Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock has launched a summer-long celebration of its 180th anniversary by transforming its historic inner quay into a giant open-air gallery.
A digital installation was projected across the grand brickwork façade of the Grade I-listed Maritime Museum at 9.45pm on Thursday, bringing the dock’s musical, nightlife and maritime history to life.
Curated by acclaimed Liverpool cultural photographer Mark McNulty, the display features images documenting life around the waterfront from the 1980s onwards.
The launch also marked the beginning of a community storytelling campaign inviting people to contribute their own photographs and memories of the dock.
Organisers are looking for images spanning the decades, from family days out during the 1980s and 1990s to recent photographs and selfies taken beneath the dock’s famous colonnades.
A total of 180 photographs will be chosen to appear in a finale projection on Thursday, September 24. The selected images will also be preserved in a digital memory book celebrating the landmark’s history and its place in the lives of visitors.
Mark McNulty, featured photographer, said:
“Having spent decades documenting Liverpool’s culture, it’s a privilege to collaborate with the Royal Albert Dock on such a landmark milestone. Launching the 180th anniversary celebrations with this retrospective projection has been a great experience.
“The Dock holds a special place in the city’s heart, and I hope seeing these moments projected across the Maritime Museum reminds people of their own special moments here over the years.”
People can find details of how to submit their photographs through the Royal Albert Dock website.
The Mark McNulty Dock Short Lates projection will run across the inner quay every night throughout August from 9.45pm until 11pm.
The installation is free to attend.
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