Sir Edward Thomason Advertises His Factory in Birmingham

By 1790 Birmingham was the metal manufacturing center of England. A key product was buckles, the manufacturing of which may have employed up to 5000 people in the city. Edward Thomason, who learned manufacturing from Matthew Boulton of Boulton & Watt, manufactured a wide variety of metal products as advertised on this engraved advertisement that was presumably handed out to visitors to the Thomason Manufactory at Church Street in Birmingham. The factory, which employed state of the art manufacturing techniques, was often visited by representatives from foreign governments who wanted to learn Thomason's advanced manufacturing methods. A notice at the end of the engraved sheet indicates that Thomason did not allow competing manufacturers from Birmingham to study his manufacturing techniques.

The text of the engraved flyer reads as follows:

"The Manufactory Embraces a great Variety of the finest Class of articles than any other; the Workmen are of the first Skill and Eminence, an are Employed in Modeling, Casting, Sculpturing, Chasing and Engraving of Various Work of Art in Gold, Silver, Plated Brass and Bronzery from the greatest Magnitude to the Smallest Size, not only in Gold and Silver Plate, but also in Metallic Figures, Busts, Tripods, Vases, Candellabras and Metallic & Bronz'd Architectural Ornaments for the Interior decoration of Mansions for Stair Cases, Capitals, ...Lamps...&c.

"The Machinery in these Works is Employed in the Manufacuring of Medals and Tokens the Cutting of Glass, the grinding of Gems, the Pressing and Stamping of Figures, and other Ornaments.

"The Show Rooms Attached to this Establishment are very Extensive and Elegant and Contain in a finished State the Muliplicity of Articles made here.

"We also Noticed laying about for the Observance of Strangers Cards of which the following are Copies.

"The Proprietor of the Manufactory requests that all persons who visit it will abstain from distributing any Money in the Works, but if desirous to confer a gratuity the guide will at their Suggestion direct them to a box the Contributions in which are....[remainder cropped].

"Such inconvenience having arisen from Gentlemen residing in Brimngham being allowed to inspect the Workshops of this Manufactory Mr. Thomason is under the necessity of observing that such permission cannot be [granted] in future."