Empire State Building
Hine took to great heights for this well-known photograph of a construction worker on the Empire State Building taking a break to enjoy a cigarette. Hine’s photograph juxtaposes the ordinary (a short break from work) with the extraordinary (the awe-inspiring view of the city). The recently completed Chrysler Building, whose height the Empire State Building eclipsed, appears prominently amid the haze in the middle distance as if already relegated to history.
Artwork Details
- Title: Empire State Building
- Artist: Lewis Hine (American, 1874–1940)
- Date: 1930s
- Medium: Gelatin silver print
- Dimensions: 10.0 x 12.2 cm (3 15/16 x 4 13/16 in.)
- Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987
- Object Number: 1987.1100.325
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
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