A quarter of a mile above Manhattan, a weathered man in work dungarees grips the steel cable with all his might, his eyes squinting from the unforgiving sun. The Hudson River unwinds below him like a vast blue ribbon, the skyscrapers of New York City rising up into the sky like giants. This is the world of the roughnecks who built the Empire State Building, the tallest structure on earth at 102 storeys and 1,250ft high.
The men behind this feat were not gods or superheroes, but ordinary people with extraordinary stories. They were the backbone of a massive construction project that took just 13 months to complete, using over 3,000 workers who toiled day in and day out on site. The Sky Boy, as Lewis Hine's iconic photograph came to be known, captures their spirit - if not their faces.
Hine's images reveal the gruelling conditions faced by these workers: men wrestling with pipes and cables, drilling foundations, laying bricks, and navigating treacherous steel beams in a seemingly endless quest for perfection. Theirs was a world of physical hardship, where one mistake could prove fatal, yet they persevered driven by ambition and patriotism.
Yet the heroes of this story are often overlooked - their lives reduced to a footnote or a myth. It is only when we delve into the details that we find the men behind the legend: Victor "Frenchy" Gosselin, Vladimir Kozloff, Matthew McKean, Ferruccio Mariutto, and Dick McCarthy.
Gosselin's story is one of perseverance in the face of tragedy - a life lived with purpose, cut short when he died at 46. Mariutto's was marked by hardship, as he toiled for years without knowing what his final days would bring. Kozloff's activism on behalf of workers earned him recognition from the very people who employed them.
The Empire State Building is more than a symbol of New York City or America - it represents the lives and sacrifices of thousands of men who built something greater than themselves. History has traditionally ignored this fact, elevating only the architects and patrons to centre stage. But what about those who laid the foundations?
Men at Work, Glenn Kurtz's new book, sheds light on these forgotten heroes. The book delves into personal details, archives, and oral testimonies to bring their stories to life. It reveals a world where workers were not just mere cogs in a machine, but men with hopes, fears, and dreams.
Kurtz argues that the lives of ordinary people should be given greater attention, as they are what truly build history. "The lives and experience of actual workers are marginalised," he says. "They are too 'ordinary' to be interesting. Yet their skill, their training, and the specific conditions of their workplaces, are all profoundly important to architectural history."
As we gaze upon the iconic image of The Sky Boy, let us not forget those who stood beneath it - men whose bravery and determination forged a giant that would change the world forever.
The men behind this feat were not gods or superheroes, but ordinary people with extraordinary stories. They were the backbone of a massive construction project that took just 13 months to complete, using over 3,000 workers who toiled day in and day out on site. The Sky Boy, as Lewis Hine's iconic photograph came to be known, captures their spirit - if not their faces.
Hine's images reveal the gruelling conditions faced by these workers: men wrestling with pipes and cables, drilling foundations, laying bricks, and navigating treacherous steel beams in a seemingly endless quest for perfection. Theirs was a world of physical hardship, where one mistake could prove fatal, yet they persevered driven by ambition and patriotism.
Yet the heroes of this story are often overlooked - their lives reduced to a footnote or a myth. It is only when we delve into the details that we find the men behind the legend: Victor "Frenchy" Gosselin, Vladimir Kozloff, Matthew McKean, Ferruccio Mariutto, and Dick McCarthy.
Gosselin's story is one of perseverance in the face of tragedy - a life lived with purpose, cut short when he died at 46. Mariutto's was marked by hardship, as he toiled for years without knowing what his final days would bring. Kozloff's activism on behalf of workers earned him recognition from the very people who employed them.
The Empire State Building is more than a symbol of New York City or America - it represents the lives and sacrifices of thousands of men who built something greater than themselves. History has traditionally ignored this fact, elevating only the architects and patrons to centre stage. But what about those who laid the foundations?
Men at Work, Glenn Kurtz's new book, sheds light on these forgotten heroes. The book delves into personal details, archives, and oral testimonies to bring their stories to life. It reveals a world where workers were not just mere cogs in a machine, but men with hopes, fears, and dreams.
Kurtz argues that the lives of ordinary people should be given greater attention, as they are what truly build history. "The lives and experience of actual workers are marginalised," he says. "They are too 'ordinary' to be interesting. Yet their skill, their training, and the specific conditions of their workplaces, are all profoundly important to architectural history."
As we gaze upon the iconic image of The Sky Boy, let us not forget those who stood beneath it - men whose bravery and determination forged a giant that would change the world forever.
i mean can u imagine buildin a 102 storey skyscraper in just 13 months? its insane. but what really gets me is how often these ordinary workers are overlooked 
like they're not even worth mentionin. i think its time we gave them the recognition they deserve 
glenn kurtz's book sounds like a game changer, shedding light on the lives and sacrifices of these men who built somethin outta thin air 
i mean think about it, people build one of the most iconic structures in the world without getting any credit for their work, just to be remembered as some footnote in history. its like they say, behind every great man is a woman or in this case, a group of workers who put their lives on the line to make something happen. gotta give it up to glenn kurtz for shedding light on these guys and showing us that our history isn't just about the famous faces.
And yeah, people often forget about the guys who actually built it, like the workers on the construction site. They're not just numbers or names, they were real people with lives and stories too.
I feel like these guys were total unsung heroes! 
They built this massive skyscraper in just 13 months? That's crazy talk! 
Their stories are so inspiring, especially Gosselin's and Mariutto's. I mean, who knew that someone had to die at 46 because they were working on the Empire State Building? 
And Kozloff was fighting for workers' rights too?! 
I love that Kurtz is trying to give them some attention. We need more stories like this! 
I'm tellin' ya, back in my day... construction sites were all about hard work and dedication, but it was like nobody cared about the guys doin' the actual labor. I mean, don't get me wrong, those roughnecks who built the Empire State Building were heroes, no question 
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. So let's give 'em some credit where it's due - they're the real heroes 
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. We need more stories about the struggles and triumphs of everyday people who are making a difference in this country.