The Pen Museum

Address 

The Pen Museum
Unit 3 The Argent Centre
60 Frederick Street
Hockley
Birmingham
West Midlands
B1 3HS

Admission & Opening Times

Admission to the Museum is FREE  Donations are appreciated.

The Pen Museum is run entirely by volunteers and relies on membership, donations and sales to run the museum.

(Group Bookings by Prior Arrangement suggested donation £2 per head)

Meeting Room for hire ask for details. 

Open every day

(Except 25th and 26th December)
Monday to Saturday 11am to 4pm
Sunday 1pm to 4pm

Telephone: 0121 236 9834

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How to Find Us

Annual General Meeting 2013 

The Pen Museum Annual General Meeting will be held at the Museum on Saturday 15 June 2013 at 11.00 am. Members of the public are also welcome to attend and hear about the work of the museum. There will be a short business meeting to be followed by guest speaker Professor Nigel Hall presenting a talk entitled "Designed to Disappear" Looking at the history of erasable writing technologies. A light buffet lunch will also be provided on the day. Agenda PDF. 

Amazon UK

The Pen Museum is a member of the Amazon's Associates scheme. Shop at Amazon via our link and we receive a referral fee of between 5% and 10%. What you buy costs the same but we receive the referrer's commission. Amazon Associates accounts record items purchased but does not allow us access to customer details, therefore puchases remain anonymous. Thank you for your support.  

Click on the banner to be taken to the main Amazon website.

For Amazon Calligraphy Related Products: Calligraphy Items

Introduction

At the height of the trade, it is believed up to three quarters of everything written down in the world was with a Birmingham Pen. 

Located in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter The Pen Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of the steel pen trade that was unique to the city of Birmingham. Few people are aware of the enormous contribution made by this trade to world literacy. The need to replace the quill pen with a more convenient writing implement lead Birmingham engineers to pioneer the development of mechanically produced steel pens which were more durable and long lasting.

Book Launch 

In 2013 a book on the Birmingham Pen Trade is to be published.

Professor Carl Chinn MBE says:

“This book is itself an extraordinary collective achievement by a talented group of historians. I know of no other study of a Birmingham trade that has brought together such an array of information, observations, insights and photos. Deeply researched and deeply informed, it highlights the vitality of a trade that democratised writing across the world and which was a key factor in the rise to prominence of Birmingham as a manufacturing city of the first order.

Emphasising the workers as well as the employers, the women as well as the men, the processes as well as the finished goods, personal experiences as well as descriptions by outsiders, this book will engage with, entertain and above all educate its readers. I commend it in the highest possible terms”.

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Britain's Got More 'Larry' Talent

Larry Hanks one of our founder members found himself another new spot on TV to follow his recent appearences on Britain's Great Railway Journeys as well.

Appearing with Steve Mulhern in a short segway filmed at the museum.

ITV Player is currently featuring the show. Larry and not Tom appear's after the first two ad breaks.

"The World Famous Pen Museum" sounds good to us. Cheers Steve, doubled our website visitors!

Calligraphy Classes

15 June 2013 Classes suspended due to Museum AGM at 11.00am

Drop In Classes - Weekly (Saturday)

9:45 - 11:15 am and 11:30 - 1:00 pm

Cost £3.00 per session

To see some of the work of calligraphy students at the Saturday classes

penroomers.blogspot.com 

For further details: Course outline 

Note these classes are for adults only. 

Please contact tutor for further details.

Sandra Sandilands

Home Telephone: 0121 444 7919

Mobile Telephone: 07811 079140

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* N.B. In the event of weather conditions liable to cause disruption please consider classes cancelled. If in doubt please call Sandra to confirm the situation. 

Dashboard

Thank You Visitors and Stakeholders we really appreciate your support please continue to spread the word!

Visitors in 2013 4,047

Volunteers 39

Twitter Followers 716

Facebook Likes 263

In the top performing 10% of businesses worldwide on TripAdvisor. 

Learning Opportunities

The Pen Museum can offer opportunities to GCSE, NVQ, A-level and university students. In particular, we can offer local history to students and their families, curriculum enrichment activities e.g. at the end of academic year and work experience. Please contact the museum for details or visit in person to discuss. 

Conference/Meeting Room 

Hire cost £15 per hour

(Cancellation of confirmed booking within 48 hours is liable to 100% fee)

Suitable for: Lectures, Seminars, Talks, Training Sessions and Activity Workshops.

Seating can be arranged for up 25 delegates depending on chosen layout.

Facilities:

Interactive Whiteboard
Multi Media Projector
Tea & Coffee Making

Access to catering facilities 
Internet Access 

P.A. System
Hearing Aid Loop System 
Telephone: 0121 236 9834 or

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What We Do

Statement of Purpose

"To promote and preserve the history and legacy of the steel Pen Trade in Birmingham, for the advancement of the education and benefit of the public.  To maintain a museum that showcases the skill and craftsmanship of the Pen Makers and their employees and also houses historic artefacts and ephemera related to the art of writing"

The Birmingham Pen Trade Heritage Association works to ensure that Birmingham's role in the importance of the pen trade is explored, appreciated and celebrated world-wide. We run a museum that is located in a former pen factory; The Pen Museum recalls the history of some of the companies involved in the trade. 

Join Us

The Pen Museum is operated entirely by Volunteers.

Volunteer, have fun and make new friends we've got plenty of roles in the team. Pop in and see us for an informal chat and museum tour, or give us a call first. Complete the application form bring it with you or send it to us and we will be in touch.

Application Form

(Includes roles available)

Microsoft Word .docx

Microsoft Word .doc

Adobe PDF (download to complete)

Note that the Pen Musuem is unable to pay expenses. 

Return form to:

Val Bache (Volunteer Co-ordinator) 

0121 236 9834

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Family Writing Workshop with Anna Lawrence Pietroni

Wednesday 31 July, 10am - 12.30pm The Pen Museum.

In this workshop, join us as we head to the home of the pen, exploring the streets of the Jewellery Quarter and artefacts at the Pen Museum to gather materials and inspiration. Investigate some fun ways to write collaboratively and creatively. No previous writing experience required! What will you write? Anna Lawrence Pietroni's first novel, Ruby's Spoon, is set in Halesowen, the Black Country town where she grew up. She runs writing workshops and is passionate about enabling others to write authentically. Anna is currently Writer in Residence at the University of Gloucestershire.

Tickets are sold in pairs - one adult and one child aged 8-14. £15 per pair

Book at: www.writingwestmidlands.org or telephone 0121 245 4455