Former British & Foreign Marine Insurance Building Liverpool

Image: © Richard Rogerson Taken: 11 Aug 2018

The building stands at 3-5 Castle Street. The whole building is in terra cotta and red brick, the work of Grayson, of the architectural partnership of Grayson and Ould (who were also responsible for the next building along, once the Queen Insurance Building), and was put up in 1888-1890. The building decoration, includes moulded sculptural ornament in terra cotta, and, less usually, a mosaic frieze. This latter consists of three long, narrow panels above the first floor, and to left and right of these, triangular panels next to the bases of the projecting bay windows. The central panel shows the company name on a twisted ribbon, with the flags of Liverpool and England to left and right. The panels to left and right show shipping. That to the left shows two sailing ships and a grand ocean liner to the left, with a sunrise in the background; that to the right has three more ancient boats, including a galleon. All three panels have much gold mosaic in the background, to help light up the thin panels. The triangular panels, sort of upside down spandrels, as it were, contain dolphins in Roman style. According to http://www.speel.me.uk/sculptplaces/lpoolcastlest3.htm the type of mosaic, with its varied and bright colours, can only be Venetian smalti, and given the date, we may reasonably ascribe them to the firm of Salviati. The designer of the pictures signs one of the larger panels; he is Frank Murray, and he made them in 1889.

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