The Tyne Bridge Under Construction
as seen in old postcards and photographs

From the time of the Romans until 1849, there was only one bridge available to use when crossing the Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle. With the opening of the King Edward VII bridge in 1906 the number of bridges had risen to 4. The construction of the fifth bridge, the "New Tyne Bridge" was extensively photographed, particularly by prolific Gateshead photographer and postcard manufacturer Robert Johnston, who issued over sixty different postcards in his "Monarch" series which chronicled every stage of the building of the bridge. The majority of these images are by Johnston, some of them from the postcards themselves, others from a compilation of his photographs which he produced in March 1928.

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Pushing out from Gateshead Side,
8th February 1927



Gateshead Side,
8th February - 11th March 1927


Pushing out from Newcastle Side,
28th April 1927


Gateshead Side from above,
11th March 1927 /
Gateshead Side,
28th April 1927 /
Constructing Roadway,
5th May 1927 /
Close View Road Construction,
5th May 1927


General View showing Position of New Bridge,
9th May 1927


Roadway Newcastle Side /
Gateshead Side /
Newcastle Side /
Close View Newcastle Side,
9th May 1927


Newcastle Side reaches River Edge,
25th July 1927


Temporary Cradle to carry Span,
25th July 1927


Cradle at Gateshead showing Workers Hen Walk,
25th July 1927


The Span, Gateshead,
17th October 1927


The Start of the Span at Newcastle,
17th October 1927


Gateshead Side,
17th October 1927 /
Span Newcastle Side /
Both Spans /
Span showing Cable Supports,
11th January 1928


Progress of the Spans
11th January 1928


9th February 1928


Four of the Tyne Bridges,
9th February 1928


View from Gateshead,
9th February 1928


As seen from Gateshead Quay,
9th Feburary 1928


Looking East,
9th February 1928


The New Tyne Bridge,
9th February 1928 (34)

Monarch Series postcard


The Spans Joined,
25th February 1928 /
Spans Completed,
10th March 1928


The New Tyne Bridge,
10th March 1928 (40)

Monarch Series postcard


The New Tyne Bridge,
10th March 1928 (41)

Monarch Series postcard


New Tyne Bridge (B)
This Monarch Series postcard shows a view which would never have been seen around the time it was issued in March 1928. The trams have obviously been superimposed on the photograph by Robert Johnston, since at this stage of the construction no tramlines had been laid.


The Four Bridges,
11th July 1928 (48)

This Monarch Series postcard was posted from Newcastle to Belgium on 5th August 1928


New Tyne Bridge,
Newcastle-on-Tyne

An aerial view produced by W.H. Smith and Sons in their Forth Series and given away by the Sunday Sun newspaper on 14th July 1928. This gives a clear view of the progress in constructing the Tyne Bridge towers, which are both still beneath the level of the roadway.


The New Bridge from the river,
Newcastle-on-Tyne

The towers on the Newcastle side are now beginning to take shape. Produced by Lilywhite of Halifax (NOT. 21).


The New Tyne Bridge,
6th September 1928 (51)
This Monarch Series postcard was posted from Gateshead to Middlesbrough on 2nd October 1928.


The New Tyne Bridge,
8th October 1928 (55)

The gleaming white towers on the Newcastle side of the bridge are now complete. Monarch Series postcard.


Souvenir Programme
This Souvenir was presented by the Newcastle upon Tyne City Council to Yvonne Adamson of Central Newcastle High School.


Tyne Bridge
This photo by Bacon which appeared in the souvenir programme for the opening of the Tyne Bridge on 10th October 1928 has been somewhat touched up, as by this date the towers on the Gateshead side were still incomplete and below the level of the roadway.


The New Bridge over the River Tyne at Newcastle
This drawing appeared in the souvenir programme for the opening of the Tyne Bridge on 10th October 1928.


Opening of the Tyne Bridge, 10th October 1928, by His Majesty The King (C)
Monarch Series postcard


Opening of the Tyne Bridge, 10th October 1928, by His Majesty The King (A)
This Monarch Series postcard shows that at this stage the Gateshead towers had yet to reach the roadway. Notice the spectators on the roof and tower of St. Marys.


The New Tyne Bridge
Monarch Series postcard (no: 9763)


The New Tyne Bridge
The Gateshead towers are finally complete. Monarch Series postcard (no: 9822)


The New Tyne Bridge, Newcastle-on-Tyne


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