Walking across the Ben Franklin Bridge in 1939, from Philadelphia to Camden


Today I'm walking across the Ben Franklin Bridge from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Camden, New Jersey in 1939. I'm crossing the Delaware.

This image is from the Duke University site, and with the help of my top history adventurer, who prefers to remain unnamed, I know that I'm looking east. This bridge, of course, is still there, and you can still walk across it. I prefer to do it in my imagination.


That's me there, with a hat inspired by Chico Marx. My trousers are a little baggy, but that's OK, they're roomy! I'm assuming that's you, walking towards me, close to the edge. I'm afraid of heights, so I stay away from the railings! I'm wondering what I'm carrying, it looks like a book, maybe it's a satchel of some kind.


Look at those cars! Every one of them is a classic! I especially like that little roadster there. I wish that I could bring it back with me to the 21st Century. Thank you for walking with me!



Images from the Duke University Library Digital Collections.

Update: More information from the Good Captain - see comment below
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Comments

  1. Cpt. CrankyAugust 27, 2021 at 9:55 PM

    Very familiar with this bridge! The view is towards Camden, my home town. If you look closely, you can see that the 1st traffic lane is separated by a curb. When they built this bridge in 1925/6, the outer lanes were designed for trolley tracks which were to lead to a mostly underground trolley terminal at the Philly end of the bridge. If you look at an aerial photo of the Philly side, you'll see traffic has to go around either side of a large island, this is where the unfinished terminal remains But by the time the bridge was completed, all NJ trolleys had been converted to busses permanently. Many years later, the unused trolley lanes were converted to traffic lanes.

    What you cannot tell from these photos, is a heavy rail line (subway) that is still in use runs underneath the walkway. So actually if you look over the edge, the rail line is below you and projects 6-10 feet further out. I think it was possibly designed that way to deter jumpers.

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