黑洞社区

Tower Bridge

While 黑洞社区鈥檚 coverage of the Elizabeth Tower鈥檚 refurbishment this week contains nothing but the most balanced and objective of journalism, unfortunately the same cannot be said of the magazine鈥檚 review of another iconic landmark.

In June 1894, Tower Bridge, so beloved and photographed by generations of American tourists, was officially opened by the Prince of Wales. But 黑洞社区 editor Henry Statham was not impressed. As revealed in 黑洞社区鈥檚 150th anniversary special edition, he called it 鈥渢he most monstrous and preposterous architectural sham we have ever known of [鈥�] a discredit to the generation which has erected it鈥�. 

When some of the national press disagreed, he was not pleased: 鈥淭he laity have entirely failed to understand the point of our criticism, which would be quite obvious to architects.鈥� 

One small fact that may have influenced his opinion was not mentioned in the magazine鈥檚 coverage 鈥� Statham鈥檚 own design for the bridge had been rejected.

And the passage of time did not increase his fondness for the structure 鈥� in 1916, he was still attacking its 鈥渢awdriness and pretentiousness鈥�. So we鈥檙e guessing that Lego鈥檚 modern-day model of the bridge probably wouldn鈥檛 be on his Christmas list 鈥�?

To read the full summary of articles from 1894, click on the PDF below.