Comments on: Old London Bridges

By: Brian Hilton

Brian Hilton — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 20:31:28 +0000

Lovely photos, The pleasure steamer is actually a paddle wheeler, and the photo would have been coloured by hand.

By: Mike Gentry

Mike Gentry — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 14:39:29 +0000

Wonderful glass plate views GA. When I see photographs like these, I tend to picture the same view as if I was looking at it today, and consequently deciding if it is better or worse, generally with mixed results. Although some of these photo’s have been reversed, they give us a different view of London. For example, the view of St.Paul’s from Southwark Bridge. The Cathedral has moved to a site close to where the Bank of England now stands, and the west towers have become the east towers! Some of these ‘reversals’ give us a fascinating alternative view.

By: Mick West

Mick West — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 14:28:34 +0000

I think your 14th photo shows the ‘original’ Waterloo Bridge (by Rennie?), the 13th shows it with the temporary steel bridge going up alongside, the top (1st) photo shows the temporary steel bridge in use (1924-1942ish) .The current concrete bridge was completed by a labour force including many women during World War II and the steel sections from the temporary bridge re-used during the Allies advance through Northern Europe.
I have a notion that the resort developers at Lake Havasu in the USA who had the old London Bridge shipped over thought they were getting Tower Bridge

By: Peter Holford

Peter Holford — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 09:47:39 +0000

Fascinating stuff – I love this; so many memories. I lived in South London and went to school on the other side of the river so travelled across Hammersmith and Putney Bridges (including the tube one) on a regular basis. Hammersmith was always a problem because it is just one line of traffic each way and a double carriage road fed into it. It’s a lovely bridge, especially when viewed from the Dove with a pint in hand (a location often used in TV’s ‘New Tricks).

My school’s cross-country course (a loose term in London) ran along each bank of the river between Hammersmith and Barnes Bridges so there was no scope for short-cuts!

It’s also good to see you acknowledge Putney Bridge as the second bridge between London and Kingston – it’s often ignored.

By: Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 09:09:30 +0000

A fascinating piece as ever, particularly love the last pic of London Br in 1910 and the pleasure steamer with its funnel down to go under the arch. Pedantically, the image of Westminster Br 11th from the bottom must be reversed but feel free not to post this..!

By: Annie G

Annie G — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 07:52:11 +0000

I love these Bishopsgate Institute images – and the posts that accompany. I did not know there was a Wandsworth bridge. Some of these images are confusing because they are reversed but still beautiful, especially the rare coloured picture. Keep going, GA. More, more!

By: Caroline Bottomley

Caroline Bottomley — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 07:39:19 +0000

I thought ‘London Bridge is falling down’ was something to do with a queen – just googled, here we go:
“…composed in the 13th century when the unpopular Queen Eleanor was given the tolls from the bridge as a present from her husband, Henry III, in 1269…”
and she spent the money on things for herself rather than bridge repair

By: Valerie-Jael

Valerie-Jael — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 07:10:22 +0000

Wonderful photos of the bridges. Valerie