I need newspaper clipping and/or photos of the opening weeks of the Golden Gate Bridge and the stunts that people did. i.e. flying under it, etc. for a historical piece I'm writing. If you have any information on this please let me know

-- B Larson (bhlarson2002@yahoo.com), January 02, 2004

Answers

I don't know if these qualify as stunts, but here are some interesting photo's taken during the Golden Gate Bridge Opening, courtesy of the SF Library.

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAD-1298.jpg

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAD-1303.jpg

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAD-1282.jpg

http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAD-1297.jpg

-- Michael Binetti (mbinetti@boldata.com), January 14, 2004.

Thank you so much for your response. The first one covers some of it. I'd love to find a newspaper article or something like that naming some of the fliers that took part in the 'flying' stunts. Again, Thanks for your time and response. I really appreciate it. Bonnie Larson

-- Bonnie Larson (bhlarson2002@yahoo.com), January 15, 2004.

Bonnie,

While going through some old newspaper clippings from a book I own, I ran across this little article in the Chronicle dated May 30, 1937, the week of the Bridge's Grand Opening.

GIRL FLIES UNDER GATE SPAN

While thousands from the shore and on the bridge deck gasped, Bernardine King, Los Angeles Aviatrix and holder of many stunt records, piloted her yellow and black biplane under the Golden Gate span late yesterday, a first. Speeding at 115 miles per hour, the nations top women stunt flyer engaged in skywriting suddenly circled in a downhill curve and shot like a bullet under the center of the span. A couple of loops over the gate and Miss King flew away, content that she held indisputably the title of the first woman to fly under the Golden Gate Bridge.

If you would like, I'd be happy to fax it to you. I hope it helps.

-- Michael Binetti (mbinetti@boldata.com), January 16, 2004.