- Additional Details
- Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
- Rating: Not Rated
- Number of Discs: 1
- Run Time: 50 Minutes
- Region: Region 1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Language: English
- Studio: History Channel
- DVD Release Date: May 25, 2000
The world's largest bascule bridge appears to be something it is not.
More than a century after it was built, it remains the largest bascule bridge in the world. But this instantly-recognizable symbol of London is not entirely what it appears.
Built at the same time as the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, London's TOWER BRIDGE, like those other monuments, quickly became an icon of its nation, a symbol of industrial might and technological daring combined with a deep sense of tradition. For the Gothic stonework that meets the eye is merely a fagade--the bridge itself is a steel structure swaddled in stone to blend in with its setting. MODERN MARVELS ventures from the Victorian era to the present day to tell the complete story of the famous span. Rare photos show the bridge under construction, and Bridge Master Keith Patterson tells what it takes to keep his precious charge in good condition.
Beneath the ornamental stone is the skeleton of a structure that defied conventions and remains a MODERN MARVELS to this day.