The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration has a great digital collection titled American Cities which "depicts the city, its development, and its people and their way of life from the early 19th century to recent times."
This photograph from the American Cities series (archive #518290) features a fantastic shot of a workman piecing together steel beams while balancing on the edge of the under-construction Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building dominates the background.
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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![Rockefeller Center under construction, New York City, 1932 | Rockefeller Center rises in mid-Manhattan. Photograph by Hamilton M. Wright for Aerial Explorations, Inc., N.Y., 1932.
From the New York World-Telegram Collection at the <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html" rel="nofollow">U.S. Library of Congress</a>.
<a href="http://flickr.com/search/?q=world-telegram&m=tags&w=76204898@N00&s=int">More pictures from the World-Telegram Collection</a>
<b>[PD]</b> <a href="http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c36071" rel="nofollow">This picture</a> is assumed to be in the public domain.](https://cdn.viewing.nyc/assets/media/c03f905321f5e3e383d381201f21932e/elements/7dadc1d93560ddaa49c687ee10618f7d/xs/2d9e6f2e-13c0-4bcf-8139-2834c4286132_2x.jpg)
