The Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) in Dudley is looking for old bottles of Babycham and Cherry B for the recreated Elephant & Castle pub, which is part of its £30m ‘Forging Ahead’ project.
BCLM is asking for donations of 1960s furnishings and objects to decorate the pub, which was built in 1905 in Wolverhampton. The Elephant & Castle was demolished in 2001.
“Typical of its era, it had a public bar for the working class and for the middle class it had a separate smoking room with slightly higher prices,” the museum said.
Elephant & Castle pub was built in 1905
The recreation of the pub is almost complete, including its famous elephant statue, which is being reproduced by local company A Studio.
Local heritage craftsman from Craven Dunhill are working on the exterior’s decorative tiles, but the “interior is still looking bare”, BCLM said.
The museum’s collections team is searching for bar items from the 1960s, such as wooden tables, mahogany spindle-back chairs, promotional glasses, and beer, wine and spirit bottles.
For the walls and tables, the Black Country Living Museum wants promotional materials including plaques, mirrors and coasters, as well as items that were marketed to women such as Babycham, Cherry B and Golden Godwin.
BCLM looking for Babycham and Cherry B
BCLM is constructing 22 historic buildings and structures in the first phase of the Forging Ahead project. The centrepiece is a 1940s to 1960s town, which includes the Elephant & Castle.
“As the biggest single development in our 43-year history, Forging Ahead gives us the momentum to thrive once again for our community following the unprecedented difficulties presented by the pandemic,” said Andrew Lovett, chief executive of BCLM.
“Forging Ahead is not just about exploring the past, it’s also about making a positive difference to the future of this community too.”
Images: Black Country Living Museum
