The iconic photograph known as “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” captures a moment frozen in time, taken on September 20, 1932.
In this black-and-white image, eleven intrepid ironworkers find themselves seated upon a steel beam, soaring 850 feet (260 meters) above the bustling streets of Manhattan, New York City.
Their lofty perch is the sixty-ninth floor of what was then the RCA Building, now recognized as 30 Rockefeller Plaza, nestled within the grandeur of Rockefeller Center.
This captivating snapshot, a feat of both engineering and audacity, was arranged as a publicity stunt, part of a campaign promoting the skyscraper.
The image captures not only the grandeur of the city below but the camaraderie of these immigrant ironworkers who, despite the precipitous elevation, partake in their lunchtime ritual with an air of nonchalance.
Perched in a seemingly gravity-defying manner, these men, who often navigated the complex network of girders with casual familiarity, etched a unique chapter in the city’s history.
The RCA Building in December 1933 during the construction of Rockefeller Center.
Lunch Atop A Skyscraper: Revealing the Backstory of an Iconic Photograph
Lunch Atop A Skyscraper – Revealing the Backstory of an Iconic Photograph
Lunch Atop A Skyscraper – Revealing the Backstory of an Iconic Photograph
Lunch Atop A Skyscraper – Revealing the Backstory of an Iconic Photograph
Lunch Atop A Skyscraper – Revealing the Backstory of an Iconic Photograph
