9. The Same Scissors Were Used for the Ribbon Cutting of Both the Bayonne Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Image via Flickr by State Records NSW, public domain.

The ribbon cutting ceremony for the Bayonne Bridge on November 14, 1931 was attended by delegates from the Sydney Harbour Bridge Commission. They brought a custom-made gold scissor, made by an Estonian named Vambola Veinberg, which was used for the ribbon cutting. Four months later, at the ribbon cutting for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the same scissors were used again. According to the Port Authority, “following the ceremony, the scissors were taken apart and each bridge authority carried away a golden blade.”