Card of the Day: The Opening of the New Lambeth Bridge

We’ve talked about the Lambeth Walk, know let’s talk about Lambeth Bridge. The Bridge was necessary in order to allow both predestrian and motor traffic across the Thames in an east-west direction from Central London. The Bridge was opening in 1932 by King George V.

This event is depicted in the thirty-eight card in the 1935 series of commemorative Silver Jubilee cards by Wills’s Cigarette Co.

The reverse of the Card reads:

THE OPENING OF THE NEW LAMBETH BRIDGE


In 1879, King Edward, then Prince of Wales, opened Lambeth Suspension Bridge; and on July 19th, 1932, his son, King George V, declared open its 936,000 pound successor. A great throng watched the barriers lift at the Royal touch, and to the sounds of sirens and cheering, the King and Queen, escorted by Life Guards and outriders, passed ceremoniously across. The graceful steel structure, carried on granite piers, is ornamented at either end with pylons each topped by a gilded pineapple. Heavy traffic was slow to make use of Sir Reginald Blomfield's fine new bridge, but in July, 1934, 10,222 vehicles were recorded within twelve hours.

The bridge still stands today, but has been reduced from four lanes of traffic to three.

Lambeth Bridge Today