vrsimility
Reid's Farm Part 2
A popular subject for early railway artists?
The Liverpool & Manchester Railway (L&MR) opened in 1830 and Reid's Farm was an early stopping-place, first appearing in fare schedules in 1831. The first part of this post looked at how Reid's Farm got and lost its name, subsequently becoming known as Barton Moss (which I take to be a subset of Chat Moss in the context of . . .
Posted in: artworkbarton mossbuildingchat mossisaac shawliverpool & manchester railwayopensimstationthomas talbot bury
The Athenaeum
Library and newsroom on Church Street
The 19th century saw Liverpool evolve from its mainly mercantile phase into a city with higher aspirations. That is not to say that convenient access to the latest news was without merit so it was natural that the Athenaeum evolved into a hybrid newsroom-cum-library. Hitherto the need for news had been furnished largely by provision . . .
Posted in: buildingchurch streetopensim
The Dispensary
Healthcare for the poor of Georgian Liverpool
Role
The Dispensary was the place for the urban poor to go if in need of out-patient medical advice or treatment. It replaced and enhanced the service previously provided by the parish apothecary, the Dispensary having its own house apothecary plus medical staff.
While the service was free, patients had to be . . .
Posted in: buildingchurch streetopensim
Dale Street Redux
A large repository of C19th Liverpool sketches
British Museum FTW
It's always fun to find a new source, not least when it's a book written 200 years ago that triggers the search. Americal pioneer chemist and science educator Benjamin Silliman visited London in 1805 and was impressed by what he found at the British Museum (BM) if not by the rushed nature of the visit.
. . .Mona's Isle
An early railway advert at Crown Street station
Hidden gems
The artist and scene painter Isaac Shaw left us a portfolio of interesting prints of the early Liverpool & Manchester Railway (L&MR), including one of Crown Street station:
I will return to talk about the picture at a later date but Shaw kindly included an interesting detail on the righthand . . .
Newton
Trying to make sense of a mysterious painting
View of Manchester and Liverpool Railroad taken at Newton 1825: a mystery wrapped in an enigma
Charles Calvert's painting of trains passing at Newton-le-Willows (or Newton-in-Makerfield as it was more likely known at the time) has been widely reproduced despite obvious defects in perspective with regard to the train on the right. . . .
Clayton Square
Birthplace of modern railways?
The birthplace of modern railways?
Any number of places might claim to be the birthplace of modern railways but one that doesn't generally feature is the Clayton Square office of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway Company (L&MR) which opened in Liverpool some 190 years ago. This was before the company had track, . . .