The Sucess of the Great Bridge Made It a Popular Image in Advertisements

During the long years of construction, many observers derided the Brooklyn Bridge as a folly. The towers of the bridge were impressive sights, but some cynics noted that despite the money and labor going into the project, all the cities of New York and Brooklyn had gained were stone towers with tangles of wires strung between them.

On opening day, May 24, 1883, all that changed. The bridge was an instant success, and people flocked to walk across it, or even just to view it in its finished form.

It was estimated that more than 150,000 people crossed the bridge on foot on the first day it was open to the public.

The bridge became a popular image to use in advertising, as it was a symbol for things people respected and held dear in the 19th century: brilliant engineering, mechanical strength, and a tenacious devotion to overcoming obstacles and getting the job done.

This lithograph advertising a sewing machine company proudly featured the Brooklyn Bridge. The company really had no connection to the bridge itself, but it naturally wanted to associate itself with the mechanical wonder spanning the East River.