Old Hungerford Bridge (Number 6 from A Series of Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames and Other Subjects)

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Whistler etched a number of bridges in England and the continent, he had a fascination with waterways, rivers and lagoons, and the activity that occured on and around them. He did the Old Hungerford Bridge while preparing for an exhibition at the Junior Etching Club. Whistler scholar Katharine Lochnan notes on page 121 in her book "The Etchings of James McNeill Whistler": His appreciation of bridges probably began at his father's side, but he was much more interested in the old bridges which spanned the Thames than in the wonders of the Victorian technology with which they were being systematically replaced during the 1860s through 1880s."

Portcities London comments about this image:

"A view showing Old Hungerford Bridge, the pedestrian route across the Thames. This linked the south bank with Hungerford Market on the north side. It was probably etched in the winter of 1860 when the Brunel Bridge was being demolished to make way for Charing Cross railway bridge.

"The suspension chains, some of which are shown being taken down, were re-used to complete Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, also designed by Brunel. This etching anticipates Whistler’s move to an aesthetic approach, concentrating on simple lines and shapes to convey the scene. He has included a number of different river craft: steamboats, Thames barges, lighters and a hay barge. Figures can be seen working high up on the bridge."