“Bridging Urban America. The Story of Ralph Modjeski” (2016) – a documentary about Rudolf Modjeski

Documentary Filmmakers Driven by Passion: interview with Basia and Leonard Myszyński by Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdka (Translated by Anna Boyet)

JSG: Given the success of the Helena Modjeska documentary, did you consider it a natural next step to make a film about the equally extraordinary and talented son of the artist, Rudolf Modjeski, and the bridges of his design that had an impact on the development of American transportation?

Basia Myszyński: The film about Rudolf Modjeski and the bridges of America was inspired by Janusz Płachta, an engineer of Polish descent, member of the US Army Corps of Engineers, author of the book “Artist in Concrete and Steel. Bridges of Rudolf Modjeski” that was published in 2016 (he was still working on the book as we began shooting).

Janusz Płachta spent the last 20 years researching Modjeski’s bridges, giving lectures, and publishing articles about them. He saw our “Modjeska – Woman Triumphant” documentary on PBS Chicago and considered us the perfect choice to make a movie about the artist’s son, and his tremendous contribution to the development of the US. He promptly secured financial backing for the project before, the start of production, to allow us to gather documentation about Modjeski’s bridges. Because of the sponsors, who included Eric Wintemute, Tadeusz Ungar Foundation, POLAM Federal Credit Union (Redwood City, CA), Modjeski & Masters, Inc., Piasecki Steel Construction Corp., National Steel Bridge Alliance, Polish American Congress Foundation, US-Polish Trade Council and Janusz Płachta himself, the film could become reality (a link to the complete list of sponsors is available at the end of the interview – editor’s note).

We were surprised that Modjeski designed more than forty famous bridges, and yet few people knew about it. His engineering imagination made Rudolf Modjeski as famous as his mother.

There were also other reasons why we were eager to make the movie. We wanted to tell a story of American development, American transportation, and urban growth through the lens of the accomplishments of an immigrant. In Modjeski’s days (i.e. at the turn of 19th and 20th century), American infrastructure was in a bad shape due to lack of maintenance, funds and vision. Given that context, we were able to shine light on the greatness of Modjeski’s designs that lasted for 75 years. It’s a phenomenal way to educate engineers and future city planners. Another important theme of the film is the melding of art and science. Modjeski was a virtuoso piano player, and a genius mathematician. He had a very strong bond with his mother, Helena Modjeska, which was an essential element of building his film image. And finally, we believed that the documentary would be a great way to show the Polish – American community in a positive light.

JSG: The film tells a well-researched story of a great constructor and the biggest bridges in the US. You uncovered archival images and recordings, including one of president Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor opening one of the bridges with Rudolf Modjeski. Were you able to find a lot of source materials in American archives?

BM: There are many collections that include documents related to Rudolf Modjeski and his work. The Modjeski & Masters Inc. company still exists, and has impressive archives. The main American archives in Washington, D.C - the National Archives and the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution – contain a number of records that relate to that outstanding designer. The Modjeski family also has a sizable collection of diaries, letters, and private photographs. Every big city that has a Modjeski bridge also has a library; there are also libraries of the engineering departments of universities, and historical societies that have photographs, correspondence, and publications that could be used. Archival newspapers that set the documentary in its historical context, are available online.

In the California State Archives we discovered fascinating and wide-ranging records of Modjeski’s design work. We used those findings in the segment dedicated to the Bay Bridge. An expensive and valuable film about the Quebec Bridge on Saint Lawrence River, the tragedy of its collapse, and the visit of the future king of England, was obtained from the Canadian Film Archives collection. A previously unknown recording of Rudolf Modjeski’s speech at the opening of the Ben Franklin Bridge on Delaware River was sent to us by a son of Modjeski’s last partner – Frank Masters. The family kept the recording in a safe, and even Modjeski & Masters, Inc. had no idea it existed.

Another accidental discovery that gave me goose bumps was a fragment of a film about the construction, replacement of cables, and opening of the Ambassador Bridge. That exceptional material owned by the Moving Image Research Collections at the University of South Carolina showed the dramatic story of building the bridge. The license was expensive but by using that unique recording we were able to tell the story of the Ambassador Bridge without having to go to Detroit.

The license to use the historic recording of President Roosevelt with Rudolf Modjeski was given to us by the UCLA Film & TV Archives. The search for source materials was difficult and time consuming but the outcome was worth the effort. Our only regret was that we were not able to locate a recording of the opening of the Broadway Bridge in 1913 where the opening and closing of a drawbridge was demonstrated for the first time ever, and Rudolf was a guest of honor.

Not all Modjeski’s bridges could be featured in the movie. The key was to pick the strategic bridges that would be educational, demonstrate the history of communication, and that would best highlight the unique engineering talent of Rudolf Modjeski.

JSG: You interviewed experts about Rudolf Modjeski and bridges in America. How was he perceived by transportation specialists?

BM: Most of our experts considered Modjeski an extraordinary man, an artist, engineer, innovator, and educator. The famous and respected Henry Petroski described him as someone who knew how to deal with the challenges of a competitive industry, who could win people’s trust, and as a result win bids for bridge construction. Rudolf Modjeski was also good at self-promotion. He was charming and vibrant, and yet disciplined and committed to his work. His success also benefited from his great listening and communication skills.

Several experts we interviewed pointed out that Modjeski’s love of art influenced the esthetics of his bridge designs. A few noted that coming from a wealthy family, and enjoying a high social status because of his famous mother gave Modjeski a boost at the start of his career. Others believed that he strived to identify economical solutions to problems, focusing on projects that would be “cheaper, safer, and more durable”. Modjeski was prudent but at the same time he knew how to take risks. Looking at problems from a broader perspective allowed him to apply his own criteria in risk assessment. He understood behavior of structural elements as well as human psychology, and the importance of both of those components in business. His employees worked hard to focus on details and identify answers. But it paid off. He was a man with a passion for construction, and a great respect for Mother Earth. He worked with future generations in mind.

Modjeski couldn’t stand arrogance, ignorance, and negligence. He was drawn to creative, educated people with unconventional ideas. He mingled with Europeans who had similar education background, and shared their experiences. One of our experts stated that Modjeski’s role of a chief engineer came with a great responsibility for his projects but at the same time afforded him an extensive freedom of designing, which meant he was able to implement anything he came up with. That approach would not be possible today because of an entire system of checks and official approvals required for each step of the construction process.

JSG: Which qualities of Rudolf Modjeski do you value the most?

BM: For me Rudolf Modjeski was a Renaissance man; highly cultured, educated, disciplined, and respected by his peers. I admired his individuality, spirit, and constant pursuit of perfection. He always strived to improve himself and his designs; he evolved as an artist, innovator, and engineer. For Leonard, Modjeski’s most admirable qualities were his courage to design such monumental structures, and intuition he applied to solve the most complex problems. Despite his accomplishments and renown, he remained humble until the end of his life.

JSG: What was Rudolf Modjeski’s role in the development of American transportation?

BM: Modjeski’s bridges transformed the urban landscape of the US, and contributed to the development of the transportation network throughout the country. With his unique skills, Rudolf was the right man in the right place at the right time. Contrary to many of his contemporaries, Modjeski was able to design all types of bridges – drawbridges, cable stayed bridges, suspension bridges, or any combination of those. His designs showed great concern for the natural environment and the surroundings of the bridge. He took into account all geographic and geological factors that could affect the construction, which required extraordinary resourcefulness and experience. His bridges contributed to the boom of big Northern American cities such as Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, Portland, New York, Philadelphia or Quebec City in East Canada. In harmony with the development of technology and expansion of the transcontinental railway system, Modjeski built multifunctional bridges capable of carrying heavy cargo trains, and later - vehicles across the US. He developed and patented technologies to make such performance possible, to facilitate a faster and more streamlined transport of goods. In the words of Gray Brechin of the University of California, Berkley: “By building this vast infrastructure, the New Deal brought the country into the mid 20th century”.

Modjeski’s contribution to building modern America cannot be underestimated, not only in the context of development of transport but also his implementation of new technologies, application of cutting edge materials, and ensuring employment of large numbers of workers during the Great Depression, which helped lower unemployment.

He worked very closely with government agencies and financial institutions, and owing to his great reputation the bridges he designed were built fast, sturdily, safely, and cost-effectively. And they continue to serve America.

JSG: The film has some amazing shots of bridges from land, water, and air perspectives. Was it difficult to show those amazing structures from so many vantage points?

BM: To showcase the design, engineering, and architecture of those super structures in all their glory we had to film them from every perspective. One of the biggest challenges from the point of view of logistics, finances, and cinematography was getting aerial shots from a helicopter to capture the bridges in full sun, suspended between the water, land, and air. Given Leonard’s skills and experience, he was the man for the job. But getting those aerial shots required a permit, in certain cases from the US Department of Defense, because of the military significance of bridges. We also had to seek city permits to film a bridge, and sometimes a separate permit to walk on the bridge. In some cases, filming a bridge required us to increase our insurance policy. We also had to pick the optimal time of the year and of the day when the light was just right, coordinate our shooting schedule with the city schedule, account for the regular daily use of the bridges, and coordinate everything perfectly with the incoming vehicle and train traffic or approaching ships. Sometimes we had three different cameramen shoot a bridge simultaneously from different angles. Leonard would be taking helicopter aerials in a very narrow 25 minute window, with another operator focusing on wide angle shots of a river bank, and the third one filming a large barge passing under a bridge. We also utilized drone cameras (e.g. for shots of the Broadway Bridge) and GoPro cameras. When filming the Huey P. Long Bridge, Leonard was strapped to the side of the bridge to get close-ups of incoming trains, and shots from inside of the steel frame. It was pretty dangerous. And filming on water was really tricky too, because of strong river undercurrents.

Shooting the Quebec Bridge also involved some difficult conditions, as we had to consider the high tides and low tides of St. Lawrence River. As the water receded, it revealed steel sections remaining from the tragic collapse of the bridge over 100 years ago. Leonard would then take underwater shots, and split shots. We got some spectacular footage!

And whatever could not be filmed we supplemented with animation to complete our story.

JSG: Where was “Bridging Urban America” aired?

BM: The film premiered at the global steel bridge conference organized by the National Steel Bridge Alliance - our main sponsor. After that, we showed it at symposiums, technical universities, Polish-American organizations, and prestigious clubs, such as the Union League Club of Chicago, where the movable bridges designed by Rudolf Modjeski play a crucial role in the city’s communication system. The film had screenings in various cities where Modjeski’s bridges are located, and the screenings were often accompanied by an expert panel. The Santa Ana Bowers Museum in California held a series of sessions entitled “Two Generations of Modjeskis – For the Love of Art and Science”, which included two screenings of the documentary. In July, the San Francisco Public Library in cooperation with the National New Deal Preservation Association and The Living New Deal, as well as the Labor Festival, put on an exhibition of the art of the New Deal. Our movie was presented as part of that exhibition.

Our domestic distributor - NETA (National Educational Telecommunications Association) distributed the documentary to the US public television stations, and it aired on PBS in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland (OR), Quad Cities, NY, Vermont, Quebec, Philadelphia, and in August – on WTTW Chicago. DVD sales are also doing well. We were also thrilled to have the documentary screened as part of the Day of Steel webinar for engineers seeking to improve their qualifications; taking a quiz about the film was part of their credit requirement for the course. The webinar screening was organized by the American Institute of Steel Construction, a prestigious organization that awarded Modjeski’s designs on three separate occasions – and that feat has not been matched by anyone else since Modjeski. Our goal right now is to sell the film to TV stations all over the world.