Charles C. Ebbets (1905 – 1978). Lunch atop a Skyscraper, 1932 The Ney York Coll

Charles C. Ebbets (1905 – 1978).

Lunch atop a Skyscraper, 1932

The Ney York Collection

Poster from a photo

63 x 90 cm

This photo was included in the 100 best photographs in the world of all time.

Lunch atop a Skyscraper (New York Construction Workers Lunching on a Crossbeam) 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 840 feet (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. The photo appeared in the Sunday photo supplement of the New York Herald Tribune on October 2, 1932.

Evidence found in the Ebbets’ Estate archives in 2003 his authorship confirming held in the 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. Ebbets was also documented to have been an independent contractor working at the time with the Hamilton Wright Jr. ad agency, which is known to have been hired by Rockefeller Center in 1932 to help with PR for the project.