The faces

View the Faces of Merseyside

There are several different categories of facial images based on the occupations and interests of Merseyside people available to view below.

Once you have taken a look at the images, please complete the short survey.

Merseyside Faces

Average Liverpool adult male
Images produced as part of Sea of Faces
From The Colour Project in collaboration with Liverpool City Council and Face Lab

Faces of Merseyside

Average Liverpool adult female
Images produced as part of Sea of Faces
From The Colour Project in collaboration with Liverpool City Council and Face Lab

Faces of Merseyside

Average Liverpool female child
Images produced as part of Sea of Faces
From The Colour Project in collaboration with Liverpool City Council and Face Lab

Faces of Merseyside

Average Liverpool male child
Images produced as part of Sea of Faces
From The Colour Project in collaboration with Liverpool City Council and Face Lab

These average facial images reflect – via the averaging process – the Merseyside population of 1 ½ million people, with approximately 94% White, and 6% Non-White (2.1% Asian, 1% Black, 1.5% mixed, 0.4% Arab and 0.2% other) (Office for National Statistics, 2011 census).


Faces of Merseyside

Average female Merseyside medical doctor
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average male Merseyside medical doctor
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average female Merseyside nurse
Images from online sources

The General Medical Council provides statistics on the ethnic origin of registered GPs for Merseyside: 55% White, 20% Asian/Asian British, 2.4% Black/Black British, 1.6% mixed, 2% other and 18% unspecified. Across the UK, 43% of nurses are of Black or mixed ethnicity; but in the Northwest of England that proportion is about 18% (Registered Nurses in Adult Care, 2015).


Merseyside male

Average 1960s Merseyside male
Images from the Keith Medley photographic archive
Courtesy of LJMU Special Collections and Archives

Merseyside female

Average 1960s Merseyside female
Images from the Keith Medley photographic archive
Courtesy of LJMU Special Collections and Archives

Between 1965-1968, well-known commercial photographer Keith Medley took passport style photographs of residents in Wallasey, New Brighton and surrounding villages. Merseyside in the 1960’s was experiencing significant cultural change, with increased opportunities for travel for the first time accessible by air via flights from Manchester Airport.


Faces of Merseyside

Average female Merseyside criminal
Images from Liverpool Echo online

Faces of Merseyside

Average male Merseyside criminal
Images from Liverpool Echo online

Our perception of who the typical criminal might be is a reflection of our personal bias based on the media representation of crime. For example, the arrest statistics are quite different from the conviction statistics.

National Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System provide figures for the arrest of suspects per 1,000 people in the Merseyside population for 2011/2012. Arrest ethnicity was 30% White; 69% Black; 27% Asian; 28% mixed and 22% as other.

The Merseyside male prison population in 2015 was approximately 92% White and 8% Non-White (3% Black/British Black, 2% Asian/Asian British, 2% mixed and 1% other).

Women represent approximately 5-6% of the overall UK prison population, with 25% Non-White (12% Black, 8% Asian, 4% mixed and 1% other).

The average Merseyside criminal images utilised arrest photographs of convicted criminals published in the Liverpool Echo and were based on the prison statistics for convicted criminals.


Faces of Merseyside

Average male Merseyside police officer
Courtesy of Merseyside Police and online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average female Merseyside police officer
Courtesy of Merseyside Police and online sources

Across Merseyside about 7,000 police officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), Special Constables and support staff serve a population of 1.5 million people. 3,524 police officers constitute the largest category; among those 97% are White and 3% Non-White. These figures resonate with those of the 2011 National Population Census estimating that Non-White individuals comprise between 5 and 6% of the overall Merseyside population.


Faces of Merseyside

Average female LJMU student
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male LJMU student
Images courtesy of LJMU

University demographic data suggests that 86% of students at Liverpool John Moores University are White and 14% are Non-White.


Faces of Merseyside

Average male Liverpool FC player
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average Liverpool Ladies FC player
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average male Everton FC player
Images from online sources

The current men’s Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs have 20% Non-White players in the squad; the Ladies Liverpool Football Club has 11% Non-White players.


Faces of Merseyside

Average female Merseyside MP
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average male Merseyside MP
Images from online sources

The combined current and historic female and male Merseyside Members of Parliament.


Faces of Merseyside

Average male Everyman Theatre actor
Images from the Everyman Theatre Collection
Courtesy of LJMU Special Collections and Archives

Faces of Merseyside

Average female Everyman Theatre actor
Images from the Everyman Theatre Collection
Courtesy of LJMU Special Collections and Archives

Faces of Merseyside

Average female soap actor
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average male soap actor
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average male Merseyside musician
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average female Merseyside musician
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average female Merseyside performer
Images from online sources

Faces of Merseyside

Average male Merseyside performer
Images from online sources

Merseyside performers in theatre, television, film and music are derived from local, regional and international origins, with both their numbers and residence reflecting the trans-locational nature of their work.


Faces of Merseyside

Average male LJMU staff member
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female LJMU staff member
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female art and design academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male art and design academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male business academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female business academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female education academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male education academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male science academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female science academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female humanities and social science academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male humanities and social science academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male engineering and technology academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female engineering and technology academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female public health and nursing and allied health academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male public health and nursing and allied health academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male law academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female law academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average female sport studies, leisure and nutrition academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

Faces of Merseyside

Average male sport studies, leisure and nutrition academic
Images courtesy of LJMU

According to University demographic data 5% of all staff at LJMU are Non-White.