Tower Bridge

Fifty photos sepia, dating from the 1892 year, captured under construction Tower Bridge, one of the main attractions of the UK.





The last five years of photography lay in a suitcase under the bed, an anonymous resident of Westminster, who found them in a dumpster during the demolition of a building. In addition to the photos, he found a few books. The man explains that carried the book to the museum of the Tower Bridge and tried to tell employees that it has still photos, but it did not want to listen, saying that the photos have already more than enough. Man recognizes that simply did not know what to do with the photos - and therefore put them in a suitcase and put it under the bed.



So there they were, if one day the owner of the unusual findings not decided to tell about the photographs to his neighbor Peter Berthudu working in Westminster guide. Peter remembers that my eyes could not believe, seeing unique pictures. He spent several days studying the albums and documents, trying to figure out whether these photos are known to those skilled - and found that one does not even know of their existence!



Tower Bridge - the lowest situated within the Thames bridge (he first met when her climb from the North Sea) and the only one of the bridges, which is the swing.



The photographs captured the steel base of the bridge, the existence of which many do not even know - because the outer part of the bridge is lined with stone. The architect of the bridge was Horace Jones, who after his death was succeeded as John Wolfe-Barry. It was he who insisted that the bridge was lined with stone.



Peter Berthud calls this photograph of his beloved. "These people do not even guessed that erected a monument of architecture" - he says.



Building Tower Bridge began in 1886 and was completed in 8 years. The grand opening of the new bridge took place on June 30, 1894, Edward Prince of Wales and his wife Princess Alexandra.



Its modern appearance Bridge acquired in 1977 - before that, since its opening, it was all chocolate brown. The bridge was repainted in the national colors in honor of the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II.



The name of the bridge was due to the neighborhood of the Tower: the north end of the bridge is located near the southeast corner of the Tower, and in parallel the east wall of the Tower there is a road, which is a continuation of the Tower Bridge.



The decision to build the bridge was made in connection with the development of the eastern region of London - East End - its residents became inconvenient to move to the other side of the Thames. Built in 1870, the tunnel under the Thames Tower Subway was intended only for pedestrians and only partially solved the problem.



Adjustable bridge spans lifts located at the base of the towers of the hydraulic mechanism. At first, it was steam engines. Most divorced just a couple of minutes, his farm at the same time rose to 86 degrees, ie, rose almost vertically. The same mechanism is powered lifts, lifting pedestrians at high altitude galleries and signals that control traffic on the bridge. In 1976, the hydraulic system, originally water, and oil began was electrified.



Most divorce is not on schedule, and every time it had to be under the vehicle to pass. Currently, there is a schedule, but it is not a regular - prepared for several months in advance at the request of the large ships that have to go under a bridge in the London pool or back.



Pedestrian gallery at a height of 45 meters above the water conceived in order to allow people to pass over the bridge even during lifting spans. Top people climbed the spiral staircase and elevators located inside the towers. However, in 1910, the gallery was closed the decision of the Parliament, as became a refuge for prostitutes and pickpockets. Decent pedestrians are not particularly eager to climb on them, preferring to wait until the bridge and the divorce will be reduced back.



Since 1982 the gallery reopened, but as part of the Museum of the bridge and observation deck.



Inside the bridge there is a museum dedicated to its history. In it you can see the real thing, but do not act now the mechanisms that control the movement of the spans.



Peter Berthud with pictures of Tower Bridge, at his home in London.

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