Opened in 1854, St George’s Hall turns 170 this year and if the Grade I listed building could speak it would certainly have some tales to tell. The Neoclassical landmark has welcomed future kings, had a giant fall asleep in its historic hall, heralded truth and justice for The 97 and been transformed into Gotham City for the filming of Batman.
Standing opposite Lime Street Station, it is the first thing most people see when they arrive in Liverpool. Indeed, one of the reasons construction began back in 1841 was to impress visitors as the merchant city thrived as a global port.
The city will hold the SGH170 Festival from August until September to celebrate the 170-year anniversary, when Culture Liverpool will invite a host of Liverpool’s most talented performers into St George’s Hall's iconic spaces.
Here at LiverpoolWorld we have trawled through the archive to pick out 19 fantastic photos that help bring the long history of St George's Hall to life.
1. 170 years of St George’s Hall
Cabs stand outside the newly built neoclassical St George's Hall in 1854. The building, combining a public hall and law courts, was fully constructed between 1841 and 1856. | English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images
2. 170 years of St George’s Hall
The Interior of St George's Hall, during the inauguration of the building - designed by Harvey Lonsdale Elmes - in 1854 and a '...specimen of one of the elaborate brass Gaseliers suspended on each side, from the keystones of the arches'. | The Print Collector/Heritage Images via Getty Images
3. 170 years of St George’s Hall
The equestrian statues of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, by Thomas Thornycroft, stand outside St George's Hall in 1854. | English Heritage/Heritage Images/Getty Images
4. 170 years of St George’s Hall
The Procession to St. George's Hall, 1865. The future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were shown round the library and museum on their visit to Liverpool. St George's Hall in the Neoclassical style, was used for the festivals, and for meetings, dinners and concerts. | Print Collector/Getty Images