Tag Archives: John Owens building

Chair of the meeting

Thursday 9th February 2017, 2.00pm (day 1,995)

Meeting chair, 9/2/17

I don’t make a habit of photographing work colleagues in their natural environment, but here I did think a nice portrait unfolded itself as Stephanie prepares to launch the 2-4pm session. Thursday is generally a Meeting Day — so there’s a level of appropriateness to it./

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Stairwell, John Owens building

Wednesday 25th September 2013, 11.40am (day 762)

John Owens stairwell, 25/9/13

John Owens made his fortune in the early 1800s, it seems in two ways — first through cotton trading, and secondly by “keeping no company whatsoever” and spending every evening in, reading books (according to contemporary accounts). On his death, with no children — unsurprising, with those habits — he left a substantial sum of money towards the foundation of Owens College, now a part of the University of Manchester, and also made it a condition of his will that no student nor member of the faculty in that institution would ever have to “pass a religious test” to achieve their status. He might not have been much of a party animal, but at least he had a sensible lack of zealotry along with it.

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