Black Country Black Country The Black Country is an area of the West Midlands, England, west of Birmingham and commonly refers to a region covering most of the four Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. During the Industrial Revolution, it became one of the most industrialised parts of Britain with coal mines, coking, iron foundries, glass factories, brickworks and steel mills producing a high level of air pollution. The road between Wolverhampton and Birmingham was described as "one continuous town" in 1785. The first trace of "The Black Country" as an expression dates from the 1840s. The name is believed
Black Country Living Museum Pawnbrokers Shop Bridge, Wolverhampton and Carter's Green in West Bromwich. The exhibit at the Black Country Living Museum combines pawnbroking with retail, as did many pawnbroking businesses in the 19th century. In the museum's reconstruction the unredeemed goods and other stock are sold in the front room, while pawning of goods was done in the 'pledge room' at the back. The shop window of the Pawnbroker's gives a good example of the types of goods that customers would 'pledge'. The display includes shoes, clothes, furs, musical instruments, children's toys and even a set of false teeth. Black Country Living Museum Pawnbrokers Shop