Construction of the Great Victoria Bridge in Canada - photo 1
Construction of the Great Victoria Bridge in Canada - photo 2
Construction of the Great Victoria Bridge in Canada - photo 3
Construction of the Great Victoria Bridge in Canada - photo 4
Construction of the Great Victoria Bridge in Canada - photo 5

Construction of the Great Victoria Bridge in Canada

Lot 48
16.06.2023 16:00UTC -05:00
Classic
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$ 20 160
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
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Archive
ID 965104
Lot 48 | Construction of the Great Victoria Bridge in Canada
Estimate value
$ 20 000 – 30 000
Construction of the Great Victoria Bridge in Canada
James Hodges, 1860
HODGES, James (1814-1879). Construction of the Great Victoria Bridge in Canada. London: John Weale, 1860.

An outstanding monument to Victorian design and engineering, an exceptionally rare deluxe issue of this work, probably a very limited hors-commerce edition made for sponsors and participants in the building of the Great Victoria Bridge. The Marchioness of Willingdon’s copy. Marie Willingdon was the granddaughter of the railway magnate Thomas Brassey, one of the original contractors for the Victoria Bridge.

James Hodges turned to railway construction while still a teenager and quickly proved himself a gifted engineer. He arrived in Canada in 1853 to direct the enormous task of building Victoria Bridge over the St. Lawrence, near Montreal. “The Grand Trunk Railway Company wanted to do away as soon as possible with the ferry linking the two banks, which would lighten its annual budget by about £2,500. The contractors therefore decided in June 1858 to try to open the bridge to traffic by the following year. To meet this objective, Hodges used the support of the ice to place in position during the winter of 1858–59 the central deck of the bridge and its tubular structure, which measured 330 feet in length and weighed 771 tons. By this daring operation he completed his task before the time provided for in the contract. This achievement earned him the honour, on 25 Aug. 1860, of welcoming the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII, who had come specially to open the bridge, named Victoria after the reigning sovereign” (DCB). It is fitting that such an audacious success should be commemorated in a deluxe color-plate book. The regular issue of this work is two volumes, one of which is quarto, bound in cloth, and without the gilt borders on every page (besides the plans). Abbey Travel 631 (trade edition); Bobins 52; Sabin 32342 (trade edition, “a most important and valuable engineering work”); TPL 3914; Spendlove, pp. 73-76.

Two volumes bound together, folio (588 x 434mm). With 64 lithographed plates, including the title and dedication printed in gold and purple, and 20 color lithographs, mostly duotone and finished by hand; plus 42 lithographs of design plans, many of which are double-page and two folding (occasional minor finger-soiling and one or two spots). Original pictorial red morocco, richly gilt, the covers with two wide borders of roses, rose and thistle corner-pieces, the entrance to the bridge gilt-stamped in central roundels, spine gilt in compartments with morocco labels, turn-ins gilt, all edges gilt (board edges rubbed with boards just showing, spine rubbed with small chips at ends). Provenance: Mr. and Mrs. W.L. McDougald of Montreal; Wilfrid Laurier McDougald, 1881-1942, was a Canadian Senator (presentation leaf tipped to front free endpaper, dated 14 February 1928, gifting the volume to:) – The Viscountess Marie Willingdon, 1875-1960, then the wife of the Governor General of Canada (presentation leaf, bookplate) – pencil note of Lady Willingdon’s gift of the volume on April 1942 to an institution – Sotheby’s, 7 December 1993, lot 144.Hodges, James
Canada
Engineering
Place of origin:Canada, Northern Europe, Europe, United Kingdom
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
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16.06.2023
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