Photo Essay: The Golden Gate Bridge 75th Birthday in San Francisco
The Golden Gate Bridge, which spans San Francisco Bay, turns 75 this year. This iconic bridge has inspired poets, filmmakers, photographers, and musicians for decades with its signature color (drably called International Orange), its sweeping suspension design, and its ever-changing wardrobe of fog and sun. Here are a few of our favorite Golden Gate Bridge photos to mark the 75th birthday of the span. And don’t miss the latest musical tributes at the end of this post!
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
Musical tributes to the most famous bridge in the US
The birthday of such a bridge inspired two very different brand new musical tributes. Mickey Hart, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and former drummer for the Grateful Dead, composed a “musical soundscape based on the real sounds of the bridge.”
Listen to a live recording of the Mickey Hart Band performing the composition at the Golden Gate Bridge 75th Birthday Celebration at Crissy Field:
Decades ago, Hart tried to scale the bridge to record sounds made by the structure which he calls a “giant wind-harp.” He was promptly arrested. Twice. This time things went more smoothly and Hart and his team capture the sounds they were after. Hart performed his composition as part of the Golden Gate Bridge’s birthday bash by playing a 27-foot (8-meter) stainless steel replica of the bridge which was built by engineers at San Francisco’s awesome Exploratorium.
Meanwhile, James Kellaris, a University of California marketing professor and “part-time” musician, won a contest put on by the San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra (who knew there was such a thing?) to compose a birthday song for the bridge.
He composed a mandolin ditty he calls “Chrysopylae Reflections,” referencing the Greek term “chrysopylae” which, according to Kellaris, means “golden gate.” Who are we to argue with a man with a mandolin?
Here’s more about travel in the US
See all of our Photo Essays
Nice photos! I especially love that last one.
Great shots of and equally great bridge! Each photo has its own personality.
Aww, you’re making me homesick! Loved these shots.
It’s been so many years since we’ve been to SF – would love to get back!
That Mickey Hart field recording is genius! Hart was actually one of the people who initially inspired my interest in world music via his albums with Mystery Box and the recordings he did for his Rykodisc-affiliated label back in the day. Great interview, too…
Love the shots where it is partially obscured by fog! Can’t believe it is 75 years old now.
I love that photo with the tree on top of the hill. It makes me think the bridge is leading to nowhere.
[…] one from Wharholian.com called “Urban decay on a day with the Golden Gate” and this great one from the Trans-americas.com Travel […]
Spectacular photos which really give a great perspective of this majestic bridge. On my bucket list….