The significance of the house, situated just below the Anglican Cathedral in the centre of Liverpool, lies in the survival of the whole. It contains an extensive collection of photographs – over 142,000 images – the studio where most were taken, the darkroom where they were developed and printed, the business records and the rooms where the photographer, Edward Chambré Hardman, and his wife Margaret lived from 1948 to 1988, complete with all their contents and ephemera of daily life. The subject matter of the photographs – portraits of the people in Liverpool, their city and the landscapes of the surrounding countryside – provide a record of a more prosperous time when Liverpool was the gateway to the British Empire and the world. Parallel to this is the quality of Hardman’s work and his standing as a pictorial photographer. What’s new in 2004: New property – opens 15 September 2004