Birmingham pen trade same time Osmiroid International had a large production plant in the city. Birmingham pen trade The Birmingham pen trade evolved in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter and its surrounding area in the 19th century; for many years, the city was the centre of the world's pen trade. In Newhall Street, John Mitchell manufactured pens; he pioneered mass production of steel pens (prior to this, the quill pen was the most common form of writing instrument). Mitchells are credited as being the first manufacturers to use machines to cut pen nibs, greatly speeding up the process. John's brother William later set up
Ballet of the 20th Century It was eventually dissolved when Bejart moved to Switzerland to form Béjart Ballet in Lausanne in 1987. Ballet of the 20th Century Ballet of the 20th Century (), was a ballet and contemporary dance company in Brussels, Belgium in 1960, by the French/Swiss choreographer Maurice Béjart. For many years it was the official dance company of the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie. The company was known for including South and East Asian elements in its performances. Bejart had previously founded a company in Paris, which he named first Les Ballets de l'Étoile, and later Ballet Théâtre de Maurice Bejart. When