PRESS RELEASE
Step inside the Industrial Revolution at Black
Country Living Museum
Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/c6RZWlGpJPA
Bilston, Cradley, Dudley, Willenhall – all towns which help to collectively make up the
Black Country. But how did they earn this title? Whilst visiting in 1868, American
diplomat and travel writer Elihu Burritt famously described the area as “black by day
and red by night”. During his visit he witnessed coal-fired furnaces and collieries
spread thick black smoke during the day and let off a fiery red glow throughout the
night as men, women and often children worked 24/7 to supply the world with
everything from chains to glass.
This description gave the Black Country recognized appreciation as the cradle of the
industrial revolution. As the first people to harness the power of steam, the Black
Country earned themselves a worldwide reputation – supplying America with its first
steam train, and the Titanic with its anchor. To celebrate this, the Black Country
Living Museum will be opening its doors after hours on Saturday 16 May for Red By
Night, an immersive living history event showcasing the industrial might of the region.
As part of the European annual Museums at Night festival, the Museum will recreate
the distinctive glow described by Burritt as costumed demonstrators and skilled
craftsmen bring the 26 acre site to life. Witness a full scale replica of the world’s very
first successful steam engine, the Newcomen, fire up. Hear the sound of hammers
clang and see sparks fly as re-enactors put on live demonstrations, using centuriesold techniques to forge chains, nails and brass.
Step inside period houses and shops and discover how Black Country folk lived in
what Queen Victoria once described as both “desolate” and “extraordinary”. Stroll
through the Museum’s cobbled streets and among the back to backs and watch as
theatre brings their stories to life before your eyes. The local Performing Arts
Department at Dudley College will also be using audio effects and light projections to
portray the scale and intensity of the industrial revolution.
Dr John Beckerson, Senior Curator at the Museum comments: “this is a fantastic
event because it allows visitors to witness the Black Country how it would have been
– noisy, smoky and full of life. It is all too easy to forget the conditions that people
worked in and the consequences of that work. But this is the story of the industrial
revolution, a turning point in Britain’s national story that the Black Country had a lead
role in, allowing Britain to become one of the largest empires the world has ever
known. We welcome visitors to come and immerse themselves in this story.”
Tickets are available at half price rates – Adults £8.25 and Children £4.10. Gates
open on Saturday 16 May at 7pm and close at 10.30pm. The event is advanced
booking only at bclm.co.uk or telephone 0121 520 8054.
ENDS
Promotional video via YouTube: http://youtu.be/c6RZWlGpJPA
Images via DROPBOX: http://bit.ly/RedbyNight2015
001 – Scenes of the industrial revolution in the Black Country - Pit Bonk Wenches (female
colliery labourers) undertook surface work such as sorting and loading coal. These women
were photographed in Wednesbury circa 1890.
002 – Scenes of the industrial revolution in the Black Country – a group of colliers
photographed in c. 1890 at Hamstead Colliery, one of the largest and most productive mines
in the world.
003 – Scenes of the industrial revolution in the Black Country – Bilston, c. 1930. A family
overlooks a typical scene of industrialized Black Country from their back-to-back house.
Other images depicting costumed re-enactors that will be present at the event.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Abby Bird (PR & Marketing Coordinator)
T: 0121 521 5692
M: 07901 575995
E: abby.bird@bclm.com
Note to editors:
About the Museum
Established in 1978, Black Country Living Museum is one of the UK’s leading open-air
museums. Designated by Arts Council England for the quality and national significance of its
collections, it is a remarkable place to explore, enjoy and spend time. Set in 26 acres with
over 150 historic buildings and features, and attracting c270,000 visitors each year and over
8m people since it first opened, it offers a glimpse into 300 years of history like no other. The
Museum (a registered educational charity) records and exemplifies the contribution and
impact of the Black Country region since the 18th century to the development of the modern
industrialized world. Black Country folk changed the world, and the Museum tells the story of
a very special time and place in history and some of the most hard-working, ingenious and
influential people you could imagine. It offers a visitor experience that few others can match.