It costs a dime to look through this Bausch and Lomb high power telescopeLibrary of Congress Prints & Photographs Division

Zoom In Inquiry

Woolworth 1912 zoom in

US 7 – The emergence of modern America (1890-1930)

What do you see here?

What kind of a building would this

be?

What kind of a place is this?

What kind of work would be

done in an area like this?

What kind of buildings are

these?

How would these buildings

be made?

What materials would be used

in making these

structures?

“Woolworth bldg. iron work, made April 4th, 1912” LC-USZ62-78042

(b&w film copy neg.)LC-USZ62-100973

(b&w film copy neg.) Library of Congress

Prints and Photographs

Division

“View of Woolworth

Building and surrounding buildings, New York City ” 1913. LC-USZ62-127214 (b&w film copy neg.) Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Division

Compare this city of 1912 to the city of 1870…

1870

New York City by 1912

Let’s review… • These taller buildings—skyscrapers—

were possible because of:

–Steel• mass produced by American factories

–Elevators• allowing for people and things to travel

up these tall buildings without having to use the stairs

Steel—a building’s skeleton

Steel—a building’s skeleton

Elevators—a

building’s circulatory system…

Elevators—a

building’s circulatory system…

• What progress have we seen over the years in building construction?

Sources:

• “View of Woolworth Building and surrounding buildings, New York City ” 1913. LC-USZ62-127214 (b&w film copy neg.) Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

• “Woolworth bldg. iron work, made April 4th, 1912” LC-USZ62-78042 (b&w film copy neg.) LC-USZ62-100973 (b&w film copy neg.) Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Sources:

• The city of New York. Currier & Ives, 1870. G3804.N4A3 1870 .C8. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division

• New York skyscrapers from

Jersey City. c.1910. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Sources:

• [Two construction workers looking up toward the camera, sitting on a steel beam atop the frame of the One LaSalle Street building] 1929. DN-0089666, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.

• [Construction workers standing on steel beams at the construction site of the Chicago Daily News building] 1928. DN-0085723, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.

Sources:

• [Cook County Hospital, Charles Moore, elevator operator, standing in elevator door]. 1911. DN-0056446, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.

• [Uniformed man in elevator] 1929. DN-0087942, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.