Old Hungerford Bridge: 19th century

Old Hungerford Bridge. An original, uncut proof, Calotype by Henry Fox Talbot, of Old Hungerford Bridge c1845. In 1845, Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed this suspension bridge between Hungerford Market and Lambeth. It was taken down in the early 1860s following the sale of the bridge and the market to the South Eastern Railway Company. A new railway bridge was built, though Brunel's brick piers were re-used. The suspension chains from the old bridge were sold for £5,000 and employed to complete the Clifton Suspension Bridge. This is the earliest photograph in the Museum's collection.