[Brooklyn Bridge]
Not on view
When it opened for use on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world; it immediately became an essential subject for photographers working in or visiting New York City. Despite its iconic status, early, large-format views such as this one are rare. The level of detail (advertising billboards on the Manhattan shoreline are legible) in conjunction with the boats that have visibly moved during exposure, indicate the use of the slower, more traditional wet-plate negative instead of the faster dry-plate that was already available and would become the de facto process for late nineteenth-century commercial photography.
No image available
