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The 1932 "Lunch Atop A Skyscraper" Photograph Was A Publicity Stunt
By
Jen Carlson
Published Sep 20, 2012
Modified Sep 20, 2012
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Sep 20, 2012
Modified Sep 20, 2012
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Photo via christinyca's flickr
You know that iconic photograph (later recreated as a sculpture) of construction workers eating lunch on a narrow beam jutting from a skyscraper? Turns out it was a publicity stunt. Today is the 80th anniversary of when the shot was taken, and according to Ken Johnston, chief historian and archivist for Corbis Images (who own the image): "The image was a publicity effort by Rockefeller Center. It seems pretty clear they were real workers, but the event was organized with a number of photographers." You can actually find the photo at the Top of the Rock.
The shot was taken on the construction site of the RCA site, later named the GE building, which is part of Rockefeller Center. The Independent notes that it's unclear who the photographer of this exact image was (though it's often credited to Charles Ebbets) because there were so many there sent by news agencies.
It's also not known who the workers in the photo were—Corbis even "hired private investigators and enlisted a New York newspaper to help find out who they were," but in the end determined it was impossible to track down their names.
Tagged
corbis
flashback
history
lunch atop a skyscraper
pr stunt
rockafeller center
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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