"Painting the Town" is an article on the painting of the ‘Hells Gate Bridge’ (the “longest, strongest, steel arch bridge in the world”; of its time, of course) by James Monroe Hewlett; an architect better known for his paintings than his design of buildings. The article speaks of the grandeur of the completion of such a masterpiece (in both the painting and the structure itself). A bridge that was both “technologically sound and aesthetically pleasing”. One so different than its predecessors in composition and shape was but an example to all those who came after it.
Standing as the only four-track long-span railroad bridge ever built, Hell’s Gate was a link. A bridge that marked “the apogee of American railroad power and prosperity route”, that would connect the New York, Long Island and New England railroads to the Hudson River Crossing (taking a direct path from Bronx Kill to the Bronx). It was said that the engineer, Gustave Lindenthal, more than likely had little to no formal training as a bridge builder, yet he and architect Henry Hornbostel, are responsible, not only for Hell’s Gate, but also for the redesign of the Manhattan and Queensborough bridges (structures we know are still in good standing and daily use).
Bogart, Michelle H.. "Painting the Town.” Art Scenes and the Urban Scene in New York City.
COPYRIGHT � MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 1 Oct. 2007
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