Drawings, 1854-1953, (bulk 1870-1898).

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Drawings, 1854-1953, (bulk 1870-1898).

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122639240

The Brooklyn Bridge Drawings collection consists of more than 11,000 items. Every aspect of the Bridge's construction is documented in these drawings: maps pinpointing the Bridge's location, caissons, towers, hoisting mechanisms used to raise stones to the tower, the anchorage structure that supports the four great cables, the metalwork and roadway for the superstructure of the bridge, and designs for railing, lamps and warehouse doorways. There are rough sketches as well as exquisitely rendered illustrations. The drawings were done in a variety of inks, sepia, watercolors, and pencil. The draftsmen used tracing paper, waxed linen, drawing paper, cloth and paper blueprints. A variety of field notebooks and diaries are also found in this collection. Drawings in fieldbooks show how the engineers tried to solve problems as they progressed with their work. Many drawings are also the equivalent of assembly instructions. These drawings are so detailed that they offered step-by-step instructions for constructing various sections of the bridge.

8,206 items.

New York City Department of Public Records and Information Services

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6800145

Related Entities

There are 2 Entities related to this resource.

New York (N.Y.). Department of Plants and Structures.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qk2cqx (corporateBody)

Brooklyn Bridge (New York, N.Y.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p896xs (corporateBody)

Since the early 19th century, there were many proposals to link the cities of Brooklyn and New York, by a bridge. Various designs and compositions were suggested. One early plan actually proposed a bridge made out of wood. In 1865, John Augustus Roebling, an engineer, architect and inventor, prepared his first plans of constructing the bridge using steel cables, granite, steel and wood. Roebling was confident that his creation would be an engineering project without equal. Pushing i...