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Book Review of Empire State Building: When New York Reached for the Skies (Wonders of the World Book)

Empire State Building: When New York Reached for the Skies (Wonders of the World Book)
reviewed on + 1775 more book reviews


Many photos, supplemented by nice drawings by Alan Witschonke. I am glad to see Al Smith remembered 75 years after his death; "Let's look at the record," he would say. Note the Indians who had the guts to do steel framing at such heights and who enjoyed the good pay. I believe the Immigration Act of 1965 has pretty much squeezed them out of the business--many enjoyed working hard and then returning to the rez to kick back with their hard earned money.
And I am glad to see Lewis Hine remembered. The story of how they trumped the Chrysler Building (to become the tallest) is not always remembered and I did not know how solicitious they were of the welfare of the workingmen (low cost lunchrooms, shifts limited to eight hours, $15 an hour! During the Depression, just after this building was completed and they were mostly laid off from such work, $20 a week was sufficient for a single guy or gal to squeak by in NYC. Engineering of the footing, the load bearing piers, mullions, etc. all is briefly explained and illustrated.
Glossary, Bibliography, Map, and Index.