The Széchenyi Chain Bridge (Hungarian: Lánchíd) is a suspension bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. It was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest, and was opened in 1849.
The bridge has the name of István Széchenyi, a major supporter of its construction, attached to it, but is most commonly known as the Chain Bridge. At the time of its construction, it was regarded as one of the modern world’s engineering wonders. It has asserted an enormous significance in the country’s economic, social and cultural life, much as the Brooklyn Bridge has in New York and America. Its decorations made of cast iron, and its construction, radiating calm dignity and balance, have elevated the Chain Bridge to a high stature in Europe. It became a symbol of advancement, national awakening, and the linkage between East and West.
It was funded to a considerable extent by the Greek merchant Georgios Sinas who had considerable financial and land interests in the city and whose name is inscribed on the base of the south western foundation of the bridge on the Buda side.
The bridge was opened in 1849, and thus became the first permanent bridge in the Hungarian capital, after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. At the time, its center span of 202 metres (663 ft) was one of the largest in the world. The lions at each of the abutments were carved in stone by the sculptor, Marschalko János [2]. They are visibly similar in design to the famous bronze lions of Trafalgar Square by Edwin Henry Landseer with Marochetti (commissioned 1858, installed 1867), but they were earlier - installed 1852 [3]. They are also smaller (and appear from below to lack tongues). The bridge was given its current name in 1898.
It was designed in sections and shipped from the United Kingdom to Hungary for final construction.
After Boeing lost the bid to build the C-5 they turned there attention back to the civilian market and convinced Pan-Am to go in with them to develop what would become the 747. The 747 design was not the same that Boeing pitched to the USAF that design had a highwing configuration.
Passengers
452
MTOW
735,000 lb
Range
7,900 SM
I flew in One of these as a kid that was operated by the Flying Tigers Airlines, we flew from LA to Okinawa, I thought it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. During the flight I was allowed in the cockpit and the copilot let me sit in the seat, spectacular.
Fallingwaterfits your criteria admirably. It was a weekend home for a department-store magnate and his family. It was also the source for the Wynand country house in The Fountainhead.
A bit of trivia: The first skyscrapers began coming up in the 1870’s to 1880’s in New York City and Chicago. <snip> [t]he majority of the skyscrapers were privately owned, usually by private businesses
This is the ‘gherkin’ in London. It’s half owned by IVG Immobilien AG, the European real estate giant, which trades on Germany’s Xetra. The other major owner, Evans Randall, is a privately owned company. Link to contributing site.
How about roads? Are there any roads out there built not from taxpayer money?
Road building is a technology that’s thousands of years old, developed initially in the Roman Empire. The basic technology hasn’t changed much, just the materials used. As such, not sure any single road would qualify without some new unique characteristic that distinguished it from other roads in it’s design and construction.
The video game industry, the movie industry, the oil, auto, and aviation industries, etc. etc. Industries were created by companies taking big risks on unknown technologies and new products with no certainty of payback, and I would call the results a Wonder of Capitalism!
As somebody who is emphatically not a gambler, I always tell people they need to see Las Vegas. As a spectacle I’d rank it with other wonders such at the Pyramids in Egypt (which they have there as well :-)). Seriously, though, it’s an amazing feat of humankind.
All that said, it’s important to not use the same yardstick in defining “greatness” as the typical Monument. Values that individuals actually want to pay for themselves are typically not “grandiose”–they are, as it were, individual-sized.
On that note, how about all of the major diseases and ailments cured by private drug companies?
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The privately bankrolled Dragon capsule made a historic arrival at the International Space Station on Friday, triumphantly captured by astronauts wielding a giant robot arm.
SpaceX
is the first private company to accomplish such a feat: a commercial cargo delivery into the cosmos.
Silicon Valley is probably the greatest wonder of capitalism, though it might not fit all your criteria.
How about the Petronas Twin Towers? I believe they’re privately constructed and privately owned. They’re the tallest twin buildings in the world, and definitely have the “shining beacon of capitalism” look.
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