NYC’s Other Bridges: Then & Now

New York City | Harlem River | New York State | New Jersey | Passaic River

New York City and its surrounding metropolitan area are constantly changing. The city is famous for its infrastructure, from its transportation system to its skyscrapers to its bridges. Much of this infrastructure is aging, and over the years many of the area’s bridges have been in the news, usually highlighting the urgent need for repairs. Several of the East River bridges have undergone extensive renovations with the goal of making them safer. The purpose of this exhibit is to highlight some of the New York City area’s other bridges—those that are less well-known, and those whose histories have not been told in as much depth as some of the city’s bridges have.

The bridges in this exhibit are not all within the limits of New York City—like this site, the scope includes those bridges beyond the city but which are used every day by those commuting to and from the city, whether by train, bus, or car.

Each bridge is shown first as it was “then” (most were printed during the “Golden Age” of postcards which lasted from 1907-1915) in contrast to how it looks “now” (photographs were taken from 2009-2012). Sometimes the changes that have taken place over roughly a hundred years are barely noticeable, but often the scene is nearly unrecognizable. Several of the bridges in this exhibit have been replaced with newer bridges that bear no resemblance to the original structure.

About the Photographs

The photographs in this exhibit were taken between 2009 and 2012. Whenever possible, they were taken from the same location as the postcard views. This was often impossible, as waterfront access is often restricted, and fences and plant growth often visually blocked the original vantage points.

Many of the photographs used for the prints were taken shortly after the construction of a bridge was completed, so views are unobstructed, and much has changed since. The High Bridge and Ossining Arch Bridge photographs are examples of where trees that were not there 100 years ago now block nearly all of what could be seen in the original, so care had to be taken to photograph those scenes in winter, lest the structures be nearly invisible.

Note: This exhibit was completed in 2012 and much has changed since then. Where possible the text has been updated to be more current.