B/W print; View of the original Lambeth Bridge, opened in 1862, seen from the south bank by Topical Press, 7 Jun 1923
Main details
| Reference number | 1999/20308 |
|---|---|
| Description | View of the original Lambeth Bridge, opened in 1862, seen from the south bank. The view looks directly onto the bridge, squarely through the arched entrance, with two subsequent arches also visible. A fairly narrow suspension bridge described by Charles White as "scrap in situ", it was closed to vehicles in 1910 because rust had weakened the suspension cables. Several people can be seen on the bridge. To the left stands a small square brick construction resembling a caretaker's hut or similar. |
| Photographer | |
| Dates | 7 Jun 1923 |
| Collection | |
| Object type |
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| Photograph number | U1867 |
| Location | |
| Topics | |
| Completeness | 72% |
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Physical description
Item content Attribute Value Annotation "SCRAP IN SITU."
LAMBETH BRIDGE, FROM THE SURREY SIDE, JUNE, 1923.
Photograph by Topical Press, Ltd., June, 1923. Underground copyright.
For description see overleaf.
LAMBETH BRIDGE.
Although this bridge in itself has been very much a failure from the traffic point of view, its construction was instrumental in imparting a remarkable impetus to the relief of passenger traffic in London generally, through no less a medium than the Tube Railways.
Lambeth Bridge was built for a private company and opened in November, 1862. With its approaches it cost only £50,000, a point that should be considered in criticising its somewhat unfortunate history.
The engineer was Peter William Barlow (1809-1885), who was born at Woolwich, his father being professor of mathematics at the Royal Military Academy. In 1826 Barlow became a pupil of Henry Robinson Palamer, who was then assistant engineer to Telford. In 1834-5 he took surveys in Kent for the London and Dover Railway; in 1836 becoming resident engineer under Sir William Cubitt during the construction of the line. Subsequently he became engineer-in-chief.
Barlow afterwards gave his attention to bridge building and became much interested in suspension-bridge work, believing that bridges of this type could be constructed with sufficient rigidity for gas-mains, etc., to be carried across them.
When sinking the four cast-iron cylinders that form the mid-stream piers of Lambeth Bridge (see next photograph), Barlow was much struck with the ease with which these were forced through the London clay and conceived the idea that such cylinders could be forced through horizontally. Shortly afterwards, Barlow wrote a pamphlet advocating that such cylinders or tubes could be constructed beneath central London and used as roads for the relief of traffic congestion. Omnibus tubes were Barlow's first idea.
A scheme was subsequently formed for constructing a tube-tunnel beneath the Thames, between the Tower and Bermondsey, but the contractors of the day, mindful of the difficulties that had been experienced in the construction of the original Thames Tunnel, fought shy of undertaking the work. Thereupon Barlow's
(Contd.)Design Attribute Value Shot Medium exterior -
People involved
Role Person(s) involved Photographer Topical Press, 7 Jun 1923Copied by Colin Tait, Apr 1980 -
Associated companies, people and places
Places Location Lambeth Bridge, Lambeth, SE1People Attribute Value People Charles White -