e in one year, at a
cheap rate; and within the last five years brass egg cups have been sent in
enormous numbers to Turkey, where they are used to hand round coffee. South
America is a great mart for cheap brass ware.

Of this trade, it may be said, in the words of a vulgar proverb, "as one door
shuts another opens."

The use of china and glass, in conjunction with brass for house furniture and
chandeliers, has also created a variety, and afforded an advantageous impetus
to the trade.

Mr. Winfield is one of the manufacturers in brass whose showrooms are open to
the public. He also has claims on our attention for the wise and
philanthropic manner in which he has endeavoured to supply the lamentable
deficiency of education among the working classes.

He holds a very leading position as a manufacturer of balustrades, tables,
window-cornices, candelabra chandeliers, brackets, curtain-bands, and above
all of metal bedsteads, which last he has supplied to some of the chief royal
and princely families of Europe, besides Spain, Algeria, and the United
States. In all these works great attention has been paid to design as well
as workmanship, as was amply proved both at the local exhibition in 1849,
where a large gas bracket, in the Italian style, of brass, with Parisian
ornaments, excited much admiration; and in 1851, in Hyde Park, where we
especially noted an ormolu cradle and French bedstead in gilt and bronze,
amid a number of capital works of his production.

Mr. Winfield is patentee of a curious process for drawing out the cylinders
used in making bedsteads.

Messrs. Messengers and Sons have one of the finest manufactories in
ornamental iron, brass, and bronze, for lamps, chandeliers, and table
ornaments. For a long series of years they have spared no expense in
obtaining the best models and educating their workmen in drawing and
modelling. In their show-rooms will be found many very pleasing statues in
gold-colour, in bronze, and copies from antique types of vases, lamps,
candelabra, etc.

Messrs. Salt and Lloyd are also eminent lamp makers, and generally exhibit,
beside table-lamps, the last and best carriage-lamps.

Messrs. Ratcliffes are another enterprising firm.

All such of these manufactories as have show-rooms open to strangers, will be
found by an inquiry at any hotel; for although Birmingham is a large town,
everybody knows everybody, and the cab drivers will usually be found
competent to guide th