New York's Golden Age of Bridges

Antonio Masi

Publication Year: 2011

In New York's golden age of bridges, artist Antonio Masi teams up with writer and New York City historian Joan Marans Dim to offer a multidimensional exploration of New York City's nine major bridges, their artistic and cultural underpinnings, and their impact worldwide.The tale of New York City's bridges begins in 1883, when the Brooklyn Bridge rose majestically over the East River, signaling the start of America's "Golden Age" of bridge building. The Williamsburg followed in 1903, the Queensboro (renamed the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge) and the Manhattan in 1909, the George Washington in 1931, the Triborough (renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge) in 1936, the Bronx-Whitestone in 1939, the Throgs Neck in 1961, and the Verrazano-Narrows in 1964.Each of these classic bridges has its own story, and the book's paintings show the majesty and artistry, while the essays fill in the fascinating details of its social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental history.America's great bridges, built almost entirely by immigrant engineers, architects, and laborers, have come to symbolize not only labor and ingenuity but also bravery and sacrifice. The building of each bridge took a human toll. The Brooklyn Bridge's designer and chief engineer, John A. Roebling, himself died in the service of bridgebuilding. But beyond those stories is another narrative--one that encompasses the dreams and ambitions of a city, and eventually a nation.At this moment in Asia and Europe many modern large-scale, long-span suspension bridges are being built. They are the progeny of New York City's Golden Age bridges. This book comes along at the perfect moment to place these great public projects into their historical and artistic contexts, to inform and delight artists, engineers, historians, architects, and city planners. No other book has focused specifically on these iconic spans or explained their historical importance.New York's Golden Age of Bridges will encourage the understanding and appreciation of the art and history of bridges, explore the inestimable connections that bridges foster, and reveal the extraordinary impact of the nine Golden Age bridges on the city, the nation, and the world.

Published by: Fordham University Press

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In 2007, a group of history- and civic-minded New Yorkers banded together under the leadership of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to plan a unique commemoration: the approaching . . .

Introduction

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pp. 1-5

In 1883, John Augustus Roebling’s Brooklyn Bridge rose majestically over the roiling currents of the East River, connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan. The bridge, hailed as the . . .

The Brooklyn Bridge May 24, 1883

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pp. 7-17

During the winter of 1852, John Augustus Roebling, a German immigrant, bridge designer, and manufacturer of wire rope, took a ferry from Brooklyn . . .

The Williamsburg Bridge December 19, 1903

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pp. 19-27

Unlike its neighbor, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge has not stirred the muse of many artists or writers. No epic poems, no brilliant paintings, or . . .

The Queensboro Bridge March 30, 1909

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pp. 29-39

At the turn of the twentieth century, New York City had two East River crossings—the Brooklyn and Williamsburg bridges. The bridges connected lower Manhattan, a crowded metropolis, with . . .

The Manhattan Bridge December 31, 1909

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pp. 41-51

The building of the Brooklyn Bridge was a triumph of art, genius, and courage in the face of tragedy. The building of the Williamsburg Bridge demonstrated . . .

The George Washington Bridge October 25, 1931

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pp. 53-63

On the morning of September 2, 1609, Henry Hudson, an English explorer who had set sail from Amsterdam in search of a Northwest . . .

The Triborough Bridge July 11, 1936

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pp. 65-75

On July 11, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the dedication address at the opening of the Triborough Bridge. A heat wave was . . .

The Bronx-Whitestone Bridge April 29, 1939

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pp. 77-87

Building a bridge is a leap of faith. Until a bridge is completed, no one can absolutely predict whether it will fall or stand. Questions about the stability of every . . .

The Throgs Neck Bridge January 11, 1961

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pp. 89-99

To build the Throgs Neck Bridge, “battling Bob Moses” and Othmar H. Ammann, chief engineer of the George Washington, Triborough, and . . .

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Novembrer 21, 1964

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pp. 101-112

In 1964, the year the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened, Othmar H. Ammann was eighty-five years old and at the end of a glorious engineering career. More than forty years . . .

Selected Bibliography

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pp. 113-114

Acknowledgments

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p. 115-115

In describing the art and history of New York City’s Golden Age bridges, we depended upon the scholarship of unrivaled poets, authors, and historians. Thanks (and this is just a partial . . .

Index

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pp. 117-119

E-ISBN-13: 9780823249442
Print-ISBN-13: 9780823240654
Print-ISBN-10: 0823240657

Page Count: 132
Illustrations: 56
Publication Year: 2011