Liverpool’s docks transformed the fortunes of the city. Their story is a 300 year journey that turned a small, regional port into one of the world’s great maritime centres.
From the opening of the world’s first commercial wet dock in 1715, this exhibition documents the changing fortunes of Liverpool’s waterfront and the impact the docks have had on the city.
A section dedicated to the Three Graces at the Pier Head includes reproductions of two recently donated Stewart Bale images of the Cunard building under construction during the First World War. One of the photographs, dated 1913, is now the oldest image held in the Stewart Bale collection.
The exhibition also recognises 21st century changes to the waterfront including another National Museums Liverpool venue, the Museum of Liverpool.
The waterfront has changed greatly in appearance and use since the construction of the Old Dock, but it remains an important symbol and focal point of the city.