Photograph was edited for publication purposes. The Colorado Street Bridge was designed and built in 1913 by the Kansas City (MO)-based firm of J.A.L. Waddell. With a span of 1,486 feet and known for its distinctive Beaux Arts arches, lights, and railings, the bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 1989, after the Loma Prieta earthquake in Northern California, the bridge was declared a seismic hazard and closed to traffic. It was reopened in 1993 after a substantial retrofit. Photograph caption dated November 13, 1929 reads, "Photo-diagram of the Colorado street bridge shows how a life net may be installed to prevent further tragedies at the "suicide bridge" from which 27 persons have plunged to death. A similar net would be installed on the opposite side of the bridge, both constructed like circus net. The "bridge of tragedies" is 150 feet high at highest point over Arroyo Seco."
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;24 x 19 cm. on sheet 26 x 21 cm. Photographic prints
Nets Arch bridges--California--Pasadena Bridges--California--Pasadena Suicide--California--Pasadena--Prevention National Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks Colorado Street Bridge (Pasadena, Calif.) Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County, Calif.) Pasadena (Calif.) Herald-Examiner Collection photographs Waddell, J. A. L.(John Alexander Low),1854-1938
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
