In September 1945 Pix photographer Alec Iverson photographed painters working on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. He was ‘shown the ropes’ by experienced painter Stan Giddens, seen here walking up the main arch. In 1935 it had been decided that the most economical way to paint the bridge was to work from one end to the other. The process employed 42 men, who took about six years to complete it. Along the way, they used 190,000 litres of paint a year to cover the 80 hectares of bridgework.