The Rise of a Landmark: Lewis Hine and the Empire State Building

American photographer Lewis Wickes Hine (1874-1940) documented the construction of the Empire State Building at every stage of the building of this New York City landmark, from its inception in the bedrock to its spectacular appearance on the Manhattan skyline. Fairfield University’s Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery presents 51 of these engaging photographs, which do more than glorify the magnificent building; they speak to the integrity and courage of the workers who constructed it and explore the human condition in early 20th-century urban America.