On This Day: Construction on the Golden Gate Bridge Begins January 5, 1933

Anton Refregier, Building the Golden Gate, 1948

Photograph by Carol M. Highsmith; courtesy of the Library of Congress

1938: The American Institute of Steel Construction hailed it as the “most beautiful steel bridge built in the United States last year.”

Imaging an Icon: Ted Huggins and the Golden Gate Bridge

Thursday, October 11, 2012, 6:00 p.m.

Imaging an Icon: Ted Huggins and the Golden Gate Bridge

Free event at the California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco

RSVP at huggins.eventbrite.com

Using Ted Huggins’ images and recently discovered journals, historian John C. Harper will lead a discussion on Ted Huggins and his work to promote the Golden Gate Bridge and the West. Over three-and-a-half years, Ted Huggins took hundreds of photographs that captured the majestic beauty of the bridge and helped turn it into a world-famous tourist destination. He photographed construction from both shores, from airplanes and a blimp, from construction boats and ferries, from inside a caisson underneath the bay, and from atop the two towers. Join us this evening to view these wonderful photographs and hear about Ted Huggins.

Golden Gate Bridge History First Hand

Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 6:00 p.m.

Golden Gate Bridge History First Hand

Free event at the California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco

RSVP at ggbhistory.eventbrite.com

Come hear Bob David, an architect and photographer and a long time Bridge District employee, informal historian and archivist of the Bridge. He began working for the Bridge 39 years ago, during which time he has photo documented various construction projects including the Bridge redecking project in the 1980s and the still ongoing Seismic Retrofit project. He will also describe his personal journey to meet the architects and artists of the bridge and uncover their work, some of which is manifest in the current exhibit, for which he acted as curatorial advisor. Bob David will be in conversation with Jessica Hough, curator of A Wild Flight of the Imagination.