The world’s most iconic structures didn’t just appear overnight—they were built by hardworking men and women, often in dangerous conditions, long before modern safety standards existed. These rare, historical photos take us back to moments when safety harnesses were scarce, and men balanced on steel beams hundreds of feet in the air. Capturing history in the making, these 15 historical images reveal the courage and skill required to create the landmarks we know and love today.
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1. A blindfolded American construction worker carefully walks along a steel girder, suspended twenty stories above the streets of New York City.
2. A workman takes a siesta on a girder during the building of Radio City.
3. A construction worker is lifted to his job site atop a 30-story skyscraper along the waterfront in New York.
4. A New York construction worker walks along a girder high above the city streets.
5. Two workers high above lower Manhattan, during the construction of a skyscraper.
6. A construction worker on the Empire State Building, New York City.
7. A group of steel workers standing on scaffolding 70 stories high looking down over New York City from the RCA building.
8. Two New York construction workers having lunch high above the city.
9. A steelworker dangling in a graceful sangfroid during the construction of the Empire State Building.
10. A construction worker stands on a crane pulley counterweight during the construction of the Empire State Building.
11. A man standing on the first cables during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.
12. While working on the Empire State Building, a group from the Derrick crew is busy mending a beam, with the bustling streets of New York visible far beneath them.
13. Carl Russell greets his colleagues while working on the framework of the 88th floor of the Empire State Building. Far below, tiny cars and people can be seen moving through Herald Square, appearing like toys and ants from such a height.
14. The men stand in the steel cables and chains of a crane, 1912.
15. High above the ground, a worker repainting the Eiffel Tower is seen sitting on one of its beams, his paint bucket strapped to his waist as he tackles the colossal job.
All images: Izismile
