The Lyceum, Liverpool
Encyclopedia
The Lyceum was a gentlemen's club in Bold Street, Liverpool
, England
. It also housed Europe
's first lending library
, and in later years was pressed into service as the city’s head post office
. The colonnade
d front looks out onto Bold street. A side entrance to Liverpool Central station
is to the right.
The Neo-classical building was designed by architect
Thomas Harrison
of Chester
and was built between 1800-1802. The club's founders, members of the Liverpool Literary and Philosophical Society – who included several of Liverpool's abolitionist
s (notably William Roscoe
) – wanted to establish an alternative meeting place to the often rowdy merchants’ coffee houses.
The Lyceum also became home to Liverpool's subscription library
, founded in 1757. This is believed to have been the first circulating or lending library in Europe. There were 888 members of the Library in 1814.
The Lyceum also inspired Manchester
's Portico Library
, whose founders also commissioned Harrison to design that building.
Prints from 1831 describe the Bold Street building as the 'Lyceum Newsroom and Library' – the Lyceum had separate entrances to the coffee house and library areas. The coffee house later expanded and the Lyceum Gentleman's Club took over almost the entire building for over 150 years. After the Club relocated, the Grade II* listed building was threatened with demolition during the late 1960s and early 1970s, but protests forced the UK government’s Department of the Environment
to purchase it from its property developer owner.
After some years of neglect, the building was sold to the Post Office in 1984 with a view to it housing a philatelic
museum and Liverpool's head post office. These plans were later varied to allow parts of the building to be used by a building society, for retail purposes and as a restaurant. Work eventually started on site in 1988. During the late 20th century, the building's use changed again, with a section becoming a busy bar/café (called variously: 'Life Bar', 'Prohibition', 'The Bar and Grill', 'Lyceum Café'). In March 2004, it was announced that the Post Office was to close.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It also housed Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's first lending library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, and in later years was pressed into service as the city’s head post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. The colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
d front looks out onto Bold street. A side entrance to Liverpool Central station
Liverpool Central railway station
Liverpool Central railway station is a railway station in Liverpool, England, and forms the central hub of the Merseyrail network, being on both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. In the years 2008/09, Liverpool Central station was shown to be the busiest station in Liverpool, despite being...
is to the right.
The Neo-classical building was designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Thomas Harrison
Thomas Harrison (architect)
Thomas Harrison was an English architect and engineer. He built a number of bridges, including Grosvenor Bridge in Chester. He also rebuilt parts of Chester and Lancaster castles...
of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and was built between 1800-1802. The club's founders, members of the Liverpool Literary and Philosophical Society – who included several of Liverpool's abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
s (notably William Roscoe
William Roscoe
William Roscoe , was an English historian and miscellaneous writer.-Life:He was born in Liverpool, where his father, a market gardener, kept a public house called the Bowling Green at Mount Pleasant. Roscoe left school at the age of twelve, having learned all that his schoolmaster could teach...
) – wanted to establish an alternative meeting place to the often rowdy merchants’ coffee houses.
The Lyceum also became home to Liverpool's subscription library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, founded in 1757. This is believed to have been the first circulating or lending library in Europe. There were 888 members of the Library in 1814.
The Lyceum also inspired Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
's Portico Library
Portico Library
The Portico Library on Mosley Street, Manchester is a subscription library built in the Greek Revival style between 1802-1806. It is a Grade II* listed building as at 25 February 1952....
, whose founders also commissioned Harrison to design that building.
Prints from 1831 describe the Bold Street building as the 'Lyceum Newsroom and Library' – the Lyceum had separate entrances to the coffee house and library areas. The coffee house later expanded and the Lyceum Gentleman's Club took over almost the entire building for over 150 years. After the Club relocated, the Grade II* listed building was threatened with demolition during the late 1960s and early 1970s, but protests forced the UK government’s Department of the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
to purchase it from its property developer owner.
After some years of neglect, the building was sold to the Post Office in 1984 with a view to it housing a philatelic
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
museum and Liverpool's head post office. These plans were later varied to allow parts of the building to be used by a building society, for retail purposes and as a restaurant. Work eventually started on site in 1988. During the late 20th century, the building's use changed again, with a section becoming a busy bar/café (called variously: 'Life Bar', 'Prohibition', 'The Bar and Grill', 'Lyceum Café'). In March 2004, it was announced that the Post Office was to close.
External links
- http://www.ihbc.org.uk/context_archive/28/cold_dir/cold_s.htm
- http://liverpool.stock308.com/s308-Liverpool-121_2169.htm
- http://www.liverpoolpictorial.co.uk/liverpoolatnight3/lyceum.html
- http://www.sjsfiles.btinternet.co.uk/imgs09n.htm