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Digital Collections: Brooklyn Bridge: Harper's Weekly




Chronicling American life like no other illustrated periodical of its time, the widely popular Harper's Weekly: A Journal of Civilization (1857–1916) offered fiction, news, and essays related to the day's current events along with rich engravings created by notable artists such as Winslow Homer, Thomas Nast, and Frederic Remington. Harper's Weekly covered the Brooklyn Bridge's construction in text and pictures from 1870 to 1883; its evolution into an icon of New York City may also be seen in several later images.

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Image of The Late John A. Roebling

The Late John A. Roebling, 1869
Unknown artist

Image of Bird

Bird's-Eye View, 1870
Theodore Russell Davis

Image of The Brooklyn Bridge—Exterior View of Caisson

The Brooklyn Bridge—Exterior View of Caisson, 1870
Stanley Fox

Image of Air Chambers

Air Chambers, 1870
Unknown artist

Image of Sectional View of Foundation

Sectional View of Foundation, 1870
Unknown artist

Image of Sending Up Debris

Sending Up Debris, 1870
Unknown artist

Image of The Brooklyn Bridge--Cross-Section

The Brooklyn Bridge--Cross-Section, 1870
Unknown artist

Image of The Brooklyn Pier

The Brooklyn Pier, 1870
Unknown artist

Image of Working Beneath the Shoe

Working Beneath the Shoe, 1870
Unknown artist

Image of New York Harbor, as Seen from the Brooklyn Tower

New York Harbor, as Seen from the Brooklyn Tower, 1873
C.E.H. Bonwill

Image of A Promenade in Mid-Air

A Promenade in Mid-Air, 1877
Francis Schell and Thomas Hogan

Image of From Tower to Tower

From Tower to Tower, 1877
Francis Schell and Thomas Hogan

Image of The East River Bridge—Demolition of Buildings

The East River Bridge—Demolition of Buildings, 1877
W.P. Snyder

Image of New York From a Cortlandt Street Ferry-Boat

New York From a Cortlandt Street Ferry-Boat, 1880
Granville Perkins

Image of Under the Towers

Under the Towers, 1882
H. Baker, Jr.

Image of Archway Under Approach, New York Side

Archway Under Approach, New York Side, 1883
Charles Graham

Image of The Great Bridge—Fire-Works and Illumination

The Great Bridge—Fire-Works and Illumination, 1883
Charles Graham

Image of The New York and Brooklyn Suspension-Bridge

The New York and Brooklyn Suspension-Bridge, 1883
Charles Graham

Image of The Tragedy on the Brooklyn Bridge

The Tragedy on the Brooklyn Bridge, 1883
Charles Graham and William Allen Rogers

Image of The Cars as They Will Be on the Brooklyn Bridge

The Cars as They Will Be on the Brooklyn Bridge, 1883
Harry Ogden

Image of President Arthur and His Party

President Arthur and His Party, 1883
Francis Schell and Thomas Hogan

Image of The New York and Brooklyn Suspension-Bridge

The New York and Brooklyn Suspension-Bridge, 1883
Francis Schell and Thomas Hogan

Image of Cable Anchorage, Brooklyn Side

Cable Anchorage, Brooklyn Side, 1883
Unknown artist

Image of The New York and Brooklyn Suspension-Bridge

The New York and Brooklyn Suspension-Bridge, 1883
Unknown artist

Image of The New York and Brooklyn Suspension-Bridge

The New York and Brooklyn Suspension-Bridge, 1883
Unknown artist

Image of The Presidential Sunrise in Brooklyn

The Presidential Sunrise in Brooklyn, 1883
Unknown artist

Image of A Wet Day on the East River Bridge

A Wet Day on the East River Bridge, 1887
Thore de Thulstrup

Image of Entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge

Entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge, 1894
Allen B. Doggett

Image of The New Terminal in Brooklyn

The New Terminal in Brooklyn, 1895
G.W. Peters

Image of The New York Terminal of the Brooklyn Bridge

The New York Terminal of the Brooklyn Bridge, 1895
William Louis Sonntag, Jr.

Image of They Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge

They Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge, 1902
Glen Allen

Image of The New Bridge System

The New Bridge System, 1903
Vernon Howe Bailey

Image of The New Manhattan Eye-Bar Bridge

The New Manhattan Eye-Bar Bridge, 1903
Harry M. Pettit

Image of An Incident in New York

An Incident in New York's Great Transportation Problem, 1903
Seymour M. Stone

Image of New Plans to Prevent Over-Crowding

New Plans to Prevent Over-Crowding, 1905
Harry M. Pettit

Image of Mayor Gaynor Walking across Brooklyn Bridge

Mayor Gaynor Walking across Brooklyn Bridge, 1911
Unknown artist

Image of Cover. From Harper

Cover. From Harper's Weekly, 1912
Gerrit Albertus Beneker

Image of The City of Increasing Wonders

The City of Increasing Wonders, 1912
Unknown artist