While New York’s bridges are often praised for their grace and beauty, the city’s tunnels get little love. And that’s especially true for the Lincoln Tunnel.
But in 1937, when the first of the Lincoln Tunnel’s three underwater tubes opened for car traffic, it was cause for celebration, with “gala festivities” like a military parade, aerial bombs, and an artillery salute,” reported the New York Times the day before opening day, December 21.
The last of the three tunnels was competed in 1957. How proud was the city about this conduit between New York and New Jersey? A photo of one bendy section made it onto a postcard.
Tags: Hudson River Tunnels, Lincoln Tunnel, New York City tunnels, Port Authority NY Tunnels, postcard of Lincoln Tunnel
Ephemeral New York 
June 19, 2017 at 10:43 am |
There’s someone walking on the card. Were you able to walk through the tunnel back then?
June 19, 2017 at 12:21 pm |
I’ve never heard that it was open to foot traffic. That’s probably the Port Authority official who let the photographer in . . . or shut off vehicular traffic so he could get that car-free view!
June 19, 2017 at 2:26 pm |
Yeah, tunnels were big deals then. I have a postcard, in color, of the Holland tunnel from around 1930.
June 19, 2017 at 2:32 pm |
I see “completed in 1957. The Lincoln tunnel was completed long before 1957. My dad worked on it but quit as sandhog thing was not in his favor. I don’t do caves either
June 19, 2017 at 2:48 pm |
This Port Authority link has a great photo of sandhogs; they said the south tunnel, the third of the three tubes,
was finished in 1957:
https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/lincoln-tunnel-history.html
June 19, 2017 at 3:54 pm |
I’ve never actually been through the Lincoln tunnel, but the Manhattan half marathon took us through the Brooklyn-Battery tunnel. It was pretty cool, although I would have enjoyed it a lot more at mile 2 than mile 12!
June 19, 2017 at 5:02 pm |
Or the *person* in the photo is *evidence* of a ghost. Drowned ship’s crewman or boater… watery burial after a homicide… scattered ashes of a loved one… someone who lost their life working on the tunnel… I’m surprised nobody here thought of that. (I am joking ghosthunters).
June 20, 2017 at 4:02 am |
It’s President Lincoln checking out yet another monument/public works bearing his name….
June 20, 2017 at 5:22 am |
Brilliant Ephemeral! Hail to the chief spectral *visitor*…
June 20, 2017 at 4:05 pm |
It is strange that Abraham Lincoln has never really been embraced by New York City even though this is where he rose to national fame after the Cooper Union debate. Certainly not popular in the city during his lifetime. And now just the tunnel, the art center and a statue in Union Square Park bear his name.
June 20, 2017 at 4:21 pm |
That’s an interesting observation. NYC probably has more things named after or relating to Lafayette than Lincoln. But don’t forget Abraham Lincoln High School Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn!
June 20, 2017 at 6:40 pm |
A lot of students would like to !
June 20, 2017 at 6:38 pm |
If that’s a ghost why would he /she cautiously walk on the narrow sidewalk?
This isn’t Charleston, ENY readers, give up the ghost theories.
June 20, 2017 at 7:20 pm |
Oh Kenny… So if it was a New Yorker ghost it would be standing in the road vs. on the sidewalk or crossing against the light w/ a mob of other pedestrian ghosts (which my GV born&bred friend called the ‘lemming’ effect… when a lot of NYers decide to cross against the light in front of speeding traffic — risking death as if they are one bioorganism)/crashing into ghosts riding ghost bicycles… etc.?