Royal Institution for its founding were given by the Society for Bettering the Conditions and Improving the Comforts of the Poor, under the guidance of philanthropist Sir Thomas Bernard and American-born British scientist Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford. Since its founding it has been based at 21 Albemarle Street in Mayfair. Its Royal Charter was granted in 1800. Throughout its history, the Institution has supported public engagement with science through a programme of lectures, many of which continue today. The most famous of these are the annual Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, founded by Michael Faraday. The Royal Institution was founded as the
Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind The Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind (BRIB) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom which oversees the work of three distinct charities in the Birmingham area: In 1846, founders Elizabeth Bache Harrold and Mary Badger rented a small home and opened it as a school for the blind, beginning with just six students. Over the years, the organization grew in size and success, placing blind graduates in various positions which had previously been closed to the blind. In 1848, the little school was officially named the "Birmingham Institution for the Blind". In