“The postcards are so fascinating because they are all large-scale unrealized projects. All the scale of buildings.”

—Hans Ulrich Obrist, 2009

In 1949 Kelly created his first collage incorporating a postcard, a practice he continued throughout his career. Each postcard features a location that held personal significance for the artist. Through the addition of collage elements, he altered the ready-made imagery of the postcards with humor and formal wit. In Brooklyn Bridge II a large white curve made from torn paper appears to span much of Lower Manhattan, from the historic skyscraper at 20 Exchange Place at the left edge of the collage to the base of the Brooklyn Bridge at the right.

This work is one of several references Kelly made to the Brooklyn Bridge, including the painting Brooklyn Bridge VII (1962).