- One important part of the design
of the Brooklyn Bridge is the elevated walkway.
So, if you look at the cross-section of the bridge,
on the sides it was designed for carriages,
today it's vehicles, then we have steam-driven rapid transit
and at the very center, and elevated above all that,
is a walkway for pedestrians to use.
So, we see this essentially as a park in a bridge.
This pedestrian walkway is an important part
of the bridge today, as it was back then,
and it's because of this elevated walkway that artists
were able to become inspired in many ways, as we'll see.
If we compare two images side-by-side, one taken of people
on the walkway immediately after the bridge opened,
and the other taken not too long ago,
we see that there are differences.
They dress very different, the people before and now,
we see the Manhattan skyline is different,
but we see similarities, both people, back in the 1880s
and today are enjoying that pedestrian walkway,
and the other thing that's similar is the bridge,
the bridge hasn't changed, the bridge remains the same.
Some people see the Brooklyn Bridge as just another bridge,
but it's not just another bridge, for the people
of the 1880s, or 1870s, watching this bridge
being constructed, many of them didn't believe
it could actually be done, even through the whole
construction process that took 14 years.
So, this bridge isn't just another bridge,
this bridge is actually a miracle for many of those people
who saw that construction and were in the process
of seeing it being built.
The elevated walkway gives you an opportunity
to touch the parts of this bridge,
so you can touch that suspender and put your hand around it
and feel that strength, the tension in that suspender.
You can get close-up and look at all the connection details,
those details of a connection,
how do you connect a cable to this suspender, for example,
are very important parts of the design of a bridge.
And as you're walking towards the Brooklyn Tower,
you'll see a plaque on that tower,
and that plaque gives recognition to John Roebling
and Washington Roebling as engineers of this bridge.
Now, knowing the story of the Brooklyn Bridge
and knowing the role Emily played, when I saw that plaque,
I have to say, I was just a little bit offended
that Emily wasn't mentioned, but I felt better when I walked
around the corner of that tower and I indeed did see
a plaque that recognized Emily's contributions.
So, that plaque says that it was dedicated to the memory
of Emily Warren Roebling, whose faith and courage
helped her stricken husband, Colonel Washington Roebling,
complete the construction of this bridge
from the plans of his father, John Roebling,
who gave his life to the bridge.
And the plaque ends with these words,
"Back of every great work we can find
the self-sacrificing devotion of a woman."
So, as I mentioned, this elevated walkway is essentially
a park inside of a bridge, some photographs you'll see
people enjoying their lunch and taking their lunch break
while sitting on this bridge.
And while the towers were the largest structures to be seen
when completed, today this photograph taken
from World Trade Center Four shows
the relative scale of the size of these towers
compared to the Manhattan skyline.
So, now the towers are dwarfed by the tall construction
of downtown Manhattan, but the significance
of the bridge does not disappear.
These views stimulate artists, whether it's from
the elevated walkway or from the waterline,
and we're gonna take a look at some
of those artists that were stimulated
by these views of the Brooklyn Bridge.