New exhibition charts Liverpool docks' history

A new exhibition's being launched charting the story of Liverpool's docks. 'On the Waterfront' is being hosted by the Merseyside Maritime Museum and features the first known painting of the city.

Marking the 300th anniversary of the city's Old Dock - the world's first commercial wet dock- this exhibition covers the period from the 18th century up to the present day. Personal stories show how the waterfront has changed and the impact it has had on the city and the lives of local people.

A section dedicated to the Three Graces will include reproductions of two newly donated Stewart Bale images of the Cunard building under construction, which have never been displayed before. They show the construction of the iconic Liverpool building during World War One and one of the photographs, dated 1913, is now the oldest image held by the Museum within its Stewart Bale collection.

The exhibition also recognises 21st-century changes to the waterfront including another National Museums Liverpool's venue, the Museum of Liverpool. Opened in July 2011, this Museum revived the area as the bridge between the Albert Dock and the Pier Head, allowing people to walk the length of the city's waterfront to take in not only the Museum of Liverpool but attractions including the Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum and Tate. The Museum of Liverpool has received more than 3.8 million visitors since first opening, and became England's most visited museum outside of London in 2012.

The exhibition is free and is set to run until June 2016