It was a time when Birmingham led the world with its pioneering spirit developing global inventions that led to the shaping of modern life.
With factories and manufacturing, Birmingham had become the greatest industrial city in the world by the 1700s.
And in the 1800s the city’s factories continued to develop with the use of steam along with James Watt and Matthew Boulton railway engines. But the strain of industrialisation took its toll on Birmingham during this time with some housing being declared slums.
Other turbulent times were seen amid a dynamite plot by Irish Republicans being hatched in the city. There was no internet or summer festivals, but people gathered together at Onion Fairs and there was much excitement for a Royal visit.
Some of the buildings of the time are still standing today, like the Birmingham Town Hall, and you may recognise others in our gallery.
This isn’t a definitive history of Birmingham in the 1800s, but a fascinating glimpse into the life and times of Brummies in the 19th century. Let’s take a look at 47 incredible images from those times:
1. Queen's Head Yard in Birmingham
The area is pictured badly run-down. The photograph was possibly taken in the nineteenth century as there is a cart further down the alley and no signs of modernisation. The ground is cobbled with no tarmac visible anywhere. The Queen's head appears in the 'penny black' sign above the doorway to a public house on the right hand side. (Photo by English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
2. 'Birmingham', England, 19th century
View of smoking factory chimneys in the city of Birmingham. During the Industrial Revolution, Birmingham became an important centre of metal manufacturing, engineering and trade. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)
3. Baker's and Finnemore's Pen Factory, St Paul's Square, Birmingham, 1870
On the left, blanks are being stamped from strips of steel with machines powered through shaft and belting, while women round the sides of the piercing room are making a hole in the centre of each nib. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)
4. The Boulton & Watt Soho Manufactory near Birmingham
This is where James Watt developed his steam engine. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)