The Triumphal Bridge was designed by architect John M. Carrière to "establish an entrance-portal to the great courts of the Exposition proper. As a gateway from the natural landscape of the park into the formal scheme of the Exposition, it was desirable that it should have both the elements of dignity and exposition gaiety."¹ Made of gray colored plaster so it would resemble stone, the pylons were 50 feet tall with statues of rearing horsemen topping each pylon. Carrière explained that these statues "carry out the idea of of national power and glory welcoming the world to the Exposition."² The Triumphal Bridge also carried visitors over the Grand Canal, a mile long artificially constructed waterway that encircled the Exposition grounds. Visitors had the option of taking one of the gondolas, small boats, or electric powered launches that shuttled people through the canals between approximately a dozen docking piers..

Next Stop - Temple of Music

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1. Fox, Austin, Symbol and Show: The Pan-American Exposition of 1901, Buffalo, New York: Meyer Enterprises, 1987,  p. 8

2. Ibid.