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Sapphire Story: Dave FriederThe Bridge Man shares the beauty of civil engineering
a
lthough Dave never had the pleasure of meeting the
famed photographer in person, he was able to
connect with John Sexton who had been his personal assistant for many years. It was at a workshop by John that he met renowned photographer Morley Baer who forever changed the trajectory of Dave’s life.
Morley was very impressed with Dave’s original photographs and advised him to “put your excitement to work on a subject that you care most dearly about.” At that point, Dave had no way of knowing that this simple statement would lead him to the most exhilarating and fascinating project of his life.
Growing up in Queens, New York, Dave would look down from his apartment window at the construction next door in awe and wonder. When his family moved to New Jersey in 1959 and began traveling across the George Washington Bridge, his interest and love for civil engineering was “jump started.” He enjoyed working with his hands and when his father bought him a Rocket Launcher Erector Set, he was thrilled with the ability to build while
disappointed he could not build the “parachute jump”. His fascination for bridges continued as his family traveled around New York. All of the bridges had the same function but each looked so uniquely different. As he started to think about Morley’s statement, he realized that he cares most deeply about these magnificent bridges.
As he began to study bridges, he realized that they are more than a means of transporting passengers and cars over a body of water but in fact, are engineering marvels, each designed to be more than just a structure. He quickly understood what Morley had meant and had found a photographic subject that no one else had explored. There were no fine art books about the beauty and functionality of the bridges. His wheels were spinning and he was thrilled to take this next step in his career.
Dave was soon in touch with all of the relevant authorities to obtain permission to climb and photograph any bridge that he wanted provided he was escorted by iron workers. Very much aware of the risks and dangers of being hundreds of feet in the air, Dave took every precaution to ensure his safety. Dave was not only enthralled with the magnificence in design and structure of the bridges, but with their historical and sometimes controversial beginnings
Sapphire Story:
Dave Frieder The Bridge Man Shares
the beauty of Civil Engineering
www.davefrieder.com