Houston’s bridges used to glitter with “love locks,” tiny metal promises left by couples convinced their story would last forever. Over time, though, all that romance turned into real weight and real wear. As the city began removing the locks to protect the bridges, photographer Chris Pinon saw something worth saving. He started documenting the locks before they disappeared and tracking down the people behind them, hoping to capture the stories that had been hanging in plain sight.
Love locks might feel like a modern trend, but the idea reaches further back than most people realize. While many point to a popular Italian novel from the 2000s, one of the earliest stories tied to the ritual comes from Serbia during World War I. Legend says a young schoolteacher named Nada placed a lock on the bridge where she once met her fiancé, Relja, after losing him. The gesture became a symbol of love and remembrance, and locals began adding their own locks. The bridge eventually became known as the “Bridge of Love” (Most ljubavi). From there, the tradition traveled—spreading across cities and countries until it became the ritual we recognize today.
Seeing rows of locks, each one hinting at a private moment, has a way of pulling you in. Every engraving, every date, every rusted clasp suggests a story you’ll never fully know. And while I’ve always been fascinated by what they represent, I’ll neither confirm nor deny any personal participation in the tradition. Some romantic gestures are better left a little mysterious, much like the names on the locks themselves.
If you want to see Chris Pinon’s collection of Houston love lock photos, you can find it here.
