"Rail Road Suspension Bridge near Niagara Falls," circa 1856

01

Artifact Overview

Completed in 1855, the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge across New York's Niagara River measured more than 800 feet long and stood 250 feet above the water. Designed by John A. Roebling, the international crossing carried dozens of trains between the United States and Canada each day. It was replaced by a larger steel arch bridge in 1897.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

circa 1856

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

P.O.3815

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 8 in
Width: 10 in

Inscriptions

Text in lower part of image reads: THE RAIL ROAD SUSPENSION BRIDGE. / NEAR NIAGARA FALLS. / Length of Bridge 822 feet. Height above Water 240 feet. / New York: Publ. by Currier & Ives 152 Nassau Street