These materials were assembled by National Museum of American History curatorial staff for the 1983 exhibit, "Building Brooklyn Bridge: The Design and Construction, 1867-1883" and the associated catalogue by Robert Vogel, by the same name.
This exhibition marked the centennial of the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge and emphasized the technical aspects of the development of suspension bridge design and construction. See more than 300 objects, including original drawings of design and construction, models, artifacts, photographs, and representations of the bridge in many media—charcoal, pencil, lithograph, and others. The roles of John A. Roebling, Washington A. Roebling, Emily Roebling, and the assistant engineers are also described.
Included were objects from the National Museum of American History collections, as well as the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and descendants of John Roebling.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Bridges Reference Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
