8. The Original Color of the Brooklyn Bridge Might Have Been Red
There’s some debate as to the original color of the Brooklyn Bridge. Some accounts indicate that part of the bridge was originally “Rawlins Red.” The color is based on a pigment from iron oxide near Rawlins, Wyoming, and the idea is supported by a color print by Currier & Ives from 1877 and a newspaper report from the Rawlins Times on the 100th Anniversary: “The old bridge is still sound due in part to several coats of anti-rust paint which came from Rawlins.”
But Rawlins Red may have been an undercoat, on top of which was painted what is now known as Brooklyn Bridge Tan, or two shades of buff, according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The official color of paint for the Brooklyn Bridge is less literary than either of them: “Federal Specification #20227.”