Icarus, high up on Empire State

Lewis Hine became the Empire State Building’s official photographer in the spring of 1930. Interested in social documentary, Hine was drawn to photographing the structural workers. These “sky boys,” as he called them, labored in perilous conditions to put the steel frame into place. His photographs, taken from enormous heights, gave the public a newfound appreciation for these modern-day heroes of industry. With the title Icarus, Hine conflates his contemporary subject and an ancient narrative, referencing the Greek mythological character who flew too close to the sun, melted his wax wings, and fell to his death. Hine was prone to allegory, and the title may convey his critique of this ambitious construction. Completed in just over a year, the Empire State Building remained the tallest structure in the world until 1967.