Liverpool Photo Gallery - Three Graces

The Three Graces refer to buildings built in the early 20th century next to each other along the waterfront. Today, they define Liverpool's historic skyline, a reflection of a proud time when the city was a major international port. In order of closest to furthest from me, they are the Port of Liverpool Building, Cunard Building, and the Royal Liver Building. The Port of Liverpool Building was first to go up, opening in 1907 as headquarters for the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, which stayed until 1994. The Cunard Building was completed in 1917 with influences from Italian Renaissance and Greek Revival. It served as the headquarters of the Cunard Cruise Line until the late 1960s. The company was founded in Liverpool in 1840 by Samuel Cunard, a timber merchant from Halifax, Nova Scotia. It made its mark on international shipping with its floating palaces and steam turbines, and in 1999, became part of the Carnival group. The Royal Liver Building opened in 1911 as headquarters of Royal Liver Assurance, with 2 mythical liver birds at the top symbolizing the city's maritime heritage. The assurance company has disappeared through time, although the building still serves as offices with a visitor's experience to go up the building for a magnificent view. Behind the Three Graces is George's Dock Building. It was built as part of the Queensway Tunnel that crossed the River Mersey and used for ventilation and offices. Completed in 1934, it was the world's longest road tunnel until 1948. Around the corner, I noticed an interesting street name on the sign. The Goree is named after an island off Senegal that was a trading base for slaves, a legacy that made Liverpool wealthy. I would find more about this dark part of the city's history in its museum soon.