View of the Vauxhall Iron Bridge

British 19th century unknown

Coloured engraving

published 20 August 1816
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  • About the work
    Location
    Country: UK
    City: London
    Place: Government Art Collection

    This view of Vauxhall Bridge includes moored boats in the foreground and the bridge beyond. A windmill can be seen in the distance, to the left. The new Vauxhall Iron Bridge was opened for foot passengers on 4 June and for carriages on 25 July 1816, less than a month before this engraving was published.

    Work began on the first bridge at Vauxhall, designed by engineer John Rennie (1761-1821), in 1809. It was built by a private company, known as the Vauxhall Bridge Company, on the site of a ferry crossing, as part of a scheme for redeveloping the south bank of the River Thames. However, two years later the Vauxhall Bridge Company decided to adopt engineer James Walker’s cheaper cast-iron bridge design. The new bridge opened in 1816 and was the first iron bridge to span the river. It operated as a toll bridge before being taken into public ownership in 1879. In 1881 the two central piers were removed and three of its nine arches were converted into a single arch. Between 1895 and 1906 the structure was replaced by the present bridge, designed by engineer Sir Alexander Binnie, which comprises of five steel arches supported on granite piers.

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  • Details
    Title
    View of the Vauxhall Iron Bridge
    Date
    published 20 August 1816
    Medium
    Coloured engraving
    Dimensions
    height: 28.10 cm, width: 43.50 cm
    Acquisition
    Purchased from F B Daniell & Son, December 1949
    GAC number
    1062