Completing a Great Work - The Brooklyn Bridge
Title
Completing a Great Work - The Brooklyn Bridge
Description
"There can be little doubt that in many ways the story of bridge building is the story of civilization. By it we can readily measure an important part of a people’s progress." [bold] - President Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Brooklyn Bridge was completed [in] thirteen years…and was opened for use on May 24, 1883... On that first day, a total of 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 people crossed what was then the only land passage between Manhattan and Brooklyn... The bridge's main span over the East River is 1,595 feet 6 inches (486.3 m). The bridge cost $15.5 million to build and approximately 27 people died during its construction... Bridges were not tested in wind tunnels until the 1950s—well after the collapse of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Galloping Gertie) in 1940. It is therefore fortunate that the open truss structure supporting the deck is by its nature less subject to aerodynamic problems. [John] Roebling designed a bridge and truss system that was six times as strong as he thought it needed to be. Because of this, the Brooklyn Bridge is still standing when many of the bridges built around the same time have vanished into history and been replaced.
The Brooklyn Bridge was completed [in] thirteen years…and was opened for use on May 24, 1883... On that first day, a total of 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 people crossed what was then the only land passage between Manhattan and Brooklyn... The bridge's main span over the East River is 1,595 feet 6 inches (486.3 m). The bridge cost $15.5 million to build and approximately 27 people died during its construction... Bridges were not tested in wind tunnels until the 1950s—well after the collapse of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Galloping Gertie) in 1940. It is therefore fortunate that the open truss structure supporting the deck is by its nature less subject to aerodynamic problems. [John] Roebling designed a bridge and truss system that was six times as strong as he thought it needed to be. Because of this, the Brooklyn Bridge is still standing when many of the bridges built around the same time have vanished into history and been replaced.
Creator
Jet Lowe: East Photograph;
Staff Artist, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
Staff Artist, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
Date
1982: East; 1883: In Progress
Source
View Looking East Toward Brooklyn
Source Brooklyn Bridge. (2012, September 18). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://bit.ly/R0B6Kc
Source Brooklyn Bridge. (2012, September 18). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://bit.ly/R0B6Kc
Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
Relation
Rights
Library of Congress
Publisher
Library of Congress
Contributor
Jet Lowe: East Photograph;
Staff Artist, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
Staff Artist, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
Format
Medium: Photograph
Language
English
Type
Public Architecture
Identifier
Architecture
Coverage
Brooklyn, NY
Files
Collection
Reference
Jet Lowe: East Photograph;
Staff Artist, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Completing a Great Work - The Brooklyn Bridge, Library of Congress, 1982: East; 1883: In Progress
Cite As
Jet Lowe: East Photograph;
Staff Artist, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, “Completing a Great Work - The Brooklyn Bridge,” Virtual Museum of Public Service, accessed April 19, 2024, https://vmps.omeka.net/items/show/19.