As part of my ongoing Then & Now series I’m sharing a photo from my grandfather’s collection. In 1960 he took a trip to Europe with his niece and brought her to Greece and London. During that trip he took a few photos of London and this is the first I’m sharing – a beautiful vintage photo of Tower Bridge.
Tower Bridge was originally built in 1894 and is one of the most iconic landmarks in London. The design for the bridge was chosen from over 50 submissions and was created by Sir Horace Jones. The crux of the design was that it was meant to be aesthetically reflective of the gothic style but also could open to allow ships passage further along the Thames river. The engineering feat of creating the opening bridge was an incredible undertaking, and there’s a fantastic exhibit detailing how it worked in Tower Bridge should you choose to visit the fantastic exhibit.
It is common for Tower Bridge to be mistaken for London Bridge, which is a far plainer construction a bit further upriver. The name comes from its proximity to the Tower of London, which is located just next to Tower Bridge.
The similarity of the photographs is astounding, but there are some key details that have seemingly changed over the years. If you compare the photo on the left (from 1960) to the photo on the right (from 2017) we can see that the colour scheme and painting have been updated tremendously, lights have been added to the suspensions, and a royal crest added to the now enclosed passenger walkways connecting the two towers. Amazingly there are still some recognizable buildings in the background on the Southbank of the Thames, including the domed building of Butler’s Wharf, to the right of the right tower).
1960
Tower Bridge in 1960 matched the bleak overcast sky with it’s muted tones (not just from the vintage photograph of Tower Bridge, but also in its paint job), but was still spectacular and stunning.
2012
Tower Bridge in 2012 featured a set of Olympic Rings as London was the host of the 2012 Summer Olympics. It had been freshly repainted for the event as well and on a sunny day was a dazzling site.
2017
Tower Bridge in 2017 still had its strong paint job and during this dusk photo shoot it began to show some of the lighting effects that have been added in recent years.
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Comments (15)
I loved seeing this comparison. We had the pleasure of visiting London a couple of years ago and I loved the Tower Bridge. The colors now are so amazing and vibrant!
It’s surprising to see that it does change through the years. This surprises me!
I love this idea! Comparing historic photos to present-day is always fascinating to me. It makes you really stop to think about how much history has happened between the photos, and the fact that your grandfather stood in the exact same place you did so many years ago. I always loved the Tower Bridge and its symbolism in London. Thanks for sharing!
That’s so cool that you have a photo from the 50’s . I wonder how the bridge look in 2020-2021 with the pandemic. I guess it is not as crowded.
I love your then and now series! It’s fascinating to see how famous monuments have evolved over the years. The Tower Bridge has undergone some changes between 1960 and 2017, but it remains just as beautiful. I’d love to learn more about it, especially how it opens up to allow boats to pass.
The history all the way from 1894 is interesting. I had even forgotten that the Olympics were in London. Thanks for the reminder
Wow! I love this! What great photos of such an iconic place, too! I have actually been working on a similar project with my gramma. We haven’t been able to see each other this past year, but she is going through her old travel photos and sharing memories with me. We are also looking for places that either of us has been to more recently. This post really warms my heart.
Very interesting seeing the then & now comparison. I had a trip planned to London in Aug 2019 but canceled because of COVID. Hopefully, I’ll make it there soon!
It is nice to see the changes that happened to this iconic landmark. Love that they were able to preserve (actually improve) the Tower Bridge) Thank you for sharing this. I hope to see the updates again 5-10 years from now.
Such great historical photos of Tower Bridge. Remarkable as it looked in the past. I like this place in London very much. I love to photograph Tower Bridge in London.
This is amazing – I’m kind of a sentimental fool and really enjoy a look back – since also cities and landmarks are aging. Also love to compare the different style in photography now and then. A really original approach to travel blogging – I appreciate that in this jungle that is the internet.
Wow I never realized how much the London Bridge has changed through the years. I have yet to see it. But now, I’m excited to be able to go to London and discover historical developments like this when travel opens up. Those colors are amazing and I can’t wait to see them in real life.
I love to see bridges and it is beautiful to see comparison of same bridge in two eras. Good you dug into past and took out great photo from your grand father’s collection. I also loved 2012 one with Olympics rings on it. I also figured out earlier one was like vintage and now more colors are added to Tower bridge. I would now love to visit this lovely sight and see in person.
Loved seeing and reading this comparison of then and now of this iconic place in London. And it’s so cool that you added a photograph from your grandfather’s collection! ๐
Interesting to see how the place has changed but not really changed. It is so nice that you have pics from the 60s to compare with. I sure would not have known what the difference is if you had not explained it. Going back to my own pics to see these differences.