The Great Depression produced many memorable photographs that captured the gloom, doom, misery and uncertainty of a nation reeling from a severe economic downturn and high unemployment. Lunch Atop a Skyscraper went against that grain of suffering and sadness. Below are some interesting facts about that iconic photo.
An Image That Captured the Public’s Imagination
It was September 20th, 1932, when an unknown photographer snapped a shot of one of the most dangerous, yet lighthearted, lunch breaks ever. Seated on a steel girder more than 800 feet above Manhattan, 11 iron workers were taking a break from toiling on the Rockefeller Center to eat, smoke, and chat in a carefree manner, seemingly oblivious to their peril.
The photo first appeared on the pages of the New York Herald Tribune of October 2nd, 1932. It immediately caused a sensation. The casualness with which the workers ate their lunch hundreds of feet up in the air captured imaginations. The image was embraced by the iron workers of New York City as a badge of their profession. The Big Apple also adopted it as affirmation of its self-image as the place where the impossible was routine.
Perception vs Reality
For the rest of the country, the image was inspirational. The workers, seemingly thumbing their noses at danger and the Depression, became a symbol of American grit, resilience, and daring. As it turned out, the photo was actually part of a publicity stunt on behalf of the Rockefeller Center. The workers were real enough, but the event was staged as part of a promotional campaign for the massive skyscraper complex then under construction.
To further rain on the inspirational parade, the New York Times ran an article in 2012, in which it was asserted that there might not have even been any danger involved. Per the NY Times, a completed floor probably stood just a few feet below the girder, out of the frame. Nonetheless, regardless of authenticity, the image served to uplift spirits and was a rare bright spot during a grim stretch of the country’s history.
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Some Sources & Further Reading
History Halls – After the Fame: George Murphy, From Tinseltown to the US Senate
Reader’s Digest – The Secret Behind ‘Lunch Atop a Skyscraper’
