“…Sailors love this Liverpool; and upon voyages to distant parts of the globe, will be continually dilating upon its charms and attractions, and extolling above all other seaports in the world.” Herman Melville, Redburn, 1848.
This was the focal point of the river when Liverpool was the second city of the British Empire. It is dominated by a formal arrangement of early 20th-century monumental buildings – the Three Graces:
- The Royal Liver Building
- The Cunard Building
- The Port of Liverpool Building
The tale of the two Liver birds, the city’s signature landmark, relates to the city’s maritime heritage. One looks out to watch the city – our people, and the other looks out to sea – our prosperity.
These buildings, along with the 1930s Ventilation Tower and other prominent civic and commercial buildings, formed the principal view of the city when approaching by sea – the face that the city projected to the world.