Beschreibung:

TOWER BRIDGE] - JOHN WOLFE BARRY (1836-1918). Fourteen engineering plans for Tower Bridge from Wolfe Barry's office, 1886-1894, pen and ink on drawing parchment, various sizes ( 20 x 31cm to 72 x 147cm) , stamped with index numbers in black and stamps detailing the origin or intended recipient (occasional tears or wear).
TOWER BRIDGE] - JOHN WOLFE BARRY (1836-1918). Fourteen engineering plans for Tower Bridge from Wolfe Barry's office, 1886-1894, pen and ink on drawing parchment, various sizes ( 20 x 31cm to 72 x 147cm) , stamped with index numbers in black and stamps detailing the origin or intended recipient (occasional tears or wear). Emanating from the office of John Wolfe Barry these duplicate plans were prepared from drawings sent by some of the chief contractors working on the construction of Tower Bridge, and offer an insight into the building process for an iconic piece of engineering. The plans include details relating to the preliminary stages of construction – the positioning shown relative to barge routes on the Thames in one case, as well as a temporary staging from 1889 showing the bridge in its entirety – and illustrate the infrastructure impacts of such a project, demanding solutions for systems ranging from sewage to electral wiring. Alterations to the stairs and steelwork of the bridge are seen as the construction progresses, working towards completion in 1894. The plans were sent to the office of Wolfe Barry, head engineer, from the offices of Baron Armstrong – overseeing hydraulics – and Sir William Arrol, as well as from that of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, an earlier contender for chief architect on the project. Further plans are marked specifically as being sent to Barry himself, to his partner in the enterprise Henry Marc Brunel – son of Isambard – and to George Crutwell, the resident engineer for the work. [With:] A selection of engineering instruments also from Wolfe Barry's office.