For 11 whole seconds, a man was suspended high above Manhattan, perched on a steel cable in work dungarees, tightening a bolt with a steady hand. The Hudson River stretched out below him like a dark and glinting vein, the sprawling cityscape of New York unfolding into the far horizon. This was the daily existence of structural ironworkers, who were tasked with constructing the Empire State Building - then the world's tallest structure at 102 storeys high.
Their work was hazardous, often precarious. Yet they persevered, driven by a sense of pride and accomplishment that would be lost to history in the haze of time. Captured by photographer Lewis Hine, these men became known as "roughnecks" - their nickname a testament to their unyielding determination and skill.
As construction progressed at breakneck speed over 13 months, Hine documented the development of the Empire State Building, taking portraits of individual workers, recording scenes of ironworkers in action, and capturing the camaraderie that existed among them. Their stories are now being unearthed by Glenn Kurtz's new book, Men at Work: The Untold Story of the Empire State Building and the Craftsmen Who Built It.
Kurtz delves into the lives of a small fraction of this forgotten workforce - men like Victor 'Frenchy' Gosselin, a connector who spent his days straddling hoisting balls in shorts and work boots; Vladimir Kozloff, secretary for the House Wreckers Union, fighting to protect workers from their perilous profession; and Ferruccio Mariutto, a terrazzo craftsman whose asbestos-related death highlights the dangers of construction work.
Kurtz's most daring theory is that the unknown "Sky Boy" - the man in Hine's iconic photograph - was actually Dick McCarthy, a second-generation American with Irish immigrant roots. The author believes he may have been identified by comparison of images and has 50% confidence in his conjecture.
As narratives of architecture tend to focus on the grand visionaries behind these projects, it's easy to overlook the human cost of construction. Kurtz highlights how workers' skills, training, and workplace conditions are vital to architectural history - a perspective that challenges our perception of who deserves attention and recognition.
Men at Work is more than just another tribute to an iconic building; it provides insight into the lives of men behind the scenes who shaped one of America's most enduring landmarks.
Their work was hazardous, often precarious. Yet they persevered, driven by a sense of pride and accomplishment that would be lost to history in the haze of time. Captured by photographer Lewis Hine, these men became known as "roughnecks" - their nickname a testament to their unyielding determination and skill.
As construction progressed at breakneck speed over 13 months, Hine documented the development of the Empire State Building, taking portraits of individual workers, recording scenes of ironworkers in action, and capturing the camaraderie that existed among them. Their stories are now being unearthed by Glenn Kurtz's new book, Men at Work: The Untold Story of the Empire State Building and the Craftsmen Who Built It.
Kurtz delves into the lives of a small fraction of this forgotten workforce - men like Victor 'Frenchy' Gosselin, a connector who spent his days straddling hoisting balls in shorts and work boots; Vladimir Kozloff, secretary for the House Wreckers Union, fighting to protect workers from their perilous profession; and Ferruccio Mariutto, a terrazzo craftsman whose asbestos-related death highlights the dangers of construction work.
Kurtz's most daring theory is that the unknown "Sky Boy" - the man in Hine's iconic photograph - was actually Dick McCarthy, a second-generation American with Irish immigrant roots. The author believes he may have been identified by comparison of images and has 50% confidence in his conjecture.
As narratives of architecture tend to focus on the grand visionaries behind these projects, it's easy to overlook the human cost of construction. Kurtz highlights how workers' skills, training, and workplace conditions are vital to architectural history - a perspective that challenges our perception of who deserves attention and recognition.
Men at Work is more than just another tribute to an iconic building; it provides insight into the lives of men behind the scenes who shaped one of America's most enduring landmarks.
50% confidence is kinda weak, but i guess that's the nature of historical detective work 
the thing that really got me though was how often we forget about the people who built these iconic structures. like, without the roughnecks and craftsmen, the Empire State Building would just be a bunch of steel and concrete 
. But for real, the lives of workers like Victor 'Frenchy' Gosselin and Vladimir Kozloff are like, so human. I love that Glenn Kurtz is giving them their due - it's about time we start talking about the people behind the buildings instead of just the architects or designers.
. I'm definitely adding this book to my reading list now - thanks for the rec!
. Like, what's next? They're gonna come out and say that the Empire State Building was actually built by aliens or something 
. Glenn Kurtz is trying to make some cool points about the workers who built that iconic building, but let's not get too carried away with speculation here. I mean, 50% confidence in his theory? That's a pretty big leap, if you ask me 
. And what about all the other guys who were involved in construction back then? Are they just gonna be forgotten because of some fancy book and a few photos?
. And don't even get me started on the asbestos-related deaths... that's just not something you want to romanticize 
.
. And what about all the other workers who built those structures? Did they get the same recognition? Nope 
.
. Newsflash: it's not all sunshine and rainbows, folks 
. There are risks, there are dangers, and there are workers who get hurt every day 
.
. We're not just building buildings, we're building lives 
.
i'm totally fascinated by the story of Dick McCarthy aka "Sky Boy" and how Kurtz tried to figure out who he was 
50% confidence in a theory is still super cool! and can we talk about how much i relate to these guys? they're just regular people doing extraordinary work and it's amazing that we're finally getting the recognition they deserve 