You can’t win! My last blog showing a very early photograph of an Orange parade by the Museum triggered a number of unpleasant posts – the gist of which were that I was a bigot for having the temerity to post anything to do with such an important part of Liverpool’s history. No apologies from me – but all abusive posts are removed as a matter of course. This site is for those genuinely interested in the way Liverpool is represented by photography – not as somewhere to vent unreasoned and bigoted opinions.
That’s got that off my chest – so on to today’s blog: an unusual street view of Old Hall Street and the newly built Cotton Exchange. I add unusual because it is an amateur’s photograph and I haven’t seen any others of the street. The woman with her bucket gives a dramatic feel to the early morning scene. I am guessing the photograph was taken shortly after the Exchange was opened in 1906. A fine Edwardian Baroque building, it had a short life, or at least the facade did. The side elevations still survive but the fine colonnaded facade was unceremoniously replaced by a dreary moden frontage in 1967. A sad loss for the building symbolised Liverpool’s first ranking in the cotton trade.

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