Highs and Lows in Construction Work

Constructing a bridge requires work under a wide range of conditions. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was built by men who dealt with wind, rain, and fog at lofty heights hundreds of feet above the ground, cramped and dark tunnels deep under the earth, and even the rough currents and cold waters of the Bay itself. In the top photograph, a construction crew is working on the east cantilever arm of the eastern span (note the safety line extending from the man in the middle of the picture). The bottom photograph shows conditions in the tunnel for the north anchorage.

Identification Information: Dept. of Public Works, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Construction Photographs (F2516:1-93).
Top: East Cantilever Arm, 10/26/1936: Box 15 (C5230), photograph 9-256.
Bottom: North Anchorage Tunnel, 05/01/1934: Box 10 (C5229), photograph 5-568.