The U.S.'s West Coast Icon Turns 75

May 28, 2012 9:55 AM

The Golden Gate Bridge is 75 years old today. They had a daylong celebration culminating in a spectacular fireworks display. These people had an excellent view of the finale.
posted by NetizenKen (12 comments total)

Really nice set of commemorative posters.
posted by davebush at 10:00 AM on May 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

I though this was a neat idea--the Atlantic took a commemorative 1937 program and mapped out all the Bay Area businesses that advertised in it.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:14 AM on May 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Whoa. Those are some nice fireworks.
posted by SLC Mom at 10:18 AM on May 28, 2012

Here in Vancouver we celebrate the Lions Gate being 75 next year. Rather than fireworks and cheering we're gong to piss and moan about how inadequate it is and if anyone in this fucking city had even an ounce of vision it'd have been replaced decades ago.

Then we'll probably curse at baby ducklings crossing the causeway during rush hour, not becuase we're bad people but rather becuase navigated that antiquated piece of shit is so rage inducing that even sweet innocent little ducklings can make you go Falling Down while sitting in the fumes from the other fifty thousand idiots too lazy to drive over to second narrows, because it's always faster.
posted by Keith Talent at 10:19 AM on May 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

One of the things I was surprised to learn today was that Yoko Ono was there when the bridge was first opened!
posted by vacapinta at 10:20 AM on May 28, 2012 [6 favorites]

I see a slight clarification may be in order: May 27, when public pedestrian access was first permitted, was the true anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge's opening day; whereas May 28 is the anniversary of the first officially sanctioned vehicular access by the general public.
posted by NetizenKen at 10:20 AM on May 28, 2012

I was there for the fireworks. Quite impressive. Although the synchronised music left a lot to be desired.

Anyone know when the Nimitz leaves town?
posted by schwa at 10:23 AM on May 28, 2012

I have the book Spanning the Gate by Stephen Cassady.

It's really excellent and my favorite picture from it is of one of the decorative brackets in the portals.

I contacted the group who supposedly owns the copyright to the picture to get a nice legal copy suitable for hanging on the wall. They responded fairly quickly with a weird answer. I was expecting something like "it'll be a whole bunch of money" or "we don't give permission to individuals" or any of a bunch of other reasonable responses. They said, "Oh…sorry we are not able to assist you with that…." Why the hell not, you 'assisted' the guy who wrote the book....jerks.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 12:30 PM on May 28, 2012

If you've not had the chance to watch the The Bridge, a 2006 documentary film by Eric Steel that consists of the results of one year's filming of the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004, which captured a number of suicides, and additional filming of family and friends of some of the identified people who had thrown themselves from the bridge.

It's not something that will make you smile or laugh, but it is beautifully filmed and very informative.
posted by Fizz at 1:42 PM on May 28, 2012

So depressing. I was offered a job on the fireworks boat, but I had to turn it down due to a prior engagement. :(
posted by mollymayhem at 10:12 PM on May 28, 2012

Yup, those were some spectacular fireworks. Most of the friends I was hanging out with that afternoon wimped out declined to go see them. My one adventurous friend and I drove around Laurel Heights until we found the perfect street corner with a view of the bridge and the Bay. It was clearly the neighborhood consensus spot; the crowd was spilling into the street by the time the fireworks started. It was one of the best fireworks shows I've ever seen, starting with the waterfall effect off the deck of the bridge. The use of the bridge itself was really spectacular -- fireworks shooting off the towers, the waterfall from the deck, etc.

These photos by David Yu are also really great.
posted by gingerbeer at 8:30 PM on May 29, 2012

I was thinking of making a FPP of this, but I thought it seemed a little thin -- then I realized it'd be perfect as a comment here.

Shrouded in Mystery: the Golden Gate Bridge as portrayed on the covers of mystery novels.
posted by Zed at 10:24 AM on June 7, 2012