Title from caption on object: “Piercing New York Skyline”

March 3, 1932

American 20th Century

Associated Names
American 20th Century

Artist

ACME Newspictures

Publisher

Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA)

Publisher, est. 1902

This is a photograph of a construction scene showing a high-altitude view of an iron or steel skeleton of a skyscraper under construction. A prominent crane with multiple hooks and cables is visible. The background features the spire of the Chrysler Building against a clear sky, suggesting the location is likely in New York City. The composition emphasizes the scale and height of the construction and the network of supports and beams forming the structure.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon

  • Dimensions

    image: 21.6 × 16.8 cm (8 1/2 × 6 5/8 in.)
    sheet: 22.9 × 17.8 cm (9 × 7 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2018.177.297

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(sale, RMY Auctions, Wilder, ID); Mary and Dan Solomon, Monarch Beach, CA; gift to NGA, 2018.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

on verso, by unknown hand, upper left in graphite inverted: A58234; upper center in graphite inverted and crossed out: A 30 4; center left in graphite inverted and underlined: Steel worker; center right stamped in purple ink inverted: REF. DEP. / AUG 12 1932 / N.E.A.; by unknown hand, center right in graphite perpendicular: 5+1; lower center Acme copyright stamp in red ink inverted and partially visible; lower center printed in purple ink on applied paper inverted: 196726 / PIERCING NEW YORK SKYLINE / A VERITABLE FOREST OF STEEL WORK, THE RCA BUILDING IN / THE $250,000,000 [by unknown hand in graphite: X] ROCKEFELLER [by unknown hand in graphite: ✓] CENTER DEVELOPMENT XXXX / GREETS THE NEW YORK SKYLINE. THE BUILDING WILL BE SEVENTY / STORIES HIGH, AND WILL CONTAIN MORE OFFICE SPACE THAN / ANY OTHER BUILDING IN THE WORLD. THIS BUILDING WILL / CONTAIN TWO MILLION SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE, TWENTY / SIX ELECTRICALLY SHIELDED BROADCASTING STUDIOS, SIX / AUDITION ROOMS AND EQUIPMENT POWERFUL ENOUGH TO BROADCAST / TO PRACTICALLY EVERY HUMAN BEING ON EARTH. ABOVE PHOTO XX / SHOWS WORKMEN ON THE FRAMEWORK OF THE BUILDING. / CREDIT LINE (ACME) 3/3/32 / EDITORS: DO NOT RELEASE BEFORE AUGUST 14, 1932.

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