Cranbrook House Circle Drive Footbridge Railings
The bridge leading from the hill in front of Cranbrook House to the Greek Theater was one of the last major structures to be added to the grounds. It was built of concrete in 1923 after a design by Albert Kahn, to span the cicular drive in front of Cranbrook House and provide an easier route to the Greek Theater. The bridge's cast iron railings were designed by George Booth and executed by the estate's blacksmith, Walter Nichols. Before his marriage to Ellen Scripps and his appointment as manager at the Detroit Evening News, George Booth was a successful designer of ornamental ironwork, who travelled across the country as a salesman for his company, Booth & Evans.
The designs for the railings were revised by George Booth's sons, James and Henry, without their father's knowledge. Originally, all of the decorative iron inserts were the same, but James and Henry were inspired to invert every other set of spiraling patterns, giving greater variety to the ornamental ironwork.
Mariam Hale
2023-2025 Collections Fellow
Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
September 2024
Height (railing): 35 13/16 in (90.9 cm)
Width (railing cap): 1 3/4 in (4.4 cm)
Width (bridge surface): 59 in (149.9 cm)
Depth (bridge at narrowest point): 13 in (33 cm)
ProvenanceGeorge Gough Booth and Ellen Scripps Booth (1923-1948)
George Gough Booth (1948-1949)
Cranbrook Foundation (1949-1973)
Cranbrook Educational Community (1973-present)
Credit LineCranbrook Center for Collections and Research
Cultural Properties Collection, Founders Collection
Bequest of George Gough Booth and Ellen Scripps Booth through the Cranbrook Foundation
Medium | MaterialsWrought iron
GenreObject TypeHandrails
