The Hardmans’ House

The Hardmans’ House was the living space and photography studio for Edward and Margaret Hardman for 40 years. Edward Hardman was a famed photographer and photographed many impressive individuals. His wife, Margaret, was an established photographer in her own right. She ran the business and Edward stated he could not have managed it without her. You can explore the property and its many preserved rooms used by clients and staff. The Hardmans’ House contains thousands of photographs, negatives and business records and is open to the public as a monument to this impressive photography pair.

The house is situated at 59 Rodney Street, Liverpool. Directly around the corner from Liverpool Cathedral, the Hardmans’ House sits in the historic Georgian Quarter. The street was first built in 1782 and visitors can take a stroll down it and absorb the impressive architecture. Living on this street was highly desirable. While many of the properties consisted of consultants and doctors practices since the 1800s, other people have made it their homes. For example, Prime Minister William Gladstone was born over the road from the Hardmans’ House at number 62. Today, the Hardmans’ House gives visitors a snapshot into 1950s life and allows them to explore the history of photography in a very personal sense.

Things to see:

• Visitors can explore the living space of the Hardmans, including original crockery, food packaging and furniture.
• The studio portion of the house can be explored and you can see the props and cameras that Edward Hardman would have used.
• An exhibition dedicated to Margaret Hardman and other female photographers is on display.
• Explore the two darkrooms used for their business and personal photography exploits.
• Search through a small portion of the hundreds of thousands of photographs taken by the Hardmans during their time at Rodney Street.

Accessibility:

Assistance dogs are welcome.

There is an accessible toilet in the reception area.

The ground floor of the house is wheelchair accessible. Access to the upper floors and cellar requires use of stairs. There is seating available in select rooms of the property.

Large print and braille guides are available for visitors. There is also an induction loop. Additionally, a virtual tour of the property is available.

There is disabled car parking on Pilgrim Street near reception. There is no designated car park for the site, however Pilgrim Street does have a pay and display car park. Also, there is a drop-off point opposition the Hardmans’ House.

For more information, click here.

To visit another immersive museum in the north, visit Beamish!