Descriptions, Reviews, etc.
Description:
The author of Three Minutes in Poland and Practicing uncovers the identities of the Empire State Building construction workers, made famous by Lewis W. Hine's legendary portraits.
This little-known chapter of American labor history captures forgotten stories and features more than 75 photos and other illustrations--some by Hine that have never been seen before--of working class, immigrant, and indigenous lives who built the architectural icon.
Who built the Empire State Building? Astonishingly, no list of workmen on this historic landmark was ever compiled. While the names of the owners, architects, and contractors are well known, and Lewis Hine left us indelible images of the workers, their identities--the last generation of workmen still practicing these time-honored trades, have not been identified until author Glenn Kurtz unearthed their individual stories for this book.
Drawing on eclectic sources--census, immigration, and union records; contemporary journalism; the personal recollections of their descendants--Kurtz assembles biographies of these workers, providing not only a portrait of the building's labor force, and a revolutionary re-interpretation of Hine's world-famous photographs, but also a fundamental reimagining of what made the Empire State Building a fitting symbol for the nation, built as it was at the very height of the Great Depression.
For ninety years, photographer Lewis W. Hine's iconic portraits and photographs have served as potent symbols of America in the early 1930s. Yet as famous as Hine's images are, they have never been seen in their proper historical context. By identifying the individuals that built the early skyscraper,
Men at Work transforms Hine's evocative portraits from abstract symbols of an era into documentary evidence of specific, working-class, immigrant and indigenous American lives.
Review Quotes:
"Delving into census data, immigration and union records, contemporary newspaper accounts and the personal recollections of their descendants, Kurtz illuminates Hine's images in new ways"
--Catherine Slessor, The Guardian
"Capitalists build nothing. Workers build everything. Glenn Kurtz recovers the stories of the brave men who constructed the Empire State Building masterfully using Lewis Hine's famous photographs of them. A wonderful book for anyone who cares about the stories of real workers."
--Erik Loomis, author of A History of America in Ten Strikes "The Empire State Building is one of the most iconic buildings ever built. Yet, many aspects of its construction have remained shrouded in myth and mystery. Glenn Kurtz brings to life, for the first time, the personal stories of the workers who erected the Empire State Building. In this important work, Kurtz gives us a view behind the curtain wall, documenting the lives and achievements of the unsung craftsmen who gave their blood, sweat, and tears to build the world's tallest building. Men at Work is a riveting achievement!"
--Jason M. Barr, author of Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World's Tallest Skyscrapers "Kurtz . . . puts a populist lens on a building that has more often served as a symbol of corporate might, while also puncturing the myth that the photos are somehow 'documentary' records of the work itself. New York history buffs will be thrilled by Kurtz's discovery."
--Publishers Weekly
