Found in Manchester

[alpinecottage]

Could you write to the Manchester Evening News with a copy of the photo, asking readers for information?

[Greensleeves]

I was wondering if it was a group of Manchester City Councillors at the Town Hall.  Looked on the Manchester Town Hall website though and the architecture of the current one (dating from the late 1870s) doesn't seem to match anything in the photo.  Nice panoramic views of the major rooms though.

[Jean McGurn]

What an interesting photograph.

Looking at the top of the wall the design looks uneven so I would think the group are in one half of a larger room. The carpet seems to confirm this as there are two large carpets on the floor.

Then there are the faces of the men. The man in the middle who looks like he is writing in a very large book looks older than the rest so perhaps he is the main man. There are also a lot of younger unbearded men on the edges at the front with a couple at the back to the right hand side which could suggest older and younger generations.

Did wonder if the men are members of a Bank  or some sort of Club. One man appears to be reading so perhaps not a formal photo especially as the men sitting on chairs are not in a symetrical position and there is the edge of a larger table to the right as well.

Jean

[jc26red]

I wonder if its one of the meeting rooms inside the old Corn Exchange which was built in the 1820s.  I can't find an photo online of inside the building and of course its now a shopping center 

[still_looking]

It's to say the least a long shot but the mirror seems to reflect the view out of a window opposite where the men are seated. In it appears to be the apex of a building feature opposite the one they are in. Don't know if it's possible to tell any more from a closer scan/photo of the original.

S_L

[mosiefish]

I was wondering if it was Manchester Literary & Philosophical Society?  I can`t find anything though.

Mo

[Greensleeves]

It certainly looks like that kind of gathering, doesn't it, Mo?  But the glass on the table might indicate an election of some kind.

[millymcb]

I was wondering if it was Manchester Literary & Philosophical Society?  I can`t find anything though.

I think that is a very good suggestion. There is a photo of them here in 1865 in a very similar pose.  About a third of the way down the page here:
http://gerald-massey.org.uk/brierley/index.htm

I wonder if it is worth contacting the owner of the site.  He has lots of photos of members of the society who all look like grey haired bearded gentlemen - and some are very similar to the ones in the photo.  eg Benjamin Brierley, Samuel Laycock, Edwin Waugh.

Milly

[millymcb]

and another later on here c 1911 (at least I think it is - the site is on portuguese!)

http://dererummundi.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/cem-anos-de-nucleo-atomico.html

and some at Manchester Image Collection - this one c 1900
http://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=51851&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=54861



Milly