Find out how your photographs can star in the landmark’s 180th anniversary celebrations in September
Karaoke at Hartley’s Wine Bar at the Albert Dock in the 90s(Image: Mark McNulty)
When acclaimed Liverpool photographer Mark McNulty looks back through his archive of Royal Albert Dock pictures, he doesn’t just see one of Liverpool’s most recognisable landmarks. He sees nights out he’d forgotten about, friends from his youth, cultural milestones and a city that has transformed before his eyes.
As the Royal Albert Dock celebrates 180 years since its official opening by Prince Albert on July 30, 1846, McNulty’ has revisted thousands of his photographs resulting in a spectacular projection that will illuminate the Maritime Museum’s façade throughout August. Launching on the birthday night, and running from 9.45pm to 11pm, McNulty’s work will paint a cinematic history of the dock.
For the Walton-born photographer, 60, the commission has become as much a journey through his own memories as it is a celebration of one of the city’s best-loved destinations.
Liverpool photographer Mark McNulty(Image: Mark McNulty)
Mark told the ECHO: “The first time I photographed it was before it opened. I used to photograph it when it was derelict. But not professionally. I was only an amateur photographer.”
One of those earliest photography visits came when Brookside was filming at the dock with Paula Yates while another memorable trip saw him rush down after hearing 1980s singer Yazz was appearing there.
Yet it is one of his simplest photographs that has become one of his favourites. Taken in 1988, it shows his friend Louise walking across Hartley’s Bridge shortly after the dock reopened.
Mark’s photograph of actress Paula Yates(Image: Mark McNulty)
He said: “It wasn’t a fashion shoot, it wasn’t anything like that. It was just me learning how to take photographs, photographing my friends on days out.
“We were just kids into music. We’d hang around Bold Street and Mathew Street and Probe. But the dock had opened, so we went down to see what it was all about. They were just photographs of my mates hanging around town.”
Back then, he said, the newly-restored Albert Dock felt very different from the bustling waterfront destination it has become today.
Picture taken by Mark McNulty at the Royal Albert Dock of his friend Louise walking across Hartley’s Bridge(Image: Mark McNulty)
He said: “Then there were a few shops that were for tourists, and the Tate, which was the key thing. Liverpool had always had great galleries like the Walker, the Bluecoat, and the Open Eye Gallery, but the Tate was such a big deal. We used to go and see all the exhibitions there.
“There were little events every now and then, and I even had an exhibition of my early rave photography in one of the Albert Dock buildings in 1991. But these days the place has come on leaps and bounds.”
Over the decades, Mark has documented Liverpool’s music scene, club culture, and some of the city’s biggest cultural moments, many of which have unfolded against the backdrop of the dock.
Mark McNulty’s photograph of singer Sandie Shaw in 1988(Image: Mark McNulty)
Looking back through tens of thousands of photographs to curate the projection, he found himself rediscovering just how often the Albert Dock had appeared in his work.
He said: “I thought, ‘I’ve got some pictures’. Then you start looking through them, and it’s, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve got that… and that… and that’.
“The next thing you’ve got to select them and you’re looking through tens of thousands of photographs thinking, ‘I’d forgotten how much the Albert Dock came into play in so many photographs’.”
Actor, author, comedian Alexei Sayle at Tate Liverpool in 2008(Image: Mark McNulty)
Alongside images of friends and family are photographs of Eurovision celebrations, Luke Jerram’s spectacular public artworks, The Stone Roses bassist Mani DJing at Panam bar, actor John Simm with Echo & the Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch, Alexei Sayle touring Tate Liverpool and portraits created during Liverpool’s 800th birthday celebrations.
Rather than focusing solely on headline-grabbing events, Mark also wanted to include quieter moments of everyday life.
He said: “I just went through them all and I tried to find the day-to-day moments as well. Not just the big moments.”
For Mark, the Albert Dock’s greatest achievement has been its evolution into a cultural space that belongs to everyone.
Keith Haring exhibition held at Tate Liverpool(Image: Mark McNulty)
He said: “It was always a nice place to walk around but now it’s become something for everybody. The restaurants have changed, the cafés, the shops, the outdoor theatre, the projections.
“They’ve had the Giants there, Eurovision, Luke Jerram’s work and all these big art installations.
“I think Liverpool is really good when you put culture in front of people. The whole place becomes an art gallery.
“The Albert Dock has been really good at opening itself up to that sort of culture and I think the city has embraced it.”
Mark McNulty’s photograph from On The Waterfront in 2011(Image: Mark McNulty)
Although he now lives in Wales, Mark said every visit home inevitably draws him back to Liverpool’s waterfront.
He said: “When I come back to Liverpool, the first thing I do is walk straight down to the waterfront. I just like rivers. I live in Wales by a river.
“I don’t think I could ever live inland so I’m always drawn towards the river or the dock.”
As part of the 180th anniversary celebrations, Mark hopes his photographs won’t simply stir nostalgia but also encourage others to dig out their own memories.
Actor John Simm and Ian McCulloch at the Albert Dock(Image: Mark McNulty)
He said: “I hope it sparks some memories. I’d like people to think about their own photographs and maybe go home and dig them out.
“This is only one person’s view of the Albert Dock. I’ve photographed a lot but there’s also a lot I haven’t photographed so I’d love to see everybody else’s pictures.”
Reflecting on having decades-old photographs projected across one of Liverpool’s most historic buildings, Mark admits it still feels surreal.
Luke Jerram’s Floating Earth was a temporary 10-metre art installation displayed at the Royal Albert Dock(Image: Mark McNulty)
He said: “As you get older, you start seeing these pictures becoming well-known pictures that were just a day out with your mates wandering around town.
“It’s pretty special to think they’re going to be projected onto that building. It’s quite weird, really, but I’m really looking forward to seeing it.”
The birthday night is the catalyst for a broader summer-long community campaign. The Royal Albert Dock has teamed up with the Echo to ask members of the public to share their personal photographs of the dock from across the decades, from nostalgic family days out in the ’80s to modern-day selfies on the colonnades.
In total 180 images will be selected to feature in a permanent digital memory book and on a bespoke Dock Shorts projection at the end of September as part of an exciting grand finale event.
To enter your photograph click here or on the form below and read the full terms and conditions before entering.