Evie Jeffrey and Mya Craig have been working in LJMU Special Collections & Archives for their History internship module this semester.  They have been checking and cataloguing the Arthur Dooley Archive in preparation for adding it to our online catalogue, and have also been undertaking independent research on Arthur Dooley and his work.  Below they share their experiences following the Arthur Dooley Sculpture Trail, originally created in 2008 as part of a Heritage Lottery Funded project by Liverpool Academy of Arts to document and preserve the collection.

Work by colourful and politically outspoken sculptor Arthur Dooley can be found all over Liverpool, as long as you are looking in the right places. For someone who saw the potential of Liverpool so strongly, his work has seemingly been left behind by the city he so loved. We followed the Arthur Dooley sculpture trail around Liverpool to see the places he knew and loved best, to help us understand where he got his inspiration for his works from. Working on the Arthur Dooley Archive in the library archives has opened our eyes to a hidden aspect of Liverpool’s culture. We hope this blog will introduce you to the amazing man who pushed to transform the docks to the beacon of culture and tourism that they are now and fought against social injustices. If you wish to follow the full trail click the link Arthur Dooley Sculpture Trail.

The Everyman Theatre

We started off our trail at the Everyman Theatre, a place Arthur held close to his heart.  He frequently visited the theatre and its bistro on many occasions.

Philharmonic Public House

Next we went to one of Arthur’s favourite pubs – The Philharmonic. Known for its grade 1 listed men’s toilets, Arthur had many a pint here.  This was a convenient place for Arthur to unwind and have a drink with his fellow comrades, as it is a minute walk from the Everyman and a 10 minute walk from his studio.

Ye Cracke Public House

After visiting the Philharmonic, we made our way to the ‘Ye Cracke Public House’, sadly it was not open so we were unable to take a look inside. This pub was popular for artists in Liverpool as it was in a good place near all the theatres, colleges and studios. Not only was Arthur a regular at the pub, John Lennon also frequented this pub.  After Evie and I did some further research we discovered that John Lennon met his first wife there.

Dean Walters Building

Down the road, through some small streets led us to the Dean Walters Building which was Arthur’s home and workshop from 1965 till 1968. We were unable to go inside as it is now a school for performing arts children, which is rather fitting. After researching the building and its significance to Arthur, we discovered that Arthur, a renowned communist,  shared the building with The Communist Party, which led to Arthur becoming a national figure for the communist party in the UK. Arthur was once put in a soviet newspaper for his sculptures and got recognition from communist parties all over the world.

Four Lads Who Shook the World

Finally we saw possibly Arthur’s most famous sculpture in Liverpool, ‘Four Lads Who Shook the World’. The Beatles homage sits high on the Matthew Street walls. Liverpool visitors and locals (like ourselves) have most likely walked past this countless times without realising as it is placed just above your eyeline. It is a sculpture worth going to look at, and is not far from the cavern and other great pubs and clubs to get a nice refreshing drink after the trail.

Evie Jeffrey and Mya Craig , April 2024