Brooklyn Bridge Walkway & Elevated Trains

This magic lantern slide view of the Brooklyn Bridge is from around 1890.

On the right is an elevated train and on the left we can get a glimpse of the Brooklyn Bridge elevated station. Trolleys and horse drawn vehicles are on the outer roadways as  pedestrians cross the span on the bridge’s central walkway.

At first I was unsure if this image was reversed. The steam engine’s smoke is visible in the foreground. Would a steam engine be pulling into a station on the right side? Unusual. But it is possible.

Looking closer, there is a policeman nearby. His badge is correctly on the left side of his coat. Also I mistakenly thought this was the New York side of the bridge looking towards Brooklyn. But examining other photographs from this period I did not see a station platform on the New York side of the bridge.

In addition, the New York side of the bridge has a much longer approach to the tower and roadway than seen in the view. So, this is definitely the Brooklyn side of the bridge with a somewhat hazy New York in the background.