Bicentennial bridge photograph   Save
OARBAC Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest Collection
Description: Photograph of a truss bridge painted in red, white and blue for the United States Bicentennial. A boy dressed in red poses with his elbow on the railing. The image was submitted by photographer Ed Marinik of Marion, Ohio, in the Amateur category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. Marinik contributed the following information on a typed page attached to the photograph: "Rural Ohio Salutes the Bicentennial Year. Painted in patriotic colors of red, white and blue, this bridge on the Marion-Melmore Road in southwestern Crawford County, is an unusual tribute to America's Revolutionary partriots [patriots] of 200 years ago. According to the county engineer's office in Bucyrus, six other bridges in the county are similarly painted for this Bicentennial year. The work was done by college students employed by the county last summer. Each of the spans features 13 stars for the original colonies and the appropriate years, 1776-1976. Happy Birthday, America --- from rural Ohio!" In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B02F99_01_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Bridges; Celebrations; Public art
Places: Crawford County (Ohio)