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Bicentenary of Matthew Boulton

11-Feb-2009

2009 marks the bicentenary of Matthew Boulton’s death. This anniversary provides The City of Birmingham with a major opportunity to celebrate Boulton’s historical significance, and to raise his profile regionally, nationally and internationally.

During his lifetime he was a world-famous figure, but since the twentieth century Matthew Boulton’s name has been largely overshadowed by that of his business partner, James Watt. But without Boulton’s entrepreneurial vision, drive and ambition it is unlikely that Watt would have fulfilled his potential as an engineer and inventor. Boulton’s work as well as Watt’s pushed the technological boundaries of his time and led directly to Britain occupying centre-stage as the world’s first industrial nation, something which has shaped our lives ever since.

 During 2009 there will be a number of events that School staff are involved in.

• Birmingham City University and the University of Birmingham will co-host a major academic Boulton conference from 3-5 July 2009. The conference is already generating international interest.
• A major exhibition focussing on Matthew Boulton’s life and work by Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery, Gas Hall Exhibition Gallery, June - September 2009. This will draw heavily on the Museum’s and the City Archives’ extensive collections of Boulton material, with additional input from The Birmingham Assay Office, Thinktank, private collectors and other external partners, providing a unique opportunity to bring together Boulton-related objects from many sources.
• Production of two films being made in BIAD showing manufacturing techniques for silver used at Boulton’s factory in the late eighteenth century; the film will be shown at the BMAG exhibition and used for teaching at the School of Jewellery.
• The Birmingham Assay Office is sponsoring the design of a contemporary candelabra through an open competition which was won by Shona Marsh; graduate of the School and visiting teacher.

2009 is co-incidentally the year which also marks the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin, grandson of two of Boulton’s greatest friends, Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood.

For further infomation please visit the assay office