Alfred Dunhill
Tower Bridge 1894-1994 4101 Shell Briar
England34 (1994)
4
101 Apple
Limited Edition 137 of 350
Briar, Sandblast
Ebonite Fish-tail Wide-bore
3,9mm
AD 925er Sterling Silver
Unsmoked
Tower Bridge 1894 - 1994
This Dunhill Pipe celebrates the 100th anniversary of Tower Bridge wich was opened by the Prince of Wales on the 30th June 1894.
It is a Shell Briar Group 4 Apple with an embossed sterling silver band. Each pipe is from a Limited Edition of 350 pipes.
THE HISTORY OF TOWER BRIDGE
London's rise to importance as a City stems, in Part, from the establishment of London Bridge. This Bridge was the only crossing point over the Thames until Westminster Bridge was opened in 1749.
Other bridges further upstream followed as the city's Population increased, and Brunel's Thames Tunnel and Thames Subway were developed in the 19th century for pedestrians to cross downstream. The spread of London eastwards resulted in heavy congestion on London Bridge. A new crossing further east was required, and the Special Bridge or Subway Committee was convened in 1876 to consider the problem. The site was fixed, but special requirements were involved. Ocean-going ships regularly called at the wharves up to London Bridge: restriction of their access would involve massive compensation. The Committee considered numerous designs, including ones for a subway and a ferry, but none were approved. The City Architect, Horace Jones, proposed a bascule Bridge in 1878 and John Wolfe Barry the civil engineer supported the scheme.
Parliament approved a provisional design in 1885 but Wolfe Barry refined the original proposals following Jones's death in 1887. Work began on site in 1886, and Tower Bridge was opened by the Prince of Wales on the 30th Julie 1894.
The Bridge was funded by the Bridge House Estates Committee of the City of London Corporation, the ancient trust which over the centuries had maintained London Bridge. The Trust has continued to maintain the Bridge throughout its life, and no tolls have ever been paid by those passing over or under it. On average the Bridge has been 'lifted' 14 times a day since 1894. From 655 openings. over its first months of use, it had reached a total of 325,358 by 1955. In recent years the frequency of 'lifts' has dropped as a result of the closure of upstream wharves. Whilst there has been a reduction in river traffic, the Bridge has seen a great increase in road traffic and particularly in the weight of the vehicles crossing. This has resulted in the imposition in recent years of a 17 tonne axle weight restriction. In 1982 a conversion and renovation scheme transformed the Bridge into an award-winning tourist attraction. This included the re-opening of the walkways which had been closed to the public since 1910. The granite and Portland stone was cleaned and the Bridge. repainted in its present colours. The Museum was opened at this time and has since attracted an average of over 500,000 visitors a year. In preparation for its Centenary Celebrations in 1994, the Bridge has recently undergone a total refurbishment including the establishment of an exciting new exhibition entitled "The Celebration Story".
This exhibition and the refurbished Bridge was re-opened by the Lord Mayor of London in October 1993.
pipe details approx.
A
3,5 cm
1.38 inch
B
4,1 cm
1.61 inch
C
13,5 cm
5.32 inch
D
1,9 cm
0.75 inch
E
3,6 cm
1.42 inch
Weight
33 gramm
33 gram
