Forgotten pieces of Liverpool's history found hidden in cupboard

They are a fascinating window into the past Decades of art Exhibition at Liverpool Cathedral The items are now on display in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral(Image: Photo by Andrew Teebay)

Forgotten pieces of Liverpool’s history unseen to the public for years were found hidden in a cupboard miles away from the city. Steeped in history, Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral welcomes thousands of locals and tourists alike every year.

But many fascinating stories and relics from its past – and those with a connection to the Liverpool landmark and wider city – have yet to be told. One of them is the story of Wallace Coop – a talented caricaturist, cartoonist, artist and illustrator whose impeccable work has become less known down the generations.

Born in Failsworth, near Manchester, in 1879, Wallace lived until 1947 and in his lifetime saw his work feature in numerous galleries and newspapers. In the years before cameras and technology became what we know them to be today, Wallace Coop captured key moments in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral history that have remained unseen for decades and offer a fascinating glimpse into the past.

It’s now been 101 years since the awe-inspiring cathedral was consecrated on July 19, 1924 and 121 years since the Foundation Stone was laid by King Edward VII. But Mr Coop’s stunning illustrations, now on display inside the cathedral as part of the new Decades of art exhibition, also depict the oldest and perhaps most beautiful part of the Cathedral – the Lady Chapel – in its early days.

Volunteer Val Jackson, 84, began coming to the cathedral in the early 1980s, but the archives came into her life in 2003, ahead of the centenary of the cathedral’s foundation stone being laid. Val, from Aigburth, told the ECHO: “Wallace Coop worked for the Liverpool Courier and was a cartoonist for the paper.

Val Jackson(Archivist),with drawings by Wallace Coop,at the Decades of art Exhibition held at Liverpool Cathedral Archivist Val Jackson with drawings by Wallace Coop that are now on display(Image: Photo by Andrew Teebay)

“He also did work for the Liverpool ECHO. His prints are really important, not just to the cathedral, but to the city as well.

“The Lady Chapel was the first part of the cathedral to be completed – so the Wallace Coop pictures are contemporary because they were drawn in 1910 when the first service was held in the cathedral. For a long time, that was the only place for worship.

“It’s as big as a parish church, so you can get a good number of people in there and it’s quite a different style from the main cathedral. It’s still very well used and very well loved.

“They are really fascinating to get because we hadn’t seen anything like that before. They’re quite different from any of the artist’s works that we’ve got in the cathedral or in the archives – and to get that link to the ECHO and to the city is rather special.”

Val said the archive team hadn’t heard of the work of Mr Coop until a relative contacted the cathedral to share one of his works. But more have been found around 20 miles outside the city centre.

Val said: “The main one was given to us by Wallace Coop’s nephew in 2023, and it shows the Lady Chapel for the consecration, so it’s really important for that time. Then coincidentally, this year we were given two matching prints by Wallace Coop from St. Elphin’s Church in Warrington.

Drawings by Wallace Coop,at the Decades of art Exhibition held at Liverpool Cathedral Drawings by Wallace Coop are a window into the past(Image: Photo by Andrew Teebay)

“They found them in the cupboard. We haven’t quite worked out the connection with Warrington yet, although we know they were framed in Warrington, so there must be some link.

“Having spoken to several people in the arts world in Liverpool, not many people have heard of him.” Decades on, Liverpool Cathedral are now displaying the incredible work of Mr Coop, ensuring his work and legacy is celebrated and not forgotten.

In their Memorial Chapel, this week the public have been able to see the works close-up, as part of the new Decades of art exhibition. The exhibition also features art work from Dorothy Bradford, Edward Sharland, and James Alphege Brewer.

Val said: “This is the second exhibition we’ve done about artworks that we’re not able to hang permanently in the cathedral, but also we’ve had two donations from people in relation to the artists who are now on display. We decided we’d go through the decades and see how different artists had interpreted the cathedral.

“We’ve created a leaflet with a trail so visitors can go around the physical places where the artist stood to do the drawings. It’s just nice to have stuff on display that normally is just put away.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to showcase these artists, because they’re not just people who are such a big part of the cathedral’s own history, but the city more generally. It’s great to have people come in and see it for themselves.”

The Decades of art exhibition in Liverpool Cathedral’s Memorial Chapel is on display until October 5.

Forgotten pieces of Liverpool’s history found hidden in cupboard

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