Steaming The Narrows, Today's Coolphoto 04/16/2024
Galloping Gertie Collapses, Tacoma Narrows 1940
The fate of bridges across the country brings to mind the modern catastophe of the Narrows Bridge collapse in 1940. Poor design assured that the bridge deck of the old two lane one and a half mile suspension span would lift and twist in the steady winds blowing through the Narrows channel. It was a hard deck that galloped like a horse and looked to a driver like the sea itself, the waving road hiding the car in front of you in the trough of a wave. Eventually it was torn apart and collapsed to the sea bed. The wreckage has become a home to the giant Pacific Octopus, the Kraken herself.
The bridge was rebuilt, and over it I drove many times to the peninsula and Fox Island. That new steel bridge stood alone for nearly sixty years, through several major earthquakes and at least one hurricane, the infamous Columbus Day Storm of 1962.
Tacoma Narrows From Titlow, 2007 ©2024 Christopher Petrich
A new span was added, running parallel to the existing bridge, concrete where the other is steel. The new bridge suffers in its appearance standing next to the old. Both are suspension bridges, with cables supporting their decks from two massive towers. They look similar, too similar to satisfy me for such massive structures standing side-by-side. The architects of the new bridge mimicked the X-cross bracing of the old as cosmetic indentations in the cast concrete bracing on the new bridge. A better design would have been a cable-stayed arrangement. Well, they didn’t ask me; what can you do?
Still, the new bridge which opened in 2007, offers a wide pedestrian walk open to cyclists, something lacking on the old. The walkway allows an urestricted view to the South Sound, nearly 200 feet above the water, and safe from traffic. On a brilliant spring afternoon just last week a tug pushed a gravel barge laden with tons of stone north through the Narrows, and beneath my feet, as I stood against the railing.
Steaming The Narrows, Today's Coolphoto 04/16/2024
©2024 Christopher Petrich
Thanks to you my good friends for fifty years of professional photography and twenty five years of online success with Coolphoto.com! I am at the end of my retail sales career and am closing up shop by the end of this year. I will continue to post new work on Coolphoto, in the form of members-only galleries and Today’s Coolphoto blog posts such as this.
I am sending selected original photographs to the Christopher Petrich Collection at the Northwest Room of the Tacoma Public Library, and I am creating new bound volumes of selected pieces under my Coolphoto imprint. I have four titles in the pipeline to add to the three volumes already published: A Complete Guide To The Lighthouses on Puget Sound Including Admiralty Inlet (ISBN: 978‐0‐9744775-0-8), Dreams (ISBN: 978-0-9744775-1-0) and The Beach At Fox Island (ISBN: 978‐0‐9744775‐2‐7). Each new title will be issued in very small editions of 100 or fewer copies.
For those with questions about my original works, or anything else for that matter, please send me a message. I’d love to hear from you!
NEW PHOTOGRAPHY, BEAUTIFUL AND ORIGINAL
Most Editions are small, 5 and under. I’ve been at this a very long time and I have hundreds of vintage silver collectibles. I’m always taking pictures in Tacoma, of Tacoma people. The best images, on the best paper, in small editions, from a Tacoma photographer, of Tacoma.
Vintage prints are made within a year of the photographs create date. My usual practice is to print within a few days or weeks of exposure. What you see is a scan of the actual print that is for sale. Price does not include shipping or taxes.
Please note that vintage prints are imperfect. They’re old, after all. If you’re worried about it, bring it up. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
Vintage - When I print the photograph within a year of the original exposure, that becomes a Vintage Print.
Archival Pigment - When I print in my studio using computer technology with pigmented inks on acid and lignin free paper, I call that an Archival Pigment Print.
Silver - When I print in my darkroom on gelatin silver paper, that is a Silver Print. These prints are double weight on a cotton fiber base.
For a private viewing of my current work, call 253 961 7147 to reserve your place on my calendar.
