Centre breathes life into history

Apr 25 2007 by Sophie Freeman, Liverpool Daily Post

THE UK’s largest centre dedicated to life in the 18th century is to open at the University of Liverpool.

The research facility will work with city institu-tions including National Museums Liverpool and the 200-year-old private arts club, the Athenaeum.

Dr Holger Hoock, founding director of the new 18th- Century Worlds Centre, said the city’s historic archi-tecture meant it was the ideal home for the new facility.

“Liverpool was one of England’s foremost Georgian towns, and much of its 18th and early 19th-century architecture has survived, including around Abercromby Square, where the university’s Faculty of Arts is based,” he said. “These buildings give us a great insight into the lives of the people of this era.”

Other city centre build-ings of the period include the former Blue Coat School, Bluecoat Cham-bers, built in 1716, and the Lyceum, on Bold Street.

Designed by architect Thomas Harrison, the Lyceum was Europe's first lending library and opened in 1802.

The city’s Royal Infirmary was founded in 1749 and in 1754 a new town hall was built.

Edge Hill station, built in 1836, is possibly the oldest station in continuous use and in its original form in the world.

The university’s research will focus on the political, social, economic, intellectual, and cult-ural life of the 18th century, but there will be some cross-over into 17th and 19th-century studies.

Academics will cover research in the fields of history, English, modern languages and the classics.

It will also offer a new MA in 18th -century Studies in 2009. The centre will provide an intellectual home for scholars through workshops, seminars, exhibitions and conferences.

The aim is to capitalise on the wealth of 18th-century resources on offer in Merseyside.

National Museums Liverpool holds a significant collection of 18th and early 19th century fine and decorative arts, as well as science collections, and the university libraries and archives hold extensive 18th-century resources.

The Athenaeum Group hosts a significant rare books library which the centre will make available to University of Liverpool students.

“This unique collaboration, combining the expertise and resources of all involved, will give the participating departments unprecedented research opportunities which will place the university at the forefront of this research field,” Dr Hoock added.

THE official launch of the centre is at the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Albert Dock, Liverpool on Tuesday May 1, from 5pm.

It will include a public lecture by internationally renowned Professor John Brewer from the California Institute of Technology, entitled Sensibility and Spectacle in Late Georgian Britain.

To register, please contact Dr Kate Marsh at clmarsh@liverpool.ac.uk or call 794 2749

sophiefreeman