Vicki Ma

The famous Brooklyn Bridge was built in 1869 to 1883 connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn together for easier travel. It was considered one of the longest bridges built at the time and also one of the first suspension bridges in the world. During opening day on May 24, 1883, hundreds of thousands of people gathered and walked across the bridge from either ends which symbolized the unity that Brooklyn and Manhattan now had. 

This represents liberty and freedom to me because the Brooklyn Bridge has always been an iconic symbol over the river in New York City, and something my family first saw and crossed when they immigrated to the US. My parents settled in Brooklyn and they had the liberty to go wherever they pleased, both literally and metaphorically, and it was a symbol for the freedom of choice they had with their lives. I remember seeing the bridge growing up, and the view from the stereographic photo was the same view I saw when heading into Manhattan. Crossing it over time in different periods of my life made me reflect and see how many opportunities and freedom my parents were able to give me since moving to New York.

--Vicki Ma ‘28

Brooklyn Bridge Opening, 2007
Lehigh University Archives Record: https://archivesspace.lib.lehigh.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/89620

Brooklyn Bridge W.N.W. from Brooklyn toward Manhattan , New York City (90-5290) 

This text has been digitized and is available through the Lehigh Preserve digital repository