PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY.

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business, and by clergymen and professional men. The expense of the building was upwards of £6,000. It was built in 1792. At the last musical festival, the Assembly Room, by the erection of a wooden gallery, was made to communicate with the Theatre Royal, so as to accommodate the subscribers to the fancy dress ball.

THE MANCHESTER RACES

Are held on Kersal Moor, about two and a half miles from Manchester in Whitsun-week every year. They were established in 1730, and in 1735, were discon

tinued for some years. Dr. Byrom, the celebrated inventor of a system of stenography, a native of Kersal, made strong attempts to put them down, and wrote a pamphlet containing a very urgent dissuasive against attending them.

These races are more celebrated for the vast number of persons attending them from all the neighbouring districts, than from the choice description of the sport, or the aristocratic character of the visitors. Some years as many as 100,000 persons have congregated round the course.

There is a private establishment in Manchester, which presents a novelty so attractive, that we cannot resist giving it a short notice. We allude to the

PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY.

This is situate in Ducie-place, near the Exchange, and contains an exhibition of portraits taken by means of the agency of light. This exhibition is well worthy the attention, not only of strangers, but of residents. The wonderful fidelity of the likeness is only exceeded by the rapidity of the operation. In a few seconds a perfect copy of the human face divine is effected.

Those who object to the expenditure of time necessary to produce a portrait, in the ordinary method, should by all means visit this establishment. Adopting the words of the prospectus, we may add, "Sitting for one's picture" is always voted, in familiar phrase, "a bore." You sit for an hour in one position, and the

annoyance may be repeated half a dozen times over. After three sittings you think it very like you—at the end of the sixth, perhaps you are puzzled to recognize it; you are half asleep, and more than half disappointed; you are heartily tired, and can only wish the likeness were better worth the time you have lost, and the headaches you have gained.

The portraits of many of the scientific and literary men of Manchester, ranged side by side, form an agreeable and interesting study.

In other places we have described several exhibitions connected with science and art.* To make this Chapter more complete, we recapitulate them,

In a note at foot, we refer to the pages in which a detailed notice is given, just mentioning here that the five first named are open almost daily, on payment of a trifling fee or gratuity; the Royal Institution only occasionally; the other may be viewed only under certain restrictions.

*For a detailed account of the Victoria Gallery, see page 218; of the Geological Society Museum, page 205; of the Natural History Museum, page 202; of Mr. Bally's Casts, page 209; of the Chetham College, page 139; of the Royal Institution, page 199; of the Botanical Gardens, page 212; of the Deaf and Dumb School, page 132.

BRIDGES.

HE principal bridges are over the Irwell. The oldest bridge was, at a recent date, situate at the upper end of Deansgate, and its date was supposed to be so far back as the reign of Edward III. The increasing intercourse between Manchester and Salford rendering it imperative, not only that the approaches to the Old Bridge should be improved, but that the thoroughfare should be widened, it was resolved, in 1837, to take this bridge down, and to erect a new one in its stead. The Victoria Bridge, on the site of the Old Bridge, is now completed, and was opened on the anniversary of her Majesty's accession, June 20, 1839.

The Old Bridge was twice widened, once on the south side, or that nearest Blackfriar's Bridge, and once on the other side, in 1776, when the chapel erected by Thomas de la Booth was finally taken down. This place was rebuilt in 1505; but, afterwards falling

T

into decay, it was used for upwards of a century as a kind of dungeon, for the evil-doers both of Manchester and Salford. It was removed in 1776. There are old persons yet living in the neighbourhood, who recollect the chapel when appropriated to this "vile use," and who state that the prisoners used to thrust their hands through the grating of the dungeon to beg alms of the passengers traversing the bridge.

On the ceremony of setting the key-stone of Victoria Bridge, which took place on Saturday, March 23, 1839, it was stated that the bridge consisted of an "elliptical arch, one hundred feet in span, with a rise of twentytwo feet, and a road-way forty-five feet in width; and was erected in lieu, and upon the site, of Salford Old Bridge (supposed to have been built a. D. 1356,) over the river Irwell, between Manchester and Salford. The cost of the bridge was defrayed by the inhabitants of the hundred, and its approaches widened at the expense of each town, A. D. 1839."

The cost of building the Victoria Bridge was £10,800; the cost of widening the approach on the Manchester side, forty yards in length, £7,000; and the cost within the same distance on the Salford side, £3,000; total cost of bridge and widening approaches, £20,800.

There are five other bridges across the Irwell, four of which, namely, Broughton-bridge, Blackfriars'-bridge, Regent-bridge, and Strangeways-bridge, take a toll; the other bridge, the New Bailey-bridge, formerly levied a toll, but in 1803, it was abandoned, and since that time the bridge has been free.

THE BARRACKS.

The Cavalry Barracks are in Chester-road, Hulme, and occupy a considerable space of ground. They afford accommodation for 262 horses, 399 men, and 20 officers. The Infantry Barracks are in Regent-road, Salford, and afford accommodation for 700 men and 35 officers. Both these barracks are in healthy situations, and are so spacious as to afford ample room for infantry exercise and cavalry evolutions.

HACKNEY COACHES.

283

LARGE ROOMS FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS.

There are several in Manchester, among which may be enumerated those in the following edifices :

14

700

Carpenters' Hall, Garratt...

Gallery in ditto

Wellington Concert Rooms, Peter-st. 50

The following are the areas of large rooms in Manchester devoted to special purposes ::

The Manchester Exchange Room
The Portico News Room

812 square yards 308

There is no room in Manchester that can vie with the rooms, the dimensions of which we here give :

EXETER HALL, LONDON, is 46 yards by 30= 1380 square yards of an area, and will hold 3000 persons with ease; 4000 crowded; and 500 on platform.

Birmingham Town Hall, 47 yards by 22 = 1034 square yards of an

area.

The dimensions here given may assist in forming an estimate of the number of persons attending public meetings in any of the places named. If we reckon four persons to stand on a square yard, the Corn Exchange will accommodate two thousand four hundred persons. The others in the same proportion. Some affirm, that six persons may stand together on a square yard; if this be the case, the areas must be multiplied by the number six instead of four.

HACKNEY COACHES.

The hackney coach stands in Manchester, are in St. Ann's-square; Piccadilly; the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Station, Water-street; the Manchester and Birmingham Railway Station, London-road; the Manchester and Leeds Railway Station, Oldham-road; St. Peter's-square; Hunt's-bank; Victoria-terrace; and New Cross.