Liverpool Custom House - Courtyard and Facade, c 1900s
This is the view of the Custom House when approaching from South Castle Street. I think this image dates from around 1900. (The business sign, Sewill, on the right might help with more accurate dating.)
The decision to demolish the building following damage from incendiary bombs in 1941 is one of the most contested, and bitterly regretted of the many dodgy municipal planning decisions of the post WW2 period. The building, designed by the city architect John Foster and completed in 1839, is now regarded as having been one of the glories of the classical revival in the city - unquestionably worth saving, if arguably saveable. Many people have speculated on the uses the restored might have been put to, its value as a tourist attraction aside. Given the current state of the Lyceum, which is of a much more manageable size, I can't help wondering whether Liverpool can ever come up with a successful strategy for ensuring that its architectural treasures get the TLC they deserve.
An excellent selection of images from Liverpool Record Office showing the building in its prime, and in various stages of dereliction appears on the 'Liverpool and Merseyside Remembered' site:
liverpoolremembrance.weebly.com/the-custom-house.html
Liverpool Custom House - Courtyard and Facade, c 1900s
This is the view of the Custom House when approaching from South Castle Street. I think this image dates from around 1900. (The business sign, Sewill, on the right might help with more accurate dating.)
The decision to demolish the building following damage from incendiary bombs in 1941 is one of the most contested, and bitterly regretted of the many dodgy municipal planning decisions of the post WW2 period. The building, designed by the city architect John Foster and completed in 1839, is now regarded as having been one of the glories of the classical revival in the city - unquestionably worth saving, if arguably saveable. Many people have speculated on the uses the restored might have been put to, its value as a tourist attraction aside. Given the current state of the Lyceum, which is of a much more manageable size, I can't help wondering whether Liverpool can ever come up with a successful strategy for ensuring that its architectural treasures get the TLC they deserve.
An excellent selection of images from Liverpool Record Office showing the building in its prime, and in various stages of dereliction appears on the 'Liverpool and Merseyside Remembered' site:
liverpoolremembrance.weebly.com/the-custom-house.html