The Royal Albert Dock was flooded with light on the evening of Thursday, July 30, as thousands of photographs were cast across the brickwork of its inner quay to celebrate the landmark's 180th birthday.
The display, which began at 9.45pm, used the Maritime Museum's facade as a canvas, turning the space into an open-air gallery filled with images from the docks' past. The dock first opened on July 30, 1846, having been unveiled by Prince Albert.
Curated by Mark McNulty
Liverpool photographer Mark McNulty, who has spent decades capturing the city's music scene, nightlife and cultural revival, selected the photographs from his own work taken around the dock. His images will remain on show throughout August as part of the Dock Short Lates series, offering a cinematic retelling of the waterfront's history.
McNulty described the commission as a personal journey through his own memories as much as a celebration of one of Liverpool's best-loved places.
Summer-long programme
The birthday celebration marks the start of a wider summer campaign that combines large-scale photography, dockside dining and community storytelling. Visitors are being asked to submit their own pictures of the dock from any era, from family trips in the 1980s to modern-day selfies along the colonnades.
From the entries, 180 photos will be chosen to appear in a permanent digital memory book and in a special Dock Shorts projection scheduled for the end of September as the finale of the festivities.
The display included images of the Billy Fury statue and a portrait of the late Paul Yates, alongside other scenes from the dock's history.
