Bridges
Bay Bridge construction began on 7/09/1933
and the bridge opened on 11/12/1936, six months before the Golden Gate Bridge.
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Moulin © 1934, postmarked SF 7/09/1939 (G.G.I.E. cancellation),
shows workers building a bridge tower in 1934
with the Ferry Building and the SF skyline in the background.
- Piggott 1023, postmarked Berkeley 3/08/1936, shows cable spinning in progress.
- Zan 839 and
-
Unknown publisher both show the towers and catwalk
at roughly the same date, ca. 1935.
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Zan 812 shows the towers and main cables complete
with deck construction still in progress.
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Pigott 1162 © 1936
shows the eastern span cantilever section apparently complete but work still in progress on the roadway.
Before the completion of the bridge,
Key System public transit streetcars were ferried between the East Bay and San Francisco.
The Key System Mole shown next to the new bridge
was the ferry terminal from 1933 until streetcars started running on the bridge on 1/15/1939.
- Cook & Cook 410 shows an earlier Key Route Oakland ferry terminal, destroyed by fire in 1933.
-
Pacific Novelty 97 shows the Golden Gate Bridge under construction,
with bridge statistics on the back of the card,
noting the 1937 opening date.
This view shows the main cables but not the suspenders and deck,
so the image probably dates from 1936.
The Golden Gate Bridge is probably the most photographed bridge in the world
and the subject of countless postcards,
but this is the only GGB postcard in my collection.
Steve's SF postcard pages: