1883 Harper's Weekly: Building the Brooklyn Bridge
By: Schell and Hogan
Date: 1883 (printed) New York
Dimensions: 16.5 x 11 inches (42 x 28 cm)
These are original engravings from an issue of Harper’s Weekly Journal of Civilization, published on May 26, 1883. All four prints detail the construction and grand opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, which took place just two days before publication of the prints on May 24, 1883.
The Cover Page shows the New York (Manhattan) entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge, and includes a portrait of the designer of the bridge, German-American civil engineer J.A. Roebling.
Page 325 shows two views of the Brooklyn Bridge––one of the arches which pedestrians can pass through on the street; and another showing the anchoring of the bridge with cables during construction.
Page 328 shows the bridge from the New York side, and gives a great view of the pedestrian walkway, cable car lines, and carriage paths that were on the bridge when it first opened.
Page 329 shows the Brooklyn entrance to the bridge. Heavily ornamented and with large glass panels, the entrance recalls the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition (the first World’s Fair) in London in 1851.
Published just two days after the grand opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, these engravings are a fascinating look at one of America’s most famous bridges.
Condition: Prints are in B condition, with some minor foxing and slight wrinkles.
Inventory #12147
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