Video Shows Recently Discovered Photos of Mackinac Bridge Construction

St. Ignace, Mackinaw City, MI – When Jacquelyn Zeman’s grandfather passed away, he left behind many memories and treasures for his family.

Henry “Hank” Zeman was a photojournalist with the grand Rapids Press from 1952 to 1987. He covered everything from basketball games to natural disasters.

He also took many photos of the construction of the Mackinac Bridge. Jacquelyn and her father Paul Zeman came across a treasure trove of photos, and worked for months developing and editing the photographs, then putting them into a video to share.

Jacquelyn included facts about the Mighty Mac, including:

-Construction began May 7, 1954

-The bridge opened to traffic Nov. 1, 1957

-The bridge is just under 5 miles long

-It contains over 931,000 tons of concrete and 42,000 miles of wire

-Painting the Mackinac Bridge takes 7 years

During the time of construction, Hank visited many times for his work as an outdoor photographer and on his honeymoon in 1954.  Jacquelyn followed in her grandfather’s footsteps, majoring in journalism in college. She now does public relations work in California. This video is shared with her permission, and we are very grateful for this bit of history.   Thanks Zeman family!