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Brooklyn Bridge centennial celebration collection

Call Number

1994.015

Date

1983, inclusive

Creator

Herd, Pauline (Role: Compiler)

Extent

1.76 Linear Feet in one manuscript box and one oversize box.

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

This collections contains various materials documenting the Brooklyn Bridge centennial celebration in 1983, including magazines, publications, correspondence, programs, calendars, bulletins, posters, clippings, photocopies of articles, and additional ephemera. Also included is an April 1984 copy of , the quarterly journal of the Society for the History of Technology, containing several articles on the 100th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Historical Note

The Brooklyn Bridge is a steel suspension bridge that spans the East River connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York City. Completed in 1883, the bridge was called both the East River Bridge and the New York and Brooklyn Bridge until 1915 when the name was officially changed to the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and was further designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972. The original designer of the bridge was John Augustus Roebling (1806-1869), a German engineer who immigrated to the United States in 1831. Roebling invented the wire cable which he would eventually incorporate into the design of the Brooklyn Bridge. Roebling's son, Washington Augustus Roebling (1837-1926), also an engineer, took over as chief engineer of construction following the sudden death of his father in 1869. In 1872, Washington Roebling fell ill with decompression sickness, acquired during the construction of the bridge, and never fully recovered. His wife, Emily Warren Roebling (1843-1903), was instrumental in seeing through the construction and completion of the bridge.

Sources:

  1. Fletcher, Ellen. "John Augustus Roebling." In The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T. Jackson, 1017. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New-York Historical Society, 1995.
  2. Fletcher, Ellen. "Washington Augustus Roebling." In The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T. Jackson, 1017. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New-York Historical Society, 1995.

Scope and Contents

This collections contains various materials documenting the Brooklyn Bridge centennial celebration in 1983, including magazines, publications, correspondence, programs, calendars, bulletins, posters, clippings, photocopies of articles, and additional ephemera. Also included is an April 1984 copy of Technology and Culture, the quarterly journal of the Society for the History of Technology, containing several articles on the 100th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Conditions Governing Access

Open to users without restriction.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn Bridge centennial celebration collection, 1994.015, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Pauline Herd, 1995.

Related Materials

Related archival collections at the Brooklyn Historical Society:

Missing Title

  1. 1992.020, Washington A. Roebling family letters, circa 1820-1955
  2. ARC.047, William C. Kingsley family collection, circa 1870-1950
  3. V1986.249, Brooklyn Bridge photographs, circa 1890-1930
  4. V1986.005, New York & Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn City viewbook, 1883
  5. V1990.064, Joseph Hess collection of Brooklyn Bridge photographs, circa 20th century

Collection processed by

Patricia Glowinski and Nicholas Pavlik

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:16:36 +0000.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Processing Information

Minimally processed to the collection level.

Note Statement

change to complete_collection_level

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society

Container

Box: 1994.015 1 of 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Oversize: 1994.015 2 of 2 (Material Type: Text)
Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201