The Empire State Building

• Main Authors: Hine, Lewis Wickes 1874-1940 (Author), Langer, Freddy 1957- (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Munich; New York Prestel c1998
• Subjects: Hine > 1874-1940 > Lewis Wickes; Empire State Building (New York, N.Y.) > Pictorial works > Design and construction; Documentary photography > New York > New York (State); Construction workers > Pictorial works
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.
• Physical Description: 103 pages illustrations 31 cm
• ISBN: 3791324918; 9783791324913

Lewis W. Hine's famous black and white photographs document the construction of the Empire State Building, the world's tallest building at the time. Hine pays tribute to the human spirit by dramatically contrasting the workers with the mammoth scale of the structure. Thousands of construction workers, electricians, and other technicians risked their lives to ensure that the skyscraper rose to its now legendary height. In observing these men at work, Hine created a photo-journalistic record of their daring and perseverance. His photos also give a surprising glimpse into blue collar America in the 1930s when jobs were scarce and morale hit rock bottom. But the faces of the men swinging from cables, dangling from beams, and relaxing on the Empire State's unfinished steel peaks convey anything but despair.