Bayonne Bridge historic preservation documentation
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection includes documentation prepared by the Port Authority for the purpose of complying with certain legal requirements related to the alteration of a historic structure. This includes images of documents from the 1920s-1930s concerning the original construction of the Bayonne Bridge and other material about the history of the bridge. The bulk of the collection is in digital form. All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html
Biographical / Historical
The Bayonne Bridge, referred to originally as the Kill Van Kull Bridge after the waterway it spans, reaches from Bayonne, New Jersey, across to Staten Island, New York. It is an arch bridge that carries vehicular traffic. Designed by Othmar Ammann and Cass Gilbert, construction began in 1928 and was completed in 1931. At the time, it was the world's longest arch bridge.
In 2019, the Bayonne Bridge underwent a Navigational Clearance Program that raised its roadway 64 feet. This enabled the current, and much larger, generation of container ships to pass underneath, and the Port of New York and New Jersey to remain competitive. It also retained the bridge's principal structural feature – its iconic parabolic arch. It had been determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
In accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and in association with both New York and New Jersey Offices of Historic Preservation, the Port Authority developed a plan to mitigate the alterations to the bridge's appearance. Part of this mitigation plan included the preparation of the materials in this collection. The Port Authority engaged Richard Grubb & Associates, a cultural resource consulting firm, to produce or distribute this documentation, which was posted on Port Authority's website and distributed to New-York Historical Society and other repositories in the metropolitan area.
(The above note was based on information from Wikipedia, the Port Authority's website, and the transmittal letter in the collection.)
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by format.
Scope and Contents
The collection includes documentation prepared by the Port Authority for the purpose of complying with certain legal requirements related to the alteration of a historic structure. This includes images of documents from the 1920s-1930s concerning the original construction of the Bayonne Bridge and other material about the history of the bridge. The bulk of the collection is in digital form. All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: Bayonne Bridge historic preservation documentation, PR 443, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, May 2021.
Existence and Location of Copies
All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html
About this Guide
Processing Information
The overall collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by archivist Larry Weimer. The digital files from the CDs and DVDs were preserved by archivist Margo Padilla. Digital files were transferred off CDs and DVDs using IsoBuster. 'The Beautiful Arch' was transcoded from ISO to MP4 using HandBrake. A virus scan using ClamWin and Malwarebytes was performed with no results.
Repository
View Inventory
Collection transmittal letter with contextual information, 2021 May 25
"The Beautiful Arch: The Bayonne Bridge Story" (1 of 2). DVD (RESTRICTED), 2020 May 5
Scope and Contents
Documentary video about the history of the bridge. Approximately 24 minutes in length. Produced by Stokes Creative Group and Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc., 2014-2019. The DVD was retained for context and back-up and the object packaging may be viewed, but the files on the discs may not be accessed. Patrons may only use the preserved digital files from the DVD noted next.
"The Beautiful Arch: The Bayonne Bridge Story" (2 of 2). Digital files, 2020 May 5, inclusive
Existence and Location of Copies
All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html
"The Bayonne Bridge: The Beautiful Arch" (1 of 2), DVD (RESTRICTED), 2020 May 5
Scope and Contents
School lesson plan for 4th grade. Prepared by Richard Grubb & Associates, 2020. The DVD was retained for context and back-up and the object packaging may be viewed, but the file on the disc may not be accessed. Patrons may only use the preserved digital file from the DVDs noted next.
"The Bayonne Bridge: The Beautiful Arch" (2 of 2), Digital files, 2020
Existence and Location of Copies
One PDF of lesson plan to accompany above DVD documentary history. All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html
Archival documentation (1 of 2). CD (RESTRICTED), 2020, inclusive
Scope and Contents
From a contextual note on the DVD: "This DVD contains materials produced in 2020 as required by the Bayonne Bridge Navigational Clearance Program Programmatic Agreement. It contains historic photographs, historic engineering drawings, and booklets. The photograph folder contains 49 photographs, each 8 x 10" with a caption describing the image, the date, camera angle and source. The engineering drawings folder contains high quality scans of the original engineering drawings of the Bayonne Bridge. The booklets folder contains a digital version of three booklets documenting the construction of the Bayonne Bridge and a scan of the original bridge permit. The booklets are the first and second progress report and a report published by the American Bridge Company of its role in the bridge's construction."
The DVD was retained for context and back-up and the object packaging may be viewed, but the file on the disc may not be accessed. Patrons may only use the preserved digital files from the DVD noted next.
Archival documentation, 1920s-1930s (2 of 2). Digital files, 2020, inclusive
Existence and Location of Copies
All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html
Time lapse video of bridge reconstruction, 2013-2019 (1 of 2). CD (RESTRICTED), 2021
Scope and Contents
The CD was retained for context and back-up and the object packaging may be viewed, but the file on the disc may not be accessed. Patrons may only use the preserved digital file from the CD noted next.
Time lapse video of bridge reconstruction, 2013-2019 (2 of 2). Digital file, 2021
Existence and Location of Copies
One mp4 file, approximately 3 minutes in length. All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), NJ-66 (1 of 2). CD (RESTRICTED), 2014, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The CD was retained for context and back-up and the object packaging may be viewed, but the files on the disc may not be accessed. Patrons may only use the preserved digital files from the CD noted next.
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), NJ-66 (2 of 2). Digital files, 2014, inclusive
Existence and Location of Copies
3 PDFs of HAER-related letters and report, with 10 photographs. All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html
"Bayonne Bridge: A landmark by land, sea, and air", 2007
Scope and Contents
Book by Darl Rastorfer, published by the Port Authority for the 75th anniversary of the bridge. All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html
"Bayonne Bridge: The Beautiful Arch", circa 2019, inclusive
Scope and Contents
3 copies of an information pamphlet about the bridge, the reconstruction project, and statistics. All the content of the collection can be found on-line on the Port Authority's website: https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/bayonne-bridge/history.html