Bridges are not only a vital part of infrastructure and the transportation system, allowing us to easily travel across water without the hassle and delay of ferries, but also function as important landmarks and magnificent pieces of art. This holds especially true when it comes to both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge.  These tremendous structures were both engineering marvels when first constructed and represent the resilience and ingenuity of mankind. Both bridges feature twisted cable suspension engineering and were the longest suspension bridges in the world when first constructed.

The Brooklyn Bridge, built roughly 50 years prior to the Golden Gate, has towers built from a combination of limestone. granite, and Rosendale cement. It also features long suspension cables made from steel wire and a neo-Gothic architectural style. The bridge is one of the oldest of its kind and is considered a historic icon of New York City. Connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, the bridge is generally photographed with the New York skyline in the background, a reminder of the bridge’s importance to the transportion of the bustling city. It is said that Warren Roebling designed the bridge to be six times stronger than it needed to be. This, along with the city’s love for the historic landmark and willingness to renovate it, are the reasons why the Brooklyn Bridge is still standing today.

The Golden Gate bridge, completed in 1937, was the longest suspension bridge in the world until 1964 and has become an icon for the city of San Francisco. The bridge, famous for its “International Orange” color, is largely comprised of steel, contrary to the Brooklyn Bridge, and is held together by some 1.2 million steel rivets. It also features a more contemporary design than the ne0-Gothic style of the Brooklyn Bridge. Photographs of the bridge tend to be shot from one end or the other and focus on beauty of the surrounding foothills and the water in the Golden Gate strait. Some of the most aesthetically pleasing photos capture the bridge while surrounded by a sea of fog, giving it the appearance of floating on a bed of clouds. Ingrained into the culture and history of San Francisco, the bridge has undergone numerous renovations, including a $392 million program to retrofit the bridge for the seismic activity common in the area.