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Rockefeller Center—Construction of the AP Building

Paul J. Woolf

Artwork Details

Rockefeller Center—Construction of the AP Building
1937
Paul J. Woolf
gelatin silver print on paper
9 x 6 ½ in. (24.13 x 16.51 cm);22 1/8 in x 18 1/16 in (56.2 cm x 45.88 cm);952 3/4 in x 6 3/4 in (2419.99 cm x 17.15 cm);9 13/16 in x 7 1/8 in (24.92 cm x 18.1 cm)
Gift of The Morris and Beverly Baker Foundation, in memory of Morris D. Baker, a graduate of The University of Michigan School of Architecture, 1952
2000/2.146

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Description

Following in the tradition of Lewis Hine’s documentation of the construction of the Empire State Building, Woolf photographed Rockefeller Center under construction. Comprising fourteen structures, Rockefeller Center required the demolition of more than 225 brownstones that had occupied that portion of mid-town. Margaret Bourke-White also photographed at Rockefeller Center as it was being built.
Carole McNamara, Assistant Director for Collections & Exhibitions
on the occasion of the exhibition New York Observed: The Mythology of the City
(July 13 – September 22, 2003)

Subject Matter:

Paul J. Woolf documented the construction of the Rockefeller Center's Associated Press Building, following in the tradition of photographer Lewis Hine. This daytime photograph of the site illustrates the use of new steel frame construction methods and equipment, including the crane. The image focuses on the geometric lines created during construction.

Physical Description:

This is a photograph of the mid-late 1930s construction of the Rockefeller Center AP Building in Manhattan.

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.