A Picture History of the Brooklyn Bridge With 167 Prints and Photographs

Profusely illustrated account of the greatest engineering achievement of the 19th century. Rare contemporary photos and engravings, accompanied by extensive, detailed captions, recall construction, human drama, politics, much more. 167 black-and-white illustrations.

In this profusely illustrated account of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, historian Mary Shapiro has selected over 160 rare contemporary photos, prints and engravings that document each stage of construction. From the notebooks of John A. Roebling, the bridge's designer, to the fanfare of opening day, illustrations from public and private archives and 19th-century periodicals give a wonderful you-are-there flavor to the narrative. You witness each step of the mammoth project: building and sinking the caissons; erecting the great granite towers; spinning and wrapping the cables; laying the roadbed; constructing the giant anchorages; and much more.

Complementing the splendid visual documentation, Shapiro's extensive, detailed and well-researched text recounts a saga of human ingenuity and perseverance in the face of immense odds: fatal accidents (including one that took the life of John Roebling before construction had even begun), fire, fraud, delays, corruption and the persistent skepticism of those who claimed the entire structure would collapse in the first strong wind.

Mary Shapiro's history of the Brooklyn Bridge is not only a fitting tribute to the skill, daring and ingenuity of its builders, but a fascinating chronicle that will delight bridge enthusiasts, New Yorkers, engineers, historians, photographers, and any admirer of human accomplishment on a grand scale.