It’s underground, the bricks are old, and you see some lighting fixtures. What happened here? This may be too tricky, but try your luck. Send your ideas to ebrack2@gmail.com, and provide your hometown address.
The last Mystery Photo got an immediate response from Ross Lenhart, Stone Mountain: “It’s the waterfront in Liverpool, England. The University of Liverpool developed a pre-eminent school of tropical medicine in the 19th century as a shield to protect the British Isles from disease from ships coming from the Empire. One of my sons works with a British firm as a software architect from here in Atlanta.” The photo came from Michael Clark of Atlanta through Susan McBrayer of Sugar Hill.
Also recognizing the photograph were Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; Chuck Paul, Norcross; George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Dick DoPresti of Berkeley Lake; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas, who wrote an extensive answer: “Today’s mystery photo is of the Pier Head area of the Liverpool Waterfront, a bustling riverfront that serves as a cultural, commercial, and tourism hub for the city of Liverpool, with many bars, restaurants, and hotels lining the docks, intermixed with waterfront walkways, river boat tours, and ferry rides. It has become a regular port of call and embarkation point for many cruise lines, such as Cunard, MSC, and Viking.
“Prominently visible in the center of the mystery photo are three early 20th century buildings referred to as the ‘Three Graces”:
- On the left is the Royal Liver Building, completed in 1911. It was one of the first buildings in the world to be constructed using reinforced concrete, and was the tallest building in Europe at the time. Its two clock towers are topped with the famous Liver Birds, mythical creatures that have become symbols of Liverpool.
- In the center of the photo is the Cunard Building, completed in 1917. It served as a key hub for transatlantic shipping operations and the headquarters of the Cunard Steamship Company.
- On the right is the Port of Liverpool Building. Completed in 1907, it served as the headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbor Board, the governing body responsible for the management, maintenance, and development of Liverpool’s dock system and harbor facilities along the River Mersey.
“The name is derived from the Old English word ‘Liuerpul,’ where ‘Liuer’ meant thick or muddy water and ‘Pul” meant a pool or creek. So Liverpool basically means ‘a swampy pool.’ I have to admit that this isn’t all that unfair. It was likely a far more accurate description in 1190, which was the time that “Liuerpul” was the first recorded name for the city.”
- SHARE A MYSTERY PHOTO: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Click here to send an email and please mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
