Case Studies
Black Country Living Museum
Company Information
The Black Country Living Museum is a 26 acre, urban heritage park where historic buildings from all around the Black Country have been moved and authentically rebuilt to create a canal-side village which is a tribute to the traditional skills and enterprise of the people that once lived in the heart of industrial Britain. Costumed demonstrators and working craftsmen bring the buildings to life with their local knowledge, and practical skills.
Brief
The museum required authentic period uniforms for two new characters/demonstrators, a policeman and a postman. The JIIC was asked to undertake two projects, one to replicate an existing Dudley Borough Police badge, and the second to recreate insignia for the postman's hat, epaulettes, and buttons.
The policeman's badge was replicated from the one remaining original using cold cure rubber moulding methods, electro deposition techniques, and plating. The postmen's buttons and insignia were created using scanning, CAD and rapid prototyping.
All project prototypes were then passed to a West Midlands manufacturer who produced the final items and will manufacture the small scale souvenir items/new products for the museum shop in the near future.
Impact
- 4 jobs were created in the Museum as a direct result of these projects (two policemen and two postmen).
- Awareness of the museum was increased due to the resultant publicity, and visitor numbers to the Museum were increased.
- Souvenir items will be developed (children's policemen's helmets) which will increase future sales for the museum.
Utilising scanning, electroforming and CAD/CAM techniques provided the museum with a one stop solution to their requirements. These projects have created new jobs and sales for the museum, and have generated additional business for the region's manufacturing industry, with more opportunities in the future.