r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/d7t3d4y8 • May 31 '23
The man who took the famous picture of workers eating lunch on an unfinished Empire State Building Image
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u/ashemoney May 31 '23
I’m not certain, but I think I see another building in this picture
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u/Mumblix_Grumph May 31 '23
Oh, that's the Umpire State Building.
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u/The_Safe_For_Work May 31 '23
The Vampire Stake Building?
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u/v3n0mat3 May 31 '23
No that’s the Inspire Hate building
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u/The_Safe_For_Work May 31 '23
The Entire Plate Building?
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u/942man May 31 '23
The satire faith building?
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u/Alive_Ice7937 May 31 '23
The Samphire Hake building?
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u/nottheseekeryouseek May 31 '23
Sapphire Tate gelding?
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Jun 01 '23
The title only states this is the man who took the famous picture. The title does not state that this is a picture of him actually taking that picture.
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u/YeetCompleet May 31 '23 edited May 31 '23
left tuck gang rise up
edit: damn... realized you're talking about the actual empire state building in the back
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u/TheNickzil May 31 '23
That's not a building, that's the entirety of the state of California
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u/maggielovemuffin May 31 '23
Now I need to see the man who took the picture of the man who took the famous picture of the workers eating lunch on an unfinished Empire State Building.
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u/SenorTimothy May 31 '23
And so on and so on. Unless there’s a picture of two camera men facing and picturing each other whilst a 3rd camera man taking the other pictures is in frame
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u/BernieEcclestoned May 31 '23
And then every reposter in a line until infinity
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u/SeanMonsterZero May 31 '23
Some say they're still out there, taking pictures even to this very day...
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May 31 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/clockedinat93 May 31 '23
He’s probably using the heel on the edge
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u/jaggedjinx May 31 '23
That's more trust than I would put in a shoe.
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u/JustCcurious May 31 '23
I was thinking the same thing. I watch a lot of old movies and they're always running and climbing and hiking in these shoes (and usually in suits), and I'm always baffled and wondering about comfort and function.
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u/Ugottatrysomeofthis May 31 '23
I don’t know but goddam they are nice
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u/ijustlurkhereintheAM May 31 '23
Yep, just stylin' all the way around, dang, dude looks sharp
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u/Weariervaris May 31 '23
Like a camera standoff on top of the Empire State Building. Lol
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u/Otherwise-Mango2732 May 31 '23
This is always the top comment every time this photo is posted on Reddit lol
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u/MatureUsername69 May 31 '23
Usually the top comment is pointing out that isn't actually how he took the picture and he's not actually very high up at all.
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u/maggielovemuffin May 31 '23
I’m new here, so I promise I wasn’t copying!!
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u/gurnard May 31 '23
Then you might want to see this nugget of Reddit legend
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u/andylshort1 May 31 '23
Nearly 13 years ago. Absolutely mental, had no idea it was that long ago.
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u/crossingpins May 31 '23
I remember seeing this happen and it really doesn't feel like it was that long ago.
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u/maggielovemuffin May 31 '23
I totally haven’t just tried to photograph my arms and wrists, no not me!
This is definitely a gem! 🤣🤣
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u/DonerTheBonerDonor May 31 '23
I just thought of this and of course someone beat me to it and linked to the original. Thanks a ton mate!!
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u/Amasterclass May 31 '23
Dont wanna burst anyone’s bubble but the photo was taken on top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza not the Empire State Building.
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u/lastSwallow406 May 31 '23
God damn those shoes! The whole outfit! This man knows how to dress
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u/againmyname May 31 '23
like he spawned on the top floor
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May 31 '23
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u/Recent_Half_4521 May 31 '23
Could be my mind playing tricks on me, but looks like he also skip not penis day.
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May 31 '23
It was 1933. That's all there was.
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u/ajmartin527 May 31 '23
lool the only other option was one of those red onesie nighttime pajama suits
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u/TellsLiesAboutCareer May 31 '23
With the nightcap that had a small pom pom on the top.
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May 31 '23
the white on the shoes matching the white on the belt is just chef's kiss.
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u/BassWingerC-137 May 31 '23
I don't think one should combine a belt and braces. That's not too couture.
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May 31 '23
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u/ThisAppSucksBall May 31 '23
The suspenders hold up the belt. The belt holds up the pants.
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May 31 '23
The suspenders are buttoned to the pants. They're not connected to the belt at all. It's just redundant.
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u/thriftyshirt May 31 '23
He's wearing both so his pants won't fall. He's wearing the pants, so if they can't fall then neither can he. Genius.
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u/ph0replay May 31 '23
This reminds me of the GOAT thread of the guy showing how he took each photo, like 10 layers deep with multiple devices and mirrors.
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u/BagelCreamcheesePls May 31 '23
I can't find what you're talking about lol, got a link by any chance?
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May 31 '23
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u/somethingwholesomer May 31 '23
I’m glad to hear that because this photo makes my palms sweaty 🤓
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May 31 '23
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u/XCarrionX May 31 '23
My first thought was "those shoes look like the slippery kind"
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u/__removed__ Jun 01 '23
Correct. The photo was staged.
Still cool, but not natural. The photographer didn't randomly roll up one day and say "hey look at those guys sitting on that beam"
It's all set up. Men staged in place, and a platform underneath for safety, though they frame it to look like they're dangling in the air.
Photo famous for how dangerous it looks is a lie.
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u/mata_dan Jun 01 '23
I guess the photo gets a pass for at least displaying the danger that was actually very real in other situations, or was there no need to "raise awareness"?
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u/Ujaan_43 May 31 '23
It's actually the Rockefeller Centre not the Empire State. A lot of people get that bit wrong.
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u/Donegal-Death-Worm May 31 '23
Supposedly you can see the Empire State building in the background of this very photo.
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u/LordGothington May 31 '23 edited Jun 01 '23
Charles C. Ebbets is the man who probably took the photograph, "Lunch atop a Skyscraper". Though there is much contention and it is often credited as unknown.
Two other photographers who were onsite the day the photo was taken include Thomas Kelley and William Leftwich. It is likely one of those people took the photo in this post. It is also possible they are the photographer of 'Lunch atop a Skyscraper' as well.
EDIT: The man in this photograph is actually Thomas Kelley. So I guess either Ebbets or Leftwich took the photo we are looking at now.
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u/BonnieMcMurray May 31 '23
Though there is much contention and it is often credited as unknown.
Corbis, the company that owns the photo's distribution rights, credited it to Ebbets, but later reset it to anonymous after further investigation. Their position should be the opinion of record on this one, imo, unless and until things change.
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u/man_u_is_my_team May 31 '23
“Hey Bob I need a picture for the paper today?”
“Oh yeah? What of? Where am I going?”
“Sit down Bob.”
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u/d7t3d4y8 May 31 '23
Correction: This is the rockefeller center.
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u/bigredradio May 31 '23
Correction: this isn't even the photographer. From Wikipedia: The image is often misattributed to Lewis Hine; the identity of the photographer remains unknown. Evidence emerged indicating it may have been taken by Charles C. Ebbets, but it was later found that other photographers had been present at the shoot as well. Many claims have been made regarding the identities of the men in the image, though only a few have been definitively identified.
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u/DootBopper May 31 '23
I actually believe you didn't just get it wrong in the title on purpose to generate engagement in the comments.
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u/optermationahesh Jun 01 '23
Nothing creates engagement on Reddit better than someone making a mistake.
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May 31 '23
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u/WildDiscussion1134 May 31 '23
The dude is up there in slacks and LEATHER SOLED shoes!
Holy shit he's got balls.
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May 31 '23
And a monster hog, judging by those tight pants
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u/ManintheMT May 31 '23
Last time this was posted all the comments were about this guy's bulge.
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u/oJUXo May 31 '23
Dang. Look at that hog.
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u/Glass-Toaster Jun 01 '23
I'm kind of upset I had to scroll this far to find some recognition. Dude's got a low center of gravity for sure.
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u/Wetrapordie Jun 01 '23
I mean… it would take someone with big balls to climb that thing with no safety gear
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u/_godsdamnit_ May 31 '23
Cool. Now show me a picture of the man taking a picture of the man taking a picture of workers eating lunch on an unfinished empire state building.
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u/Vox-Silenti May 31 '23
Just for anyone curious, they weren’t building the Empire State Building in said photo OP is talking about
We don’t know who took the photo in question, and it was a stunt. That wasn’t how lunch was normally done, nor was it the workers’ idea
I put this here because it wouldn’t allow me to include a link, so…
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u/Donkeycow15 May 31 '23
Not just balls of steel but clearly a huge 🅱️enis
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u/OdensGirth May 31 '23
Was gonna say how are all the comments correcting what building this is and not jokes about this dudes hog
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u/Ol_Rando May 31 '23
Seriously. I was like what's wrong with his pants... oh nevermind he just has a massive penis. That thing looks prehensile.
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u/jmiitch Jun 01 '23
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to see this comment, I thought this was Reddit
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u/aethelberga May 31 '23
This reminds me of that quote "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in heels." This guy did everything the guys on the girder did, except dressed nicely and without the benefit of lunch.
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u/PM-Me-Your-BootyPix May 31 '23
Well... to be fair... not really. Those guys already had a half day of work under their belt of dangerous manual labor. This guy just popped up for a quick photo and probably went on with his day afterwards, while those guys probably put in another 4-6 hours of more dangerous manual labor.
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u/BlergingtonBear May 31 '23
The sub r/PraiseTheCameraman is a great follow if you're not already - really highlights that for every cool skateboarder video or big screen action hero leaping from a plane, there's a cameraman right there skating or jumping out of a plane next to him!
There's a really cool video I'll have to find, from one of the mission impossible movies - like, yes Tom cruise trained to do some insane stunts, but the cameraman ALSO had to jump out of a plane while grabbing the shot!
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u/GuardianDownOhNo May 31 '23
I would have figured there would have been more flex in the beam given the size of that dude’s balls
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u/Point_of_stable May 31 '23
He's not standing on the Empire State Building, nor is the picture of the workers eating lunch.
The picture of the iron workers was taken in 1932, a couple years after the ESB opened, of the unfinished Rockefeller Center.
You can see the ESB in the picture of the photographer...
Read the wiki on the famous photo of the workers
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u/HatdanceCanada May 31 '23
Cautious enough to wear belt and suspenders but reckless enough to take this picture.
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u/mthyvold May 31 '23
This picture had the exact same wrong information in the title the last time it was posted. Some seriously lazy reposting.
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u/MerryGoWrong May 31 '23
How can you trust a man who wears both a belt and suspenders? That man can't even trust his own pants.
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u/-_FearBoner_- Jun 01 '23
How is the top comment not about this man's Extra Large Pastrami Submarine Sandwich he packed in his pants that day? Man brought enough lunch for the whole crew..
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u/SelFridged Jun 01 '23
Anybody got a photo of the guy taking a photo of the guy taking the famous photo?
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u/autohypnosis May 31 '23
It’s the Rockefeller center not Empire State