Balcony Galleries

Highlights

Discover three exciting new balcony displays celebrating Birmingham’s rich history and heritage. 

Now open, free to visit.

Please note: The balcony displays are accessible via staircase only. (See accessibility information for more details).

The Industrial Gallery balcony with ornate ironwork, gas lanterns hanging from a glazed ceiling.

A-Z of Birmingham

See Birmingham in a different light in this celebration of people, places and things connected to Birmingham.

Discover what Birmingham Museums Trust’s volunteers and staff have chosen to highlight from the city, including unexpected facts and intriguing stories from the city’s past and present. Then tell us your thoughts – we want to hear from people in the city about what their A-Z would be. Do you agree with our choices, from A is for The Archers, through to Z is for Zoo?  

Location: Gallery 5 (balcony above the industrial gallery)

Image gallery

  • Introduction to gallery with large title that reads 'A-Z of Birmingham'.
  • Letter L for Lunar Society with a painting of the moon underneath.
  • Side view of letters H I J K L with photos on display.
  • Letter R with a guitar that belonged to Basil Gabbidon from Steele Pulse. Representing Reggae
  • Letter V W X Y and Z with artworks and photos underneath.
  • Side view of half of the Industrial Gallery balcony with ornate ironwork, gas lanterns hanging from a glazed ceiling.
A view of the balcony display of vesta cases.

Meet Your Match

‘Meet Your Match’ explores collecting and collectors. It focuses on the story and collection of a single collector with a passion for vesta cases.  

Vesta cases were boxes for matches, used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and many of them were made in Birmingham. Learn more about these unusual and intriguing objects in this new display, from their use as advertisements to how practical it was to carry one around in your pocket.  

If you have a collection which you’d like others to know about, you can tell us about it here: Call out: What do you collect? We might feature the information and images which you provide in ‘Meet Your Match’ in the future.  

Location: Gallery 6 (above the contemporary gallery)

Image gallery

  • A view of the balcony display of vesta cases.
  • The Meet Your Match introduction text panel for the display.
  • Side view of the display cases containing vesta cases.
  • A display case with a variety of vesta cases in three sections in on a blue background.
  • Side view of the display cases containing vesta cases.
  • A view of the balcony display of vesta cases.
A lady at work with tools in her hands.
Credit: Tinaye Makuyana Norma, MasterPeace Academy, Birmingham, 2025.

Stories of the Quarter

‘Stories of the Quarter’ tells the story of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter through photographs of jewellery workers.

Images taken by photographer Colin Shaw of workers in the 1980s are placed alongside new photos of MasterPeace Academy, one of the Quarter’s newest jewellery schools. Together they highlight the craftsmanship of jewellery workers in the city and the change and continuity in the making of jewellery over the last 40 years. 

Location: Gallery 7 (balcony above the Tearoom)

Image gallery

  • View of the balcony with tearoom below.
  • View of the corner of the balcony area with photographs on display.
  • Close up of photographs on display showing people at work making jewellery.
  • Close up of photographs on display showing people at work making jewellery.
  • View of the end of the balcony area with photographs on display.