Liver Bird Trail For 700 years the symbol of has been a bird holding something in its beak. This symbol came to be known as the Liver Bird.

Over time, there have been lots of different Liver Birds.

This trail features some of the most weird and wonderful Liver Birds, but you may also see others along the way. See if you can count all the objects you see with Liver Birds on them!

Follow this symbol to complete the trail.

GROUND FLOOR Liver Bird with Atrium (behind the staircase) the weirdest feet

Real Liver Birds Liver Birds can have either webbed feet or talons or Liver Birds have changed over time. Which of both. Webbed feet would these birds inspired the designers of the have been appropriate for Liver Birds you will find on the trail? After careful a Sailors’ Home but would analysis, museum experts have concluded that not have been so obvious the ‘real’ Liver Bird is mainly made up of Eagle when carved! but includes Cormorant and bits of other birds! Sailors’ Home Plaque

GROUND FLOOR Global City Skinniest Liver Bird

Long legs and a delicate, elegant appearance characterise Liver Birds around 1800!

Glazed Bowl GROUND FLOOR The Great Port Dock People, Liverpool Salvage Corps Strongest Liver Birds

Moving large and strange items was one part of this organisation’s work. The sprig carried by the bird on the tie and other items in this case looks particularly big and heavy compared with the size of its beak.

Liverpool Salvage Corps Tie

Docks Today Friendliest Liver Bird

This Liver Bird has been given a cartoon style. It has big eyes, a beak with a smile and the body of a human!

International Garden Festival Badge

Docks Today Cuddliest Liver Bird

The usual Liver Bird has lots of knobbly bits but the designers have done very well in making a cuddly toy that is still unmistakeably a Liver Bird!

International Garden Festival Toy Mascot FLOOR ONE History Detectives Timeline, Medieval Liverpool Timely Liver Bird Seal This Liver Bird helps Oldest Liver Bird to date this plate. Long-legged birds This is a heraldic* eagle, but not thought to like this first appeared be a very good example of one. The name on objects in the 1700s. ‘Liver Bird’ had not been invented when this was first used but this was almost certainly Medieval Plate the inspiration for our later birds. *Heraldry is the way in which families and knights could be identified through the Timeline, The Great Port use of symbols and signs, either on banners, shields or seals. Muddiest Liver Bird

The sculptor has tried very hard to overcome the problems of Timeline, creating a long-legged bird in Victorian Liverpool stone. It looks as if it is paddling in Mersey Mud. The reason Most self-confident is probably because the feet Liver Bird would be not seen from the ground in its original location, This rather self confident and were therefore not Liver Bird celebrates the worth carving! visit to Liverpool by Queen Victoria between Liver Bird finial Stone Finial 11-13 May 1886. from St John’s Market

Pendant Timeline, 2004-2008 Football Liver Birds Cultured Liver Bird

On the 14th May 2005 Liverpool’s successful there was a mass campaign to become migration of European Capital of Culture thousands of saw the emergence of Liver Birds to many highly innovative Turkey, followed Liver Birds. This was one by their return of the best known designs. two days later!

Liverpool European Capital of Culture Bid Document UEFA Final programme FLOOR TWO Wondrous Place Sport and Football, Park Life – 80s Liverpool Sound, Spotlight on a Venue – Junior Liver Bird The Philharmonic Hall This bright and cheerful little Liver Bird can represent the football club or the city. Most Musical Liver Bird

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1840 and this rather regal looking bird illustrates their status as the UK’s oldest surviving professional symphony orchestra. Child’s Bobble Hat

Programme, Philharmonic Hall, 1947 Sport and Football, The Sandon Hotel The People’s Republic Most neighbourly Liver Birds Long Lost Liver Bird Five different Liver Birds on one poster! This proud Liver Bird celebrates Everton’s first The two largest birds are good examples League Championship win. 10 years later, it of the use of a simple appeared on medals celebrating Liverpool’s Liver Bird image as a first Championship win in 1901. background. This use of the Liver Bird has always been popular with neighbourhood organisations and campaigns.

Everton Football Club Medal 1890-91 Certificate High Rise Tenants’ Association FLOOR TWO The People’s Republic Leaving Your Mark

Liver Bird with the Stiffest legs Boodles Brooch

Maybe the artist was inspired by lamp posts when Best friend Liver Bird he created legs for this Liver Bird. It is rare to find a Liver Bird alongside other It has a beautiful creatures. During the Capital of Culture year the Liver Bird was challenged as Liverpool’s body but very favourite animal by the . strange legs and feet!

Street Lighting Badge Home and Neighbourhood

Growing Up and Most fondly Growing Older remembered Liver Bird Most approving Liver Bird Liverpool ex-pats The City Council used the Liver around the world Bird to show that things had still hold the their special approval. This is the Liver Bird close standard official bird of its time. to their hearts.

Ex-Pats Quilt Pensioners March and Rally poster

Health and Work Background bird

You can see a Liver Bird behind the writing on this badge. It has the appearance of having been revealed by X-Rays, reflecting the campaign for which the badge was made.

TB Mass X-Ray badge FLOOR TWO Top bird Only Liverpool City The People’s Republic Council is allowed to use this version of Finding a Voice – Politics the coat of arms. Most Common Liver Bird The bird is a version of the Cormorant that This familiar two-dimensional Liver Bird has been used on appeared on everything from note-paper to some coats of arms litter bins. It is a fine Liver Bird and an obvious for hundreds of years. choice to be an Detail from Bessie eye-catching Braddock Freedom Casket short-hand for the city’s name on this certificate. Most politically

Certificate aware Liver Bird awarded to The Conservative Association has Thomas Cuff enlisted the help of on the coat of arms. They are keeping an eye on their left wing opponents. Liver Bird fact: Analysis of Liver Bird images Most ‘in charge’ reveals that almost Liver Bird 80% face to the left.

The confident City Council bird was an appropriate symbol to adorn the diaries of the city’s Working Men’s senior politicians. Conservative Association Shield Jack Braddock’s diary

Stand in the Window. Can you spot… Liveliest Liver Bird

The window of The People’s Republic gallery.

Cormorants are thought to be the ‘real’ Liver Bird. Fish have become more plentiful in the Mersey since it has become cleaner. Cormorants that eat the fish have therefore also become more common. These windows are good places to look out for them, sitting on railings or buoys or flying past.

Biggest and best Liver Bird

On top of The Royal Liver Building.

The largest, best known, best-loved Liver Birds. They are part of the building they adorn and in the soul of every Merseysider!