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Lot # 1505: George Washington Bridge (1955) "Traffic" Negatives

Starting Bid: $200.00

Bids: 0 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
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This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "2024 Winter Classic",
which ran from 2/25/2024 10:00 AM to
3/16/2024 10:00 PM



Yankee Stadium, in its varied iterations, is the iconic home of the storied Bronx Bombers, and many Yankee stars and hordes of Yankee fans have lived in Northern New Jersey and driven to games over the majestic George Washington Bridge, which connects Fort Lee, New Jersey, to the Washington Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan in New York City. From there, it is only a skip-and-a-jump to the famed Bronx ballyard. When it was built in 1931, the "GW Bridge" was the longest main-span bridge, at 4,760 feet, in the world. It is currently the busiest vehicular bridge on the planet, with upwards of a quarter-million vehicle crossings each day. The famed bridge has often appeared in films, such as The Godfather, Network, How to Marry a Millionaire, Sully, and many more. Presented is a pair of original 1950s negatives showing "traffic" on the George Washington Bridge. Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, who lived in Montclair, and Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, who lived in Hillside, were New Jersey residents who crossed the giant span countless times to-and-fro for contests at the Stadium. In fact, as a Yankee broadcaster, Phil Rizzuto was known to often leave the game after eight innings to avoid post-game traffic on the bridge. One of the negatives shows a traditional view of the traffic crossing the bridge in a horizontal shot, and the other negative provides a novel aerial view. Who knows, perhaps one of the cars on the bridge, one speeding so fast it seems like a blur, had Rizzuto behind the wheel, scooting home after a game to Hillside, New Jersey, and his lovely wife Cora? Each of the negatives is 4.9x6.9", and the negatives come in an original 5.25x7.25" manila envelope and stamped on the envelope is "GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE - TRAFFIC (JERSEY SIDE)/JUL 1955." The negatives are in excellent condition.

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