Curiosities of the Building: The Dome

Pressing the buzzer and then climbing the stairs, you are all the while wondering what could possibly be at the top. But you never expect the dome. Its impression on first-time visitors is always the same, Wow!

The domed ceiling at the Portico is one of its most striking features. It creates a sense of light and of space and adds to the realisation that you have just entered somewhere special.

The dome was part of the original building  though at that time it was done with plain glass. It was in 1856 that the stained glass panels were fitted. Records show that some members feared that the removal of plain glass would result in a darker library which was a fair point in the times of candle power!  Eventually the windows facing Charlotte Street were installed and although the Library can be dark on an early winter afternoon, today it only adds to the cosy atmosphere. 

The stained glass panels in the dome contain 8 coats of arms.  We have managed to identify 7 of these: Salford, Manchester, England, Scotland, Ireland, the Diocese of Manchester, and the Duchy of Lancaster. 

The final coat of arms is that of the Duchy of Lancaster in the centre of an orange Maltese cross on a blue background. If there are any heraldry experts reading this - we welcome your expertise in identifying it!

Curiosities of the Building: The Post Box

The Portico is housed in its original building, a Grade II* Listed building of Regency Georgian architecture.  Most people assume that we are part of the Bank pub which in fact leases the ground floor from us! The building itself, designed by architect Thomas Harrison, contains numerous curiosities, one of which is the wall letter-box at the front of the building on the Charlotte Street corner at the base of a column.  The Library minute books tell us that the post-box has occupied its present site since 1895.  At the time of the Portico’s establishment, Mosley Street was a residential area, home to the genteel and elite of the city. Homes were gradually converted to warehouses and businesses and it eventually became the commercial area it now is.

Prior to the post-box Proprietors employed a ‘postman’ to take their mail for a salary of £2 per annum from 1822 to 1837, a position which was possibly succeeded by the Library’s ‘boy’ until 1863. However, despite the convenience of having a post-box, quite literally, on the doorstep, the minutes reflect that the Committee and Proprietors kicked up quite a fuss with the Postmaster and Corporation over the idea of a post-box being placed on their land.

Regardless of their objections, and despite the establishment of Post Office buildings within a close proximity, the pillar-box red post-box with its raised crown and "VR" and its “Post Office” inscription has remained in its original site, just like the Library, for over 100 years, an institution in itself.

More information on the Portico post-box is available in The Portico Library Post-Box: a link with 1883, Portico Monograph No. 8 by Phyllis M. Giles (1996), on sale for £1.50 in the Library. 

Hiring the Portico

Last night, the evening was aflow with legal beagles from the Lincoln House Chambers and various local law firms. The atmosphere was bubbly just like the champagne and the Library was a hive of activity. Champagne corks popping, attendants with plates of canapés weaving in and out of clusters of lords, barristers, and judges who all came to celebrate Kate Blackwell’s elevation to Queen’s Council.

Kate was introduced to The Portico Library by a friend, Charlotte Holland, who is not only her colleague from the Lincoln House Chambers but also a member of our fair Library. It was then that Kate decided that she wanted to hold her celebration festivities here with us at the Portico.  Once she came to have a look at the library with Charlotte it was Love at First Sight. The space sold itself. And who could resist? Founded in 1806 our Grade II* listed building makes for a quirky and certainly noteworthy location to hold any function.  From parties to presentations, meetings to mezzes, soirées to celebrations. The possibilities could be endless.

To find out more information about hiring the library for an event, filming or photoshoots  please call us on 0161 236 6785 or alternatively email admin@theportico.org.uk