Archival photos reveal the destruction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed on Nov. 7, 1940, just four months after its grand opening in July. The incident is described as “the most dramatic failure in bridge engineering history,” the Washington State Archives said.

They say during the violent collapse, the main suspension cables were tossed 100 feet into the air, twisting violently and dislodging from their tower saddles before crashing onto the approach spans. With more than 350 wires snapped and the remainder severely distorted, officials declared the cables a total loss and salvaged them as scrap.

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A black male Cocker Spaniel named Tubby was the only victim of the disaster, according to the archives. The dog was left behind inside a car that had been abandoned on the bridge span.

Official records documenting the construction and collapse of the bridge are held in the Washington State Archives. These materials include original blueprints, monthly progress reports, correspondence, and photographs.

The public can now explore 443 archival photographs of the original and replacement bridges, including post-collapse imagery, via the State Archives’ Digital Archives.