This romantic image from one of New York City's illustrated newspapers shows the symbols of the two separate cites of New York and Brooklyn greeting each other across the newly opened bridge.
On the actual opening day, May 24, 1883, a delegation including the mayor of New York and the President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, walked from the New York end of the bridge to the Brooklyn tower, where they were greeted by a delegation led by Brooklyn's mayor, Seth Low.
Below the bridge, US Navy vessels passed in review, and cannons in the nearby Brooklyn Navy Yard sounded salutes. Countless spectators watched from both sides of the river that evening as a massive fireworks display lit the sky.