The Great Depression inspired some of the most memorable photographs of the 20th century by perfectly capturing the heartache and suffering of a nation out of work. Images of breadlines, derelict housing, and desperate mothers informed the cultural consciousness by bringing the Depression to newsstands across the United States. But Lunch Atop a Skyscraper was different.
The sight of 11 Rockefeller Center construction workers casually eating lunch across a beam hanging 850 feet in the air was a hopeful look at life in the ’30s. It showed the world that New York City—and America as a whole—was still building, still progressing, and, most importantly, still working.
It’s been over eight decades since the image was printed in the New York Herald-Tribune on October 2, 1932, and it’s been one of the most well-recognized pieces of photography ever since.
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Product Description
Lunch atop a Skyscraper is an iconic photograph taken atop the ironwork of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, during the construction of the Rockefeller Center, in Manhattan, New York City, United States. The photograph depicts 11 men eating lunch, seated on a girder with their feet dangling 260 meters above the New York City streets. The photograph was taken on September 20, 1932, on the 69th floor of the RCA Building during the last months of construction. According to archivists, the photograph was in fact prearranged. Although the photograph shows real ironworkers, it is believed that the moment was staged by Rockefeller Center to promote its new skyscraper. Other photographs taken on the same day show some of the workers throwing a football and pretending to sleep on the girder. The photo appeared in the Sunday photo supplement of the New York Herald Tribune on October 2, 1932. Formerly attributed to “unknown”, and often misattributed to Lewis Hine, it was credited to Charles C. Ebbets in 2003. Evidence confirming his authorship held in the Ebbets’ Estate archives include original work orders showing invoices to Rockefeller Center for the time period surrounding the photo, letters of recommendation from his work at Rockefeller Center when the photo was taken, a copy of the original article from the NY Herald Tribune when the photo first appeared in 1932 in his own scrapbook of his work, photos from his office in NY taken in 1932 showing the image on a bulletin board display of his work, and a negative of him at work on the site that day. SOURCE: Wikipedia
This poster is a quality paper image designed to be displayed on a wall. This item is a regular-sized poster known as a Maxi Poster and is approx. 61×91.5cm. (The size of some items may vary slightly due to the age and/or the publisher of the image, but most are 61×91.5cm. If your poster must be an exact size, then please contact us for the measurement before committing to buy). The item(s) will be dispatched in a suitable tube (rolled not folded). Maxi Posters can also be purchased laminated, blockmounted, or framed. Any queries don’t hesitate to contact us.
