Main content

Lunch atop a Skyscraper

The mystery surrounding the photo taken in 1932 of 11 daredevil ironworkers eating lunch on a steel beam at the top of a skyscraper.

In 1932, a photo was taken showing 11 New York ironworkers casually eating their lunch while sitting on a steel beam at the top of a skyscraper. No safety harnesses, no helmets. Their legs dangled freely over the death-defying drop. 'Lunch atop a Skyscraper' is now one of the most famous pictures in the world but it's an image surrounded in mystery. For years, the identity of its photographer and of the 11 men have been unknown. Christine Roussel, archivist at the Rockefeller Center, tells Vicky Farncombe about her mission to uncover the photo鈥檚 secrets.

(Photo: Lunch atop a Skyscraper. Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

10 minutes

Last on

Tue 20 May 2025 02:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 19 May 2025 07:50GMT
  • Mon 19 May 2025 11:50GMT
  • Mon 19 May 2025 17:50GMT
  • Mon 19 May 2025 21:50GMT
  • Tue 20 May 2025 02:50GMT

Podcast