Turn Style - Happy 75th Anniversary Golden Gate Bridge

Before I relocated to Northern California, I visited San Francisco and had the typical tourist's reaction to the architectural beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I was overwhelmed by the imperial size and majesty of the bridge, and I was awestruck by the magnificent views the bridge affords of the Marin headlands to the north, and the city of San Francisco to the south.

Beneath the Golden Gate Bridge
Photo: Jeff McKown

Since I moved here, my appreciation has only grown. I've seen the Golden Gate from every possible angle now, and still, each time I make the short drive to the city, I feel a tingle of electricity when I first glimpse the bridge in the distance.

Whenever I cross the bridge, I experience the same humbling sense of infinite smallness I feel when I gaze up at the stars in a clear nighttime sky.

In the grand scheme of the wider universe, we humans may not amount to much. But while we were here on Earth, we built a glorious bridge that bestowed at least a little grace and beauty on our world.

On May 27, 1937 the Golden Gate Bridge was officially opened for business. In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the opening, the San Francisco Chronicle has published a collection of photos of the bridge in all its breathtaking splendor.

Below is a small sample of pictures from the Chronicle's archive. You can view the entire collection here.

The Marin tower of the bridge in 1935.

A worker looks on as cables are spun in 1936.

Under construction.

Opening day in 1937. Pedestrians cross
 the bridge while planes fly overhead.