- Title:
- Piece of iron bar used as suspended traveller
- Object name(s):
- Iron bar
- Brief description:
- This is a piece of the second iron bar that was part of Brunel's suspended traveller, a basket car which hung from an iron bar 305 m (1,000 ft) long suspended across the gorge. It was erected in August 1836 to enable people and materials to cross the gorge during the initial construction of the bridge. The first bar was dropped during its erection, causing it to kink. Following an incident on 27th August 1836, the bar was taken down and replaced. Brunel ordered a new, thicker bar 5 cm (2") in diameter to be made and within four weeks it had been installed on site. By 27th September 1836, Brunel made the first successful crossing accompanied by the son of Captain Christopher Claxton, Secretary of the Bridge Committee. While free for workmen to cross on business, the public were charged and it became a thrilling attraction as well as a source of income for the company. In 1853 - when the original ironwork of the bridge was sold off - the bar was taken down and parts of it were cut up and kept as souvenirs.
- Collection:
- Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum
- Associated concept:
- suspended traveller
- Number of objects:
- 1 piece of circular wrought iron bar, 50 mm/ 2" diameter x 170mm length
- Object name:
- Iron bar
- Object number:
- GB 3493 079
- Object production date:
- 1836
- Date - association:
- Creation
- Date - earliest / single:
- 1836-01-01
- Date - latest:
- 1836-12-31
- Object production person:
- unknown
- Other number:
- 2006-079
- Other number type:
- Accession number
- Responsible department/section:
- Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust Archives
- Text reason:
- Collection online record
Persistent shareable link for this record: https://museumdata.uk/objects/acf55acf-b7b2-3da5-bc67-57bcc3fb8c8b
Use licence for this record: CC BY
Attribution for this record: https://museumdata.uk/objects/acf55acf-b7b2-3da5-bc67-57bcc3fb8c8b, Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum, CC BY
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