LOWELL BRIDGES

An exhibit on the photography of Karen Westphalen September 19th through October 15th, 2008

At the Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center

A Program of Lowell National Historical Park

and the University of Massachusetts Lowell

A photographic journey of the bridges of Lowell
presented in tandem with an AutoCAD exhibit by students of Greater Lowell Vocational and Technical School.

Lowell Bridges combines the engineering talents and photography skills of Karen Westphalen into a unique exhibit.  Ms. Westphalen’s career as a civil engineer and her enjoyment of photography are evident as she displays her interest in the history of Lowell from an engineering viewpoint photographing the city’s six bridges that cross the Merrimack River over a period of several months, Ms. Westphalen sought to capture the features, craftsmanship and mood of the bridges. 

Working with students at Greater Lowell Technical High School (GLTHS) in Tyngsborough, Ms. Westphalen collaborated with teacher Guy Gangemi to create an engineering/drafting assignment dealing with bridge design.  Students were asked to choose a location for a new bridge over the Merrimack River in Tyngsborough.  Starting with a topographic map of that town, students selected and evaluated a location based on factors such as how much land would have to be taken by the town in order to build in a particular location; the slope of the bridge based on existing ground elevations on either side of the River; and the cost of the proposed bridge.  Each student wrote a brief report explaining their choice of bridge location, and then drafted plans, which will be exhibited along with the photos.

The Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center is located at 40 French Street, Lowell Massachusetts and is open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Sunday 1:30 – 5:00 pm.  Admission is free.