Registration is suggested, using the green Register for this Event tab at left. All are welcome to attend.  

Join author Bob Dover, in what promises to be a fascinating look at the history of Washington, DC through its bridges. Using maps, historical photos, and current photos about the history of the city , as seen through its bridges – what was constructed, where, why, etc., we'll see how this reflects what was happening in the city in terms of settlement, growth, industry, transportation technologies, and local and national politics.  

Not just a recitation of random facts and figures about the District’s bridges, his recently-published book, Bridges of Washington, D.C.: A History & Guide, walks through the different phases of evolution of bridges in the city in order to show the amazing transformation of the city’s riverfronts, especially the Anacostia riverfront, in the past 20 years. From what were once polluted, industrial, and distressed neighborhoods on both shorelines, the city and its Federal and non-profit partners have created clean, safe bike trails passing through vibrant new office and condo developments, all of them linked by wide, bikeable sidewalks on modern, sculptural bridges. 

About our speaker: Bob Dover, a native of Washington, DC, is a geologist with thirty-six years of experience in environmental issues, including writing impact assessment statements for transportation, solar power, nuclear power, and pipeline projects. His personal interest in geology is the role of topography, hydrology, and geologic materials in influencing human geography, architecture, and history. 

"From 2013 to 2022, I hiked across and photographed more than 600 bridges throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, studying the manner in which people use bridges besides the obvious use of getting to the other side. In doing so, I found that bridges represent a unique intersection of my geologic and other interests. Bridges are historic, bridges influenced settlement patterns, bridges are decorated, bridges are turned into blank canvases for light shows, bridges serve as centers of government and community, and bridges are converted to use as bike trails."

Mr. Dover is also the author of Bridgespotting and Bridgespotting Part 2.  To learn more about him, click https://www.robertdover.com/.

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