A new exhibition at Manchester Central Library is set to focus on some of the skilled craftspeople, artisan trades and construction team behind the current transformation of the Grade-I listed Manchester Town Hall and Albert Square.
Extraordinarily little is known about the artisans who built the Town Hall between 1868 and 1877, and certainly no photographs exist.
Fast forward around 150 years and today’s skilled workers are no strangers to the lens of Manchester City Council photographer Barrie Leach, whose visual catalogue captures portraits of those working on the Town Hall since the beginning of the project to repair, restore and refurbish this much-loved building.
The exhibition’s focus is to highlight some of the people behind the work. As well as modern construction workers and the behind-the-scenes staff who make it all possible there are some incredible heritage trades involved. Stonemasonry, mosaic making, stained glass repair and manufacture, horology: these are all crafts that would have been widespread in the 1870s but are now very much specialist – and rare – trades. They are, however, critical to our restoration project.
The project to safeguard the building for current and future generations needed hundreds of these time-served tradespeople, who have come together to make the building safe and accessible. As a result of bringing in these expert professionals, hundreds more Mancunians have had the opportunity to gain – or be inspired by – these skills, through school and work placements, apprenticeships and new jobs. These trainees and employees play a key part in keeping these precious skills alive.
Thirty large portraits and 60 smaller contextual images in the exhibition show the pride that the modern team have discovered in being able to lovingly restore, and give new life to, the work of the forgotten workforce who went before them.
The exhibition is divided into 10 zones concentrating on the people and work taking place throughout the building where work has been happening including; ground floor and courtyard, interiors, state rooms, Great Hall, Clock Tower, collections, exterior, roof, Albert Square and Albert Memorial, and behind the scenes.
As work on the Our Town Hall project continues to bring it up to modern safety standards, improving access to the building and its artefacts, and creating a new visitor attraction, the photographic record is also ongoing: only a small selection of the images is on show in this first exhibition. The full collection will form part of the historical archive, telling the stories of the people who lovingly restored the Town Hall for all to see.
The exhibition will run in Manchester Central Library’s first floor exhibition space from Friday 18 October 2024 until June 2025.
Councillor Garry Bridges, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council said:
“This new exhibition is a celebration of the work taking place behind the Town Hall hoardings which few people have had the privilege to witness. It is our way of ensuring that today’s artisans will not be forgotten. Just as the skills of those who helped create the building in the 19th Century have left the city a magnificent legacy, so will today’s project team. Working on this project is a real labour of love.
“We knew from the outset that this was going to be a mammoth task, and we wanted to capture and share the journey of all those who have taken part. We wanted to celebrate the role of all the workers on the team and show as much of the range of trades – modern and not–so–modern – required to complete the transformation of our iconic Town Hall. The bonus is that – in doing so – we have also created a wonderful visual archive for reference in years and generations to come. We can’t wait to share it with Manchester people and visitors.”
Leah Finch, a Construction Manager for Lendlease, started work on the project as an apprentice. She said:
“I completely fell into this opportunity, and I’m thankful. I applied through the Government website as I was looking for an apprenticeship. Every day offers a new reason to have a great day: delivering a meeting, speaking to new people, handing over an element of work or seeing progress in my work areas.
It’s given me so much responsibility and accountability. I’m proudest of managing the lower ground floor: co-ordinating all trade work on that level, working through blockers, ensuring a high standard of quality, and ultimately driving for completion. I feel heard and respected; I am a valued member of the team. The people truly make working on the Town Hall special.”