Monday, May 27, 2013

Statue of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Square, Manchester

The statue of US president Abraham Lincoln is located in Lincoln Square, on Brazennose Street (which runs between Deansgate and Albert Square in Manchester City Centre). The statue was designed by American sculptor George Grey Barnard. It is identical to the one located in Lytle Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

The statue was presented to Manchester to mark the support that the people of Manchester gave to President Lincoln in the fight for the abolition of slavery during the American Civil War (1861–1865).  At the time Manchester's economy was highly reliant on cotton, much of which came from the southern states in America. The people of Manchester and the surrounding area suffered horrendously when supplies of cotton were interrupted as a result of the Civil War. Lincoln's government actually sent food aid to help relieve the famine conditions that had been created. Despite the hardships created by the Civil War, at a meeting of cotton workers in Manchester in 1862, it was resolved to support the Union in their fight against slavery.

The original statue was completed in 1916 and exhibited in New York. This particular statue was presented to Manchester by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Phelps Taft of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1919 and was originally located in Platt Fields Park. It was moved to Lincoln Square in 1986.






Saturday, May 4, 2013

Mr Thomas's Chop House, Cross Street, Manchester

Mr Thomas's Chop House is housed in a distinctive and attractive grade II listed building in Manchester city centre. It is one of the oldest pubs in Manchester. It first opened as a public house in 1870 although the actual building itself is more recent.

The current historic building has an attractive facade consisting of terracotta blocks displaying Art Nouveau motifs. Inside, the bar area is decorated with yellow and green ceramic tiling.

The building was designed by architect Robert Walker in 1901 and is an excellent example of Victorian era architecture.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester

Manchester's Town Hall was designed by the architect Alfred Waterhouse in the Victorian Neo Gothic style and was completed in 1877.

Alfred Waterhouse was responsible for designing a number of important buildings in Manchester and the Greater Manchester area, including:
  • Gatehouse, main block and tower, Strangeways Jail, Manchester (1868) 
  • The 190-foot (58 m) stone clock tower and spire in Rochdale Town Hall (1888)
  • Museum of Wigan Life, designed as the Public Library (1877)
  • St Ann’s Church, St Ann’s Square, Manchester was restored by Waterhouse in 1891
  • Main Quadrangle, Victoria University of Manchester (1888)

The Town Hall accommodates a number of municipal government departments and some sections of the building are open to members of the public.