The Pen Museum

Title: The Pen Museum

Built in: opened 2001

Location: Unit 3, The Argent Centre, 60 Frederick Street, Birmingham B1 3HS

Short intro: A Museum dedicated to the important legacy of Birmingham’s historic pen trade

Description: Situated in the Jewellery Quarter, The Pen Museum preserves the legacy of the 100 companies who distributed steel pens worldwide from Birmingham. At its height, this industry employed an estimated 8000 workers, 70% of whom were women. The museum is based in a former pen factory, constructed in 1863 for the manufacture of gold pen nibs. The museum is dedicated to the lives of the employers and workers in this industry, with three galleries presenting an extensive and unique collection of machinery and artefacts related to the pen trade.