Description
The author of Three Minutes in Poland and Practicing uncovers the identities of the Empire State Building construction workers, made famous by Lewis W. Hines legendary portraits.
This little-known chapter of American labor history captures forgotten stories and features more than 75 photos and other illustrationssome by Hine that have never been seen beforeof working class, immigrant, and indigenous lives who built the architectural icon.
Who built the Empire State Building? Astonishingly, no list of workmen on this historic landmark was ever compiled. While the names of the owners, architects, and contractors are well known, and Lewis Hine left us indelible images of the workers, their identitiesthe last generation of workmen still practicing these time-honored trades, have not been identified until author Glenn Kurtz unearthed their individual stories for this book.
Drawing on eclectic sourcescensus, immigration, and union records; contemporary journalism; the personal recollections of their descendantsKurtz assembles biographies of these workers, providing not only a portrait of the buildings labor force, and a revolutionary re-interpretation of Hines world-famous photographs, but also a fundamental reimagining of what made the Empire State Building a fitting symbol for the nation, built as it was at the very height of the Great Depression.
For ninety years, photographer Lewis W. Hines iconic portraits and photographs have served as potent symbols of America in the early 1930s. Yet as famous as Hines images are, they have never been seen in their proper historical context. By identifying the individuals that built the early skyscraper, Men at Work transforms Hines evocative portraits from abstract symbols of an era into documentary evidence of specific, working-class, immigrant and indigenous American lives.
Author: Glenn Kurtz
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Published: 11/11/2025
Pages: 320
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.50d
ISBN: 9781644215029
Language: English
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