Building the Empire State Building: Anniversary
Building began to go up on St. Patrick's Day in 1930
Empire State Building Construction
Construction on the Empire State Building started on March 17, 1930 -- St. Patrick's Day, as requested by former New York Gov. Al Smith. Lewis Wickes Hine's photography gives a glimpse of the daily lives of construction workers on what became the tallest building in the world. Here, a night view from the early 1930s.
(Lewis W. Hine/George Eastman House/Getty Images)
