Elkington Silver Electroplating Works facts for kids
The Elkington Silver Electroplating Works was a famous building in Birmingham, England. It was located on Newhall Street. This building was once a large factory where a special process called electroplating happened. Later, it became home to Birmingham's science museum, which was called the Museum of Science and Industry. This museum was there until a new one, Thinktank, opened.
The factory was built in 1838 by George Elkington. He was a pioneer in silver electroplating. The original building was very grand and long. Most of it was taken down in the mid-1960s. The factory had many workshops and storage areas. Some of these were built along and even over the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.
Inside the factory, there were amazing machines. In the early 1850s, they used a steam-powered electric generator. This generator had 64 strong magnets arranged in a circle. It also had a spinning part made of wrought iron. This machine helped with the electroplating process. Electroplating is a way to put a thin layer of metal, like silver, onto another object. This process used special chemical solutions.
The building has two special blue plaques on its wall. One plaque honors George Elkington, who started the factory. The other plaque is for his employee, Alexander Parkes. He is famous for inventing the very first plastic!
The Science Museum Years
The Elkington building became a science museum in 1951. It was part of the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. The museum was a popular place for people to learn about science and industry. It stayed open until 1997.
Many of the museum's exhibits then moved to the new Thinktank museum. Thinktank opened in September 2001. It is located at Millennium Point in an area called Eastside. Unlike the old museum, Thinktank charges an entrance fee.
Famous Exhibits Moved
One very famous exhibit that moved was the Smethwick Engine. This steam engine was built in 1797 by the famous local inventor James Watt. It was first used in the town of Smethwick. Later, it was moved to a workshop in a town called Tipton in 1897. The engine came to the Birmingham science museum in 1959 when the workshops closed.
Another important item moved was Elkington's own Woolrich Electrical Generator. This machine was made in 1844. It was the earliest electric generator used in a factory setting. It showed how electricity was first used in industrial processes.
Images for kids
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Demolition of the buildings not fronting Newhall Street, in October 2006
