Made in Brum: 21 great gadgets that Birmingham gave the world
Some of the gadgets which came from the 'City of a 1000 trades'
Birmingham has been a cradle of creativity and an engine of industry for centuries, so it’s no surprise that many of today’s essential household items took shape in the city. They were all invented, improved, popularised or revolutionised in our great city. Many essential household appliances owe their existence to Birmingham.
It all began in the later part of the 18th century when the top intellectuals of the time formed the Lunar Society of Birmingham and met to exchange ideas and build a better world.
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This new movement to improve society by pushing the boundaries of science was called the Midlands Enlightenment. It was a vital launchpad for the Industrial Revolution, which put Birmingham at the forefront of global advances.
Scroll down to see all of the gadgets made in Brum from the photocopier to the cooker.
In 1779, the famous engineer James Watt patented a ‘letter copying machine’ to deal with the mass of paperwork at his business, and also created a special ink to use in the device.
This was the first widely used copier for offices and was such a success that it was in use for more than half a century. It's considered to be the first ever photocopier.
Watt lived in Regent Place, Birmingham, from 1777 to 1790 and spent most of his time working with Birmingham manufacturer Matthew Boulton, of Soho House, on developing steam engines.
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In the late 18th or early 19th century, the Birmingham joiner John Heard invented a standalone cooking range or stove that was capable of roasting, boiling and baking - as well as heating the room it was in.
For the first time, the smoke and fumes were carried off by a flue pipe that led to the chimney. Earlier models did not have flues and needed to be in a hearth right under the chimney.
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John Richard Dedicoat invented the bicycle bell in Birmingham, with patents appearing as early as 1877.
At last cyclists could make a distinctive and immediately recognisable warning sound to alert people that they were coming and therefore avoid accidents.
Dedicoat - who was an apprentice of James Watt - went on to become a bicycle manufacturer who made and sold the Pegasus bicycle.
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The wheels on roller skates and skateboards owe their existence to Brummie toolmakers William Bown and Joseph Henry Hughes.
In 1877, they patented their new Aeolus design for skate wheels that had a ring of ball bearings in the middle. The tiny steel balls stopped the parts of the wheel directly grinding against each other, reducing friction and creating smoother, faster motion.
Skateboards weren’t invented until the 1940s or 1950s in California, but these two men are responsible for the design of modern-day roller skate and skateboard wheels, as well as the use of similar ball-bearing systems in motorbikes and cars.
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Around 1875, a toolmaker called Joseph Hudson made the first whistle in a workshop at the side of his end-terrace home in St Mark’s Square, Birmingham.
It was used for the first time in 1878 at the English Football Association Cup 2nd Round game when Nottingham Forest beat Sheffield 2-0, replacing the handkerchiefs previously waved by referees to attract players’ attention.
In 1883, Mr Hudson invented and manufactured the first police whistle for the Metropolitan force, so officers no longer had to rely on hand rattles.
And then a year later he came up with the first pea whistle - the Acme Thunderer - whose shrill sound carried over long distances and high noise levels. J. Hudson and Co. (Whistles) Ltd still exists today and is based in Barr Street, Birmingham.
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