The Bridges of Madison County

Of Robert’s work tools, the camera is most important. It’s his way of recording the world and sharing his perspective with others. He uses Nikon cameras, a name highly regarded among photographers and, at the time of Robert’s encounter with Francesca, the most popular professional camera. As a young man, Robert also used a Leica, another highly regarded camera. While cameras generally symbolize creativity, the author mentions these specific brands to establish Robert as a discerning craftsman who knows quality when he sees it. This further suggests that he recognizes quality in other things as well, including people, and senses it immediately in Francesca.

The significance of bridges is made plain in the novel’s title; it is bridges that bring Robert and Francesca together in the first place—not as practical structures of connection, but as the subject of artwork in Robert’s photo series. However, the practical structure of covered bridges also plays into their symbolism. A covered bridge contains an upper structure called a truss that’s made of wood and built to support the road bed; the truss is protected against sun and weather by a housing that resembles a long barn or shed.