TALK | Waterloo Bridge: Putting women’s history on the map one bridge at a time

Most history starts with a find.  So what happens when you start with an urban myth?

Thames riverboat pilots tell the story of Waterloo Bridge being built by women during the Second World War, keeping the story alive.

However, no “official” record of this history exists as historian Dr Wall discovered after years of trawling through the archives.

In 2005, film-maker Karen Livesey joined the search, filming of the journey to find these women. The Ladies’ Bridge, explores why these bridge builders and many female construction workers had been written out of history.

It wasn't until 2015, with the find of three photographs and a crucial interview from the documentary, that Historic England officially acknowledged womens’ contribution to the building of the bridge.

Join Karen to discover the story behind one of London's famous bridges.

Image : Girl acetylene welders were at their job as usual today, cutting the girders of the temporary Waterloo Bridge, which is being dismantled.' © Daily Herald Archive, National Media Museum, Science & Society Picture Library