Imagine a warehouse the size of a football pitch, but instead of sweaty players, it’s filled with hundreds of thousands of photographs. Some are dusty, some are crispy, and a few look like they were developed by a confused pigeon. Yet, every single one tells the story of Birmingham’s transformation from a muddy industrial town to a concrete jungle with a Pret A Manger on every corner.
One photo shows a horse-drawn tram on New Street in 1902. The caption? “Traffic jam, caused by a very fat cat.” I’m not joking. The company’s archivist, a man named Imran, told me the cat was named Lord Fluffybottom and he once held up the tram for 45 minutes. True story? Maybe. But it’s in the archive, so it’s official now.
Why You Should Care About a Family’s Photo Collection
Because these photos aren’t just dusty paper—they’re gold for anyone who loves a good “before and after” meme. One series shows the Bull Ring in 1960, looking like a giant concrete ashtray. Fast-forward to today, and it’s a glassy shopping temple where you can buy a £10 smoothie. Progress? You decide.
But here’s the kicker: Abdullah and Sons didn’t take these photos for art. They took them to document their own properties. “We needed to prove we fixed a leaky roof in 1973,” Imran told me. “Now we have 50,000 photos of leaky roofs. It’s our accidental masterpiece.” Imagine being the world’s leading expert on roof leaks. That’s their legacy.
