Witness History - Lunch atop a Skyscraper
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In 1932, a photo was taken showing 11 New York ironworkers casually eating their lunch while sitting on a steel beam at the top of a skyscraper. No safety harnesses, no helmets. Their legs dangled freely over the death-defying drop. 'Lunch atop a Skyscraper' is now one of the most famous pictures in the world but it's an image surrounded in mystery. For years, the identity of its photographer and of the 11 men have been unknown. Christine Roussel, archivist at the Rockefeller Center, tells Vicky Farncombe about her mission to uncover the photo’s secrets.
(Photo: Lunch atop a Skyscraper. Credit: Getty Images)
Published on Monday, 19th May 2025.
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