Upper Steel Arch Bridge in Cyanotype

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About the Collection

The focus of this exhibit is a photobook of cyanotype prints of the Upper Steel Arch Bridge, taken by Charles W. Dill, who was the superintendent of the bridge from 1895-99. The Upper Steel Arch Bridge, also known as “Honeymoon Bridge,” was the fourth bridge spanning the Niagara Gorge in the same location. It was constructed from January 5th, 1897, to June 23rd (Clark). When it was predicted to fall, it drew a large crowd of people to watch the spectacle. Mr. Dill was involved in many other engineering projects in the Greater Hamilton and Toronto regions as well as several outside the province. I discovered his obituary while trying to find more information about him. He died on July 1st 1951 (The Vancouver Sun)

In 1885 the first state park in the U.S was opened, it encompassed 412 acres (NYFalls). In the same year of March 30th, the Niagara Parks Commission was created and to this day, it oversees and maintains the land surrounding the Falls. This encompassed over 700 acres, including Queenston Heights, and Niagara Glen. It was the belief of Lord Dufferin, then the Governor General of Canada, to maintain the Falls as a “magnificent natural wonder in its natural state” (Niagara Falls Ontario Board of Trade).

The photo book is a very compelling piece, and the photographs are printed using cyanotype, which is a process used for making blueprints and photographs. The images are produced through a photochemical reaction of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide, both iron salts that are combined and used to treat a surface to make it UV sensitive. The treated surface is exposed to UV light using a negative (or anything to block the light) and after the print has had a long enough exposure, it is rinsed in water to fix the image. This photoreduction turns Iron (III) into Iron (II) and produces brilliant blue hues that are also known as “Prussian Blue” (Jacquard) (Abrahamson). This was and still is a very affordable (and less toxic) method for making prints, perhaps one reason why the book is cyanotype photographs. It could also have something to do with the photographer Mr. Charles Dill, being an engineer with experience and access to the materials already, as they would have been used to make blueprints of engineering projects.

It is unclear what public reaction to this bridge was, as there seems to be very little published news of it at the time, perhaps because it was merely a replacement to a suspension bridge that had stood where it was built. However, the importance of the structure can be surmised from the reception of another steel railroad bridge, the Grand Trunk Bridge, a little further up river, which was opened in 1857, and there was a great deal of fanfare and celebration surrounding it. There were meetings of municipal diplomats of both sides, bands playing, flags decorating the bridge, souvenirs being sold, gambling games being run, museums full of curios, and the Falls were illuminated with coloured magnesium fires. Much of this sounds familiar to the way that the Falls are illuminated now (The Globe). It’s reasonable to assume the celebrations surrounding these bridges could have been the catalyst for realizing the economic potential of this location and the people it could draw out. For the celebration around Grand Trunk Bridge, it’s estimated in news accounts that over 6000 people attended, with one train car coming from the direction of Hamilton having 15 cars with two engines and carrying 1000 passengers. Perhaps one of the most interesting stories I discovered while reading news articles about this was of a man who attempted to sneak a snake past customs officers. Apparently, he was behaving suspiciously while carrying a parcel, and an officer asked to search his belongings. When he didn’t comply, the parcel was forcefully taken, and the officer was described to have shoved his hand into the bag and turned “white as a sheet,” only to have a snake pop its head out of the bag, much to onlooker’s (and the officers) surprise. He was allowed to proceed with his snake (The Globe). Although not related to these photos or “Honeymoon Bridge” its predecessor Suspension Bridge is believed to have served as a route for Harriet Tubman to ferry fugitive slaves into St. Catharines (William H. Siener) (Klein). It’s reasonable to assume the celebrations surrounding these bridges could have been the catalyst for realizing the economic potential of this location and the people it could draw out. For the celebration around Grand Trunk Bridge, it’s estimated in news accounts that over 6000 people attended, with one train car coming from the direction of Hamilton having 15 cars with two engines and carrying 1000 passengers. Perhaps one of the most interesting stories I discovered while reading news articles about this was of a man who attempted to sneak a snake past customs officers. Apparently, he was behaving suspiciously while carrying a parcel, and an officer asked to search his belongings. When he didn’t comply, the parcel was forcefully taken, and the officer was described to have shoved his hand into the bag and turned “white as a sheet,” only to have a snake pop its head out of the bag, much to onlookers‘ (and the officer’s) surprise. He was allowed to proceed with his snake (The Globe). Although not related to these photos or “Honeymoon Bridge” its predecessor, Suspension Bridge, is believed to have served as a route for Harriet Tubman to ferry fugitive slaves into St. Catharines (William H. Siener) (Klein).

These images and the history behind them tell the story of how integral bridges have been and continue to be to the region of Niagara. These bridge that traverse the gorge also served as important physical links between us and the neighboring New York State. The rich history of them weaves a blanket with threads of industry and leisure made for the Niagara Falls we know today. It also reminds us how bridges are a part of life in the region whether it is as small as a lift bridge over the Welland Canal or as large as the Rainbow Bridge that stands almost exactly where Upper Steel Arch once did.
  Works Cited Abrahamson, Harmon B. “The Photochemical Basis of Cyanotype.” Journal of Chemical Education 78.3 (2001): 311. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed078p311.2. Clark, Nanette South. “The Anniversary of the Honeymoon Bridge Collapse - January 27, 1938.” 27 January 2017. An Engineer’s Aspect. https://anengineersaspect.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-anniversary-of-honeymoon-bridge.html. Dill, Charles W. Album of photographs taken during construction of the Upper Steel Arch (or Honeymoon) Bridge, Sept. 29, 1897-July 16, 1898. Niagara Falls, 1898. https://ocul-bu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_BU/1mgi42g/alma991000148719705152. Jacquard. Cyanotype Chemistry. 2021. https://www.jacquardproducts.com/cyanotype-chemistry. Klein, Jeff Z. “Heritage Moments: Harriet Tubman crosses the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge.” 6 June 2016. WBFO NPR. https://www.wbfo.org/heritage-moments/2016-06-06/heritage-moments-harriet-tubman-crosses-the-niagara-falls-suspension-bridge?fbclid=IwAR2Ck5Ipl4VtaXVQFRHHCd_gJbusdn_nex-BhClOECFlgyprxjGbCT36K7o. Niagara Falls Museums. A Breif History of Niagara Falls. n.d. https://niagarafallsmuseums.ca/discover-our-history/brief-history-of-niagara-falls.aspx. —. “Collapse of the Honeymoon Bridge.” 2021. Niagara Falls Museums. https://niagarafallsmuseums.ca/discover-our-history/history-notes/honeymoonbridge.aspx. —. “History@Home: Bridges.” 29 April 2020. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNFlvaoZ1A8. —. “History@Home: The Collapse of the Honeymoon Bridge.” 27 January 22021. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DE9ezrHDfU. —. “Online collections “Honeymoon Bridge”.” n.d. Niagara Falls Museums. https://niagarafalls.pastperfectonline.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search_criteria=%22honeymoon+bridge%22&searchButton=Search. Niagara Falls Ontario Board of Trade. Picturesque Niagara. 1899. https://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/2542. Niagara Parks. “History of Journey Behind The Falls.” 2021. Niagara Parks. https://www.niagaraparks.com/things-to-do/history-of-journey-behind-the-falls. NYFalls. “Niagara Falls Historical Timeline.” 2021. NYFalls. https://nyfalls.com/niagara-falls/history/. The Globe. “A Great Engineering Work: The Arch of the New Bridge Over the Niagara River Completed–A Huge Structure.” 30 March 1897. ProQuest. Web. https://www.proquest.com/hnpglobeandmail/docview/1649681033/B8B304A1D8F14D7FPQ/12?accountid=9744. —. “Across Niagara: Great Structure That Will Span The Gorge At Lewiston Toronto Capitalists Interested With Americans–Work Will Be Completed By Next Summer.” 11 January 1899. ProQuest. Web. https://www.proquest.com/hnpglobeandmail/docview/1649936920/B8B304A1D8F14D7FPQ/10?accountid=9744. —. “Opening The Bridge: The Grand … Great Niagara Steel Arch Inaugurated With International Ceremonies Twenty Thousand Visitors Towns On Both Sides Of The River Crowded–Entertaining The Guests In Royal Style–The Ubiquitous Fakir–Trainloads Of Excursionis.” 27 September 1897. ProQuest. Web. https://proxy.library.brocku.ca/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/opening-bridge/docview/1649756935/se-2?accountid=9744 . The Vancouver Sun. “The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 17.” 26 November 1951. Newspapers. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/491027882/. The Windsor Star. “Danger From The Ice Bridge.” 28 January 1899. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89775737/ice-threatens-upper-steel-arch-bridge/. —. “The First Trolly Car to Cross The River Runs Over The New Bridge.” 2 July 1898. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89775365/first-trolley-to-cross-over-niagara/. Underwood & Underwood. “View of Falls from Steel Bridge, Niagara, U.S.A.” 1903. Stereoscope. https://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/7084. William H. Siener, Thomas A. Chambers. “Crossing to Freedom: Harriet Tubman and John A. Roebling’s Suspension Bridge.” 15 April 2010. Western New York Heritage. https://www.wnyheritage.org/content/crossing_to_freedom_harriet_tubman_and_john_a_roeblings_suspensi/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2E9IfkpxurISe4IfhK-xPFt_psaLB_c4eVqSLjpsF7cSkzMfWU-LxZW5Y.