Going Up - Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge Canvas Print

The Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge begins to rise as it nears sunset.

Originally constructed from 1901 to 1905, the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge is a span-driven movable lift bridge that sits across the Duluth Ship Canal. Duluth's lift bridge was the first of only two transporter bridges ever built in the United States. The bridge initially had a gondola car suspended from the truss's bottom side and could carry 350 people plus wagons, streetcars, and automobiles. It crossed the canal every 5 minutes, taking a minute to make the crossing.

In 1929, the gondola was removed, and it was converted to a raisable roadway. The bridge raises approximately every 30 minutes to allow boats and ships through during the shipping season, March to January. As a ship passes through a Captain's Salute, a horn-blowing sequence of long-short-short is made, and the bridge copies it back. The horn on the bridge is two Westinghouse Airbrake locomotive horns.

The Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge was...

I'm a travel photographer that enjoys photographing United States architecture, nature, and transportation. As the 8th photographer in 4 generations of my family, I don't remember a time when photography was not part of my life. By the time I was five years old, I was standing on a stool in the darkroom, helping my dad develop pictures. It was my job to transfer the photos from the hypo to the water bath. I went to college for interior design. After I graduated, I had a long successful career as an art buyer and designer for a large home furnishings company. In 2006, I had a significant life change. My husband became a medical traveler, and I decided to put my career on hold to tag along. In the process, I found my roots again. What...