The Manhattan Bridge: A Clash of Titans

Abstract

The Manhattan Bridge is one of the first examples of an urban bridge whose design was impacted by partisan politics and a desire for a more, in the eyes of some, esthetically pleasing suspension bridge. It was the third bridge to be built across the East River and its design resulted in a battle between Leffert L. Buck, his associates R. S. Buck, and O. F. Nichols and Gustav Lindenthal, the Commissioner of Bridges in New York City, appointed after the preliminary design of the bridge had been completed. This paper is about that battle.