is a Community Museum, that is branch museum, of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery...
.
History
Mr. Smith and his friend Mr. Pepper became business partners after Smith had split from his family business. The business was set up in Birmingham in an area known as the Jewellery QuarterJewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter is an area of Birmingham City Centre, England, situated in the south of the Hockley area. It is covered by the Ladywood district. There is a population of around 3,000 people in a area....
in adjoining buildings 75 and 79 Vyse Street. The company became known around the world.
The firm made a wide range of jewellery, notably swallow designs, popular during the World War
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
s and Egyptian style snake designs, after Egyptologist
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
Howard Carter
Howard Carter (archaeologist)
Howard Carter was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist, noted as a primary discoverer of the tomb of Tutankhamun.-Beginning of career:...
made ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
fashionable. It finally stopped trading in 1981, when the three owners decided to retire. For its 82-year history the firm was run as a family business, although by the end it was being run by the Smith family alone.
Museum
The doors were closed and locked on a Friday and the building was subsequently sold to the Birmingham City CouncilBirmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
. It was several years before the doors were reopened, and the council employees discovered a virtual time capsule of jewellery production, and techniques, as well as more personal work life related items some dating back as far as 1899.
The factory and buildings are now open to the public as the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is a museum at 75-79 Vyse Street in Hockley, Birmingham, England. It is a Community Museum, that is branch museum, of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery...
which can be found by its website as part of Birmingham Council's Birmingham Museums and Art Galleries site.
The museum includes a guided tour of the actual jewellery factory, showing the tools and industry-related architectural features of the trade.