Liverpool was a small port on the River Mersey in the mediaeval period
but started to grow rapidly in the 18th century, benefitting from the
expanding transatlantic trade. Wealthy merchants built large houses and
invested in the city. During the Victorian age, Liverpool was the second
largest city in England and there was a massive programme of civic
building to demonstrate Liverpool's standing. The city drew in people
from around Britain and further afield and although it suffered heavily
during World War 2 when it was targeted for aerial bombardment by the
Luftwaffe because of the importance of its docks and associated
industries, and then in the postwar decades as docks declined, it is
today a culturally vibrant city. Although much of old Liverpool was lost
in the destruction of war and in the attempts to modernise the city
postwar, it is once again a thriving commercial centre proud of its
heritage.Liverpool: The Postcard Collection takes the reader on an
evocative journey into Liverpool's past through a selection of old
postcards from the late 19th century to the 1940s which offer a
fascinating window into the history of this dynamic city.