London Bridge in 3D

[P3D James R. Motley <ex836@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: photo-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, ar493@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: London Bridge in 3D]

Last week I purchased a nice Stereo View "London Bridge, London England" Copyright 1901 by Underwood & Underwood. This was the bright point of an otherwise very disappointing trip of about 90 miles to two different Antique Shows.

This salmon(beige) colored card with sepia toned photos (albumin print-??) shows amazing detail. Every stone in the nearest arch is clearly visible and still considerable detail even into the second and third arch. There appears to be about a hundred pedestrians and a number of horse drawn vehicles including about four two horse double decked people carriers. Each of the two horse vehicles(buses) had several advertising signs. Most prominent where the front or the back of the bus is visible is "NESTLES" on the top line with a logo and "MILK" on the second line. ( Is this the same Dutch company that is famous for its chocolate and the company that bought Cleveland based Stauffer Foods?)

Emerging below the first arch is a (small-?) ship with the name QUEEN ELIZABETH clearly visible and some sort of barge going into the shadows below the bridge. Lots of activity in this Stereo View--exactly the type of scene which has been the subject of discussion of scenes for preservation for the future. 

Perhaps many of the US and UK and other readers know that the London Bridge is now located in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Years ago (believe in the 1960's) a Land Developer for that area bought the London Bridge and had it brought to Arizona and restored there. Seeing the stone construction in the 1901 Stereo View makes the possibility of reconstruction understandable. One story I recollect back from that time was that the buyer thought he was purchasing the famous Tower Bridge as that was (and is) a symbol which means London just as the Empire State Building means New York,etc (don't know if that story is true). 

I remember from childhood the nursery rhyme which went something like "LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN, FALLING DOWN, FALLING DOWN, LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN, MY FAIR LADY...". UK readers, was that the reason that the London Bridge was taken down and sold? 

Now maybe some readers will take some 3D's of the Arizona London Bridge to preserve it for another hundred years. 

Regards.....Jim Motley.....ex836@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 



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