The Hell Gate Bridge

[ZippyTheChimp]

View from Astoria Park








Wired New York

Metro NY Crossings

Scientific American 1907 article with renderings.

[thomasjfletcher]

she is a beauty-







more info-
http://www.nyc-architecture.com/BRI/BRI005-HellGate.htm

BUT she doesn't compare to the Sydney Harbour Bridge!!!!!

[Kris]

The genius of the Hell Gate Bridge lies in its massive yet dynamic arc, seemingly tossed up in the air by the towers and miraculously frozen. The Sydney Harbour Bridge's looks strained and lacks that grace.

[TLOZ Link5]

Sorry to digress, but which bridge was finished first? Did they have the same architect?

[ZippyTheChimp]

Gustav Lindenthal did not design the Sydney, which was built about 15 years after Hell Gate.

To me, the differences between the Hell Gate and the Sydney are comparable to the differences between the Bronx-Whitestone and the Verrazano-Narrows, both designed by Lindenthal's assistant, Othmar Ammann.

[thomasjfletcher]

I guess you get attached through familiarity. I always thought of the Hellgate as a rather odd little runt of a bridge, but it does have a certain delicacy the Sydney one lacks. However, I do love our coathager still the best...!

[thomasjfletcher]

Sydney Harbour Bridge 1932





Captain Francis De Groot caused controversy on the Opening Day of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Saturday 19 March 1932 when he attempted to prevent Premier Lang from opening the Bridge.

De Groot, who was an active member of the Political Party - New Guard, believed that the only person to open a Bridge of such importance should be a member of the Royal family. He was dismayed when it was announced that Premier Lang would officially open the bridge.

In De Groot's attempt to stop Lang from opening the Bridge, he arrived at the ceremony on horseback and positioned himself quite close to where the ribbon had been stretched. Just prior to Premier Lang arriving, De Groot galloped forward and slashed the ribbon with his sword. He declared the Bridge open in the name of the "decent citizens of New South Wales".

Needless to say, De Groot was arrested and taken to a psychiatric hospital. He was later declared sane, but fined 5 pounds and charged for offensive behaviour in a public place.

After the De Groot incident, the ribbon was tied together, and the ceremony went ahead.

[clasione]

thomasjfletcher,

those colorful pictures in your post where really nice....

Best I've seen for a while.... :lol:

[Lauren Loves NY]

Originally Posted by clasione

thomasjfletcher,

those colorful pictures in your post where really nice....

Exactly what I was about to say. I love that painted picture on the old postcard.

[clasione]

Everytime I look at them - The color is just so amazing.... :shock:

[karenpnyc333]

I live in Astoria in the shadow of the Hell Gate Bridge, and Astoria is the Hell Gate Bridge.

[clasione]

Everytime I look at those pictures it's like I'm seeing them for the first time.....

The night pictures ---- The quality of the images and the color is amazing - wish they werent copyright protected.... :cry:

[Scruffy88]

what a beautiful bridge. Top 3 in the city. awe inspiring. the curve is perfect. the color- inspired.

[laurence]

I live In Sydney, our coat hanger (Sydney harbour bridge) has just had its 75 birthday

Hells gate bridge was built by Gustave Lindenthal and finished on 30th September 1916

The SHB was built by John Bradfield but a lot of the Design was done by Ralp Freeman and is a copy of Hells gate it was finished on 19th March 1932 with the loss of 16 lives.

I seem to remember seeing a smaller bridge in the north of England built around 1880, but can not remember its name?

thanks Laurence

[matt.knights]

laurence i think the bridge u are thinking of may be tyne bridge, newcastle upon tyne uk. it does have some similarities to hells gate and sydney harbour. it was completed 1928 which makes it younger than hells gate but 5 years older than sydney harbour.
i grew up in newcastle australia 1.5hrs nth of sydney and i have always loved the harbour bridge. i first (i think this is right) saw hells gate bridge in tom cruises war of the world and was amazed at the similarities to the SHB. I saw a news item the other day for the SHB 75th anniversary and it said contrary to popular belief that its design was borrowed from the tyne bridge, the SHB design was taken from hells gate.






matt