Celebrating a Milestone: Tower Bridge Unveils the Past
This summer, Tower Bridge marks its 130th anniversary not just as a marvel of Victorian engineering but as a storied symbol of London itself. The new exhibition, Launching a Landmark: The Unseen Opening Weeks, offers an unprecedented glimpse into the bridge’s storied past through a collection of never-before-seen photographs taken during the final days of its construction and the excitement of its initial public opening in 1894.
Nestled on the iconic piers of Tower Bridge, this free, open-air exhibition invites visitors to step back in time. Each photograph has been meticulously colorised and paired with augmented reality (AR) technology, creating a vivid portal to the past where visitors can literally 'see' the historical context right before their eyes.
Curated with passion and precision, the exhibition includes engaging digital elements that enhance the experience: from AR viewpoints that overlay historical scenes onto today’s landscape, to a dedicated website rich with deeper dives into the social history and technological marvels of the era.
As part of our special SE1 Spotlight feature, we sat down with Dirk Bennett, the Exhibition Development Manager and a veritable fount of knowledge about Tower Bridge's history. His insights shed light not only on the remarkable discoveries of the exhibition but also on the enduring legacy of the people who built one of London's defining landmarks.
How does this exhibition aim to connect with and reflect the diverse communities around
Tower Bridge?
The exhibition is not just what you see on the piers, and discover through the app, and here the links are obvious. It is also what we show on the accompanying website, which explores some of the related aspects of life in Victorian London.
There will also be a series of events from families and schools over the summer, specifically for local audiences. This of course forms part of our tradition: local schools are regular visitors, and residents have always made use of our community tickets.
Having worked closely with the exhibition, do you have a personal favourite photograph or story from the collection?
They are all great of course, but seeing the faces of the Londoners welcoming ‘their’ Bridge, taking it immediately into their hearts on that Monday (9 July) 130 years ago gives me endless joy. They are full of detail, and there is so much to discover. Which is what I love about those other photos as well: taking time to look at them, seeing the similarities, the differences.
Image: Dirk Bennett
What was the most challenging aspect of putting together the 'Launching a Landmark' exhibition?
I wouldn’t call it a challenge, but every project I have worked on has to coordinate different stakeholders, contractors and collaborators. There is also always the question of time and budget. A creative and design project such as this is an iterative process, ideas develop, and particularly in this case, new research presents itself and so it is an attempt to bring order to the “creative chaos”.
An interesting example is the colourisation of the original black and white historic photos: you always have to be aware that when restoring and colourising personal photographs you’re making an educated guess about the details, the colour of their clothes for example, the colour of the sky, the cityscape behind it, skin tones and hair etc etc. A lot of research and comparison goes into that process
How does the augmented reality component enhance the visitor experience of the unseen photographs?
With this, we are dipping our toe into the possibilities of modern technology, and it is the first time we are using it in this way. It is a bit like a time machine, which allows us to stand in that same spot where the photographer stood, sometime in June 1894, 130 years ago, on the 21st or the 30th of June; or on the 9th of July 1894. Standing there today it is almost like a time machine, or looking at a crackling transmission from the past. Seeing real people, long dead, going about their work. It makes the scenes relatable on a human level, and I think that emotional impact can be quite profound.
What impact do you believe these newly discovered photographs will have on the public’s perception of Tower Bridge?
First of all the Public opening, and appreciation of that side of its history. Also, and that’s what we try and do anyway, to see it not just as a symbol, icon, or landmark, but as a working Bridge and an unbelievable achievement of those people who built it. The understanding it would be nothing without the people - then and now.
Can you share a fascinating story about Tower Bridge that most people might not know?"
Interesting question, but difficult to answer. There are so many stories, big and small, around TB that some might have heard and others haven’t. Also, we are often contacted by members of the public that have interesting stories to tell. Did you know that we had a team of divers that dug out the foundations of TB and a Quaker, Friend Samuel Penney led them? Or that the first known female employee was Olive Birch, and she ran the household of the first Bridgemaster. Their home was a flat above the road in the South Abutment, the small tower on the Southern end of the Bridge, and to save themselves the endless stairs they let down a basket on a rope to haul up the shopping.
As a history expert, what role do you think Tower Bridge plays in the cultural identity of London?
It’s a really exciting time for us here at Tower Bridge, with the launch of the new exhibition a test for some of the work we want to undertake over the next 20 years. As Tower Bridge embarks on its next chapter, we’re focused on delivering our bold and ambitious long-term development plan: Tower Bridge in Motion – Strengthening connections to redefine London’s leading landmark. We’ll be working much more closely with our local audiences and Londoners to make a positive impact in their daily lives, alongside the work of the charity we sit within, City Bridge Foundation, London’s biggest independent funder. We want to inspire others on everything from community engagement to sustainability, equity and inclusivity for generations to come. (Drea Lee)
If you could go back to 1894, the opening year of the Bridge, what question would you ask the original engineers or workers?
How on earth did you manage all of this without computers? Imagine all of this is pre-digital, everything worked analogue. No emails, word or design documents that could be shared; no WhatsApp for quick messaging; everything handwritten and hand drawn.
Also, we have the photographs, but I would like to hear the voices, from all over the UK: Irish, Scottish, Midlands, Devon. And of course London: they hear the different accents and how they have changed compared to today. The noise on the building site: hammering, cursing, shouting, banging; the sound of the steam riveters, the steam cranes, the sound of the ships’ horns on the river. And the smells.
It's clear that 'Launching a Landmark: The Unseen Opening Weeks' is more than just an exhibition—it's a heartfelt tribute to the workers and communities that breathed life into Tower Bridge over a century ago.
We encourage everyone to experience this unique blend of history and technology at Tower Bridge this summer. Don’t miss the chance to step back in time and see London’s celebrated bridge in a whole new light.
Don't miss this captivating blend of history and technology at Tower Bridge this summer, running from June 22nd through September.
