From Monochrome to Color: Rediscovering Famous Structures
April 19, 2024
Unprecedented Heights: Erecting the Eiffel Tower Presented Novel Engineering Challenges
We've all seen the structures included here, some up close and personal and others in images that try to show the grandiosity of these marvels of human construction. But why look at black and white images of these massive structures when we can bring them to life in vivid color? Each stroke of color revives the past, offering a fresh lens into bygone eras.
So keep scrolling and get transported back in time through these expertly colorized images of some of the most imposing architectural marvels from across the world.
Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 World's Fair as a monument to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution. It took 300 laborers over two years to build it. The tower has over 18,000 individual iron parts, and the tower weighs more than 7,300 tons. These pieces were made away from the building site and moved to the location where others put them in place.
The tower is over 984 feet tall. Employees used a system of movable cranes and platforms at different heights to facilitate construction. It was the tallest man-made structure in the world when work finished on March 31, 1889. Initially, it was supposed to be torn down after the fair. Engineers recognized its potential as a platform for broadcasting radio signals. By the 1920s, antennas were installed atop the tower, transforming it into a vital hub for telecommunications.
Speed of Construction: Completing the Empire State Building in Just Over a Year Required Efficient Coordination
Workers constructed the Empire State Building in New York City in 410 days, with its official opening held on May 1, 1931. Laborers built the structure during the Great Depression, giving much-needed employment to thousands. Despite its swift completion, the Empire State Building's construction was challenging. The labor force had to use innovative construction methods to complete the project quickly. In many cases, they used prefabricated components.
Different crews were employed on multiple floors simultaneously. Transporting materials and equipment to the top of the Empire State Building required using elevators and hoists. Often, workers stayed in the same position all day, while others used the elevators and hoists to pass tools and materials up to them. Tragically, the frantic construction pace also caused several accidents. For 40 years, the building was the tallest in the world.
Building the Hoover Dam in the Desert Presented Logistical and Environmental Challenges
The Bureau of Reclamation oversaw the work of building Hoover Dam, beginning in 1931. The dam aimed to harness the Colorado River's water to use it for irrigation and produce electricity. Temperatures during construction often exceeded 100 degrees, with laborers enduring relentless sun exposure and dehydration. When site surveyor Patrick Tierney lost his life during the construction process in a cableway basket accident, his wife took over, becoming one of the first female surveyors on a significant project.
Employees often toiled at heights of over 700 feet. One of the first tasks was to build a massive cofferdam upstream to change the river's flow. Once the water was gone, excavation began for the dam's foundation. Another early task was building large towers on both sides of the canyon. These structures were essential because a cable was strung between them. Then, buckets were attached to transport supplies.
Granite Sculpture Challenges: Creating Colossal Presidential Sculptures on Mount Rushmore's Face Posed Intricate Obstacles
South Dakota's Black Hills were chosen for Mount Rushmore's location because of their rugged beauty, geological stability, and historical significance. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum first studied historical documents to capture the likenesses of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Then, he made detailed plaster models, allowing him to refine his design. Congress and the Department of Interior approved the project. The dimensions of the sculptures were scaled up to match the massive proportions of the granite cliff face.
The tallest sculpture is Thomas Jefferson, which measures 60 feet tall. Before construction began, a grid system was laid out to guide the work of the stone carvers who marked the contours and features of each president's face. They used dynamite and pneumatic drills to remove large sections of granite before using chisels to add details. Finally, they used rasps and sandpaper to smooth out the sculptures.
Engineering Marvel: Erecting the Statue of Liberty's Colossal Copper Structure Required Meticulous Craftsmanship
The Statue of Liberty was created and assembled in France. Its copper components were made in the Paris Gaget, Gauthier & Co. workshop. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel designed and prefabricated its internal framework in his Eiffel et Cie workshop in Paris. The disassembled parts were packed in 200 crates and placed on the French frigate Isère. It took four months for them to move across the Atlantic Ocean. They arrived in New York Harbor on June 17, 1885.
Before the statue's components arrived, workers built the statue's pedestal and foundation on Bedloe's Island. Then, people installed the internal framework on it before riveting the outside of the structure to the framework. With the main parts in place, the statue's tablet was added. The date of America's Declaration of Independence was also inscribed on it. The statue was officially dedicated on October 28, 1886. The island was renamed Liberty Island.
Preservation Efforts: Restoring Stonehenge Involved Archaeological Research
Stonehenge was initially constructed in multiple phases, with work beginning around 3100 BCE. The original construction took approximately 1,500 years to complete. Each successive generation added and modified this iconic landmark. Today, archeologists still debate its purpose.
In the 1950s, a significant restoration project was initiated to stabilize and preserve the monument as the site suffered from erosion, weathering, and visitor damage. English archaeologist Richard J.C. Atkinson led the restoration efforts and ordered concrete and metal rods to be used to reinforce and stabilize the standing stones. This required drilling holes in the ancient stones before rods could be forced through the holes. To keep the rods steady, a concrete foundation was poured.
Constructing the Manhattan Bridge Necessitated Pioneering Engineer Techniques to Span the East River
The Manhattan Bridge is an iconic suspension bridge spanning the East River. It connects Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York City. Leon Moisseiff designed the bridge, while Chief Engineer Gustav Lindenthal oversaw construction work, which began in 1901. The labor force had to navigate precarious scaffolding and work platforms and brave the elements while constructing the bridge.
The bridge took eight years to complete. It is a hybrid cable-stayed and suspension structure, with steel cables supporting the roadway's weight. The wires are anchored to the towers on both ends. Steelworkers fabricated each component, while masons crafted the massive concrete structures that anchor the bridge. Each steel truss weighs up to 10,000 pounds, with the longest being about 300 feet in length. The towers on the bridge's ends rise over 300 feet above the East River. Several employees died during the bridge's construction.
Creative Engineering Solutions Needed to Build the Golden Gate Bridge
The construction of San Francisco, California's Golden Gate Bridge was a monumental feat. Joseph Strauss designed the bridge, which a 10,000-person crew finished building in 1933. The bridge took five years to build. The bridge spans the Golden Gate Strait, a turbulent passage where the Pacific Ocean meets San Francisco Bay. The currents in this area can be swift and unpredictable, significantly impacting underwater construction activities, such as pile driving and foundation work.
Employees often stood on movable scaffolding placed over a safety net while completing building activities. Despite safety measures, 11 employees perished. Fog limited visibility, so it took a lot of work for employees to perform construction tasks safely. Furthermore, fog often impacted construction boats that navigated the narrow strait. Thousands of individual wires were used to build the bridge. The job was completed on time and under budget.
Tower Bridge Rose to Span the Thames, Merging Functionality With Elegance
Sir Horace Jones and engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry designed London's Tower Bridge. Work started on this bridge that spans the River Thames in 1886. It has two main towers, with a drawbridge that can be raised or lowered to let ships pass, connecting them.
Workers had to install massive watertight chambers filled with concrete to support the weight of its two towers in the riverbed. Each tower is made of steel clad in Portland stone. Jones and Barry invented a series of counterweights and hydraulic machinery to control the bascule section of the bridge. The bridge has ornate turrets, decorative ironwork, and elegant Gothic-style features. Over 400 people were employed on the project, and the team finished building it in 1894.
Luxury Hotel Creation: Crafting the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, a Blend of Opulence and Sophistication
William Waldorf Astor had the original Waldorf Hotel built. The hotel on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street opened on March 13, 1893. In 1897, a work crew demolished a neighboring hotel that John Jacob Astor IV owned, the Astoria Hotel. Waldorf hired architect Henry J. Hardenbergh to build a new hotel, calling the building, which opened in 1897, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
It was one of the world's largest and most opulent hotels at the time and quickly became a social and cultural hub. It hosted many high-profile events, including some of the first auto shows in New York City. Dignitaries and celebrities often stayed in its rooms with state-of-the-art amenities. They arrived secretly using a railroad terminal under the hotel. The building's architectural style blends Beaux-Arts and Art Deco elements with grand facades and elaborate interior decorations.
