Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. In the last 200 years, from a market town of Warwickshire, Birmingham has risen into the fastest-growing city of the 19th century, spurred on by a combination of civic investment, scientific achievement, commercial innovation and by a steady influx of migrant workers into its suburbs. By the 20th century it had become the metropolitan hub of the United Kingdom’s manufacturing and automotive industries, having earned itself a reputation first as a city of canals, then of cars, and most recently as a major European convention and shopping destination. Birmingham is commonly referred to as the Second city of the United Kingdom.

As one of the United Kingdom’s major cities, Birmingham is considered to be the social, cultural, financial, and commercial centre of the Midlands. In the years following the Second World War, the face of Birmingham was heavily changed by a major influx of immigrants from the Commonwealth of Nations, with large communities from Southern Asia and the Caribbean settling in the city, turning Birmingham into one of the UK’s leading multicultural cities.These color photographs was taken by Phyllis Nicklin, a geography teacher at the University of Birmingham. Take a look:

Corner of Vivian Road, Harborne, 1961

Harborne High Street, 1961

King’s Norton Mop Fair, 1963

King’s Norton Mop Fair, 1963

Opening ceremony at the King’s Norton Mop Fair, 1964

Gaumont cinema in Colmore Circus, 1965

Great Russell Street, Newtown, 1967

Great Russell Street, Newtown, 1967

Children playing on Anderton Street, Ladywood, 1968

Anderton Street, Alexandra Street and King Edward’s road corner, Ladywood, 1968

Bull Ring Market, 1968

Bull Ring Market, 1968

Handsworth, 1968

Handsworth Market, 1968

Children outside Corner Shop, Thornhill Road, Handsworth, 1968

Children on Thornhill Road, Handsworth, 1968

Soho Road near Boulton Road, Handsworth, 1968

Soho Road near Boulton Road, Handsworth, 1968

Soho Road near Boulton Road, Handsworth, 1968

Children outside Eastside Vegetable Shop on Longmore Street, Balsall Heath, 1968

A conveyor belt takes the fruit in to the store, Edgbaston Street, 1968

Fred’s Cabin on Kings Road, Tyseley, 1968

Newtown ‘adventure playground’ behind Gower Street and Guildford Street, 1968

Fruit and vegetable merchants, Market Area, Jamaica Row, 1968

 Wholesale Fish Market, Jamaica Row, 1968