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.
13. 170 years of St George’s Hall
'Our George' one of 124 mini Superlambananas, stands in front of St.George's Hall as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2008. | Jim Dyson/Getty Images
14. 170 years of St George’s Hall
Council staff clean a section of the rarely seen Minton tiled floor of the grand St George's Hall in August 2013. The exquisite floor which is usually covered for protection has been completely unveiled to allow the public a glimpse of the 30,000 hand made mosaic tiles. The floor is noted as being the best example of Minton tiles in the world. | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
15. 170 years of St George’s Hall
A giant puppet Grandmother is seen lying in a bed in St Georges Hall in 2014, ahead of a production by French theatre company Royal de Luxe that will see giants walk the streets of the city. | PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
16. 170 years of St George’s Hall
Flowers are laid and candles are lit on the steps of St George's Hall in 2016, in remembrance of the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough football stadium disaster, after a jury concluded they were unlawfully killed, finding Britain's worst sporting tragedy was partly down to police errors. The result concluded a near three-decade campaign by relatives of the victims of the 1989 match. | PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images