Previously unseen photos of Tower Bridge to be displayed in a new exhibition

These days, Tower Bridge is one of London's most iconic landmarks and a familiar sight for everyone in the capital. But back in 1894 it was a new and novel sight that caused a lot of excitement. Today's Londoners will be able to see exactly what that was like in a new exhibition of previously unseen photos of the bridge's public opening. 

“Launching A Landmark: The Unseen Opening Weeks” will be displayed on the pavements of Tower Bridge from 22nd June until September, and is completely free to visit. The images are being shown as part of the celebrations for the landmark's 130th anniversary. The images were kept by Edward Cruttell, one of the engineers who originally worked on the bridge, and were recently rediscovered by his descendants. 

The images show the final weeks of construction work on the bridge, including the workers who helped to build it. There are also images showing the first week that Tower Bridge was open to the public, and the thousands of ordinary Londoners who visited to see this marvel for themselves. 

As well as the images themselves, there will be an augmented reality experience as part of the exhibition that will bring the photographs to life, as well as exclusive online content that goes deeper into the history of the bridge. There's no need to book in advance to see the exhibition, you're free to just turn up and take a look. Find out more on the Tower Bridge website.