It’s not glitzy or colourful.
There are no flashing lights or interactive displays for the kids.
But the latest exhibit at Langley Centennial Museum isn’t for the faint of heart, either.
The series of 50 black and white images hanging on the walls of the museum gallery requires no dressing up, as Lewis Hine’s photographs of the construction of the Empire State Building — shot literally from the ground up — take viewers 1,454 feet and 102 storeys into the air.
No hardhats or harnesses for the men who built it, just denim overalls and newsboy caps. It’s enough to make the stomach do a little flip, even with both feet planted firmly on the gallery floor.
The images, on loan from the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, New York, will be on exhibit in the Fort Langley museum until March 20.
The display also features a 60-minute documentary film on the photographer’s work, much of it focusing on his exposure of child labour practices.
The world famous images build on the theme of the human condition amidst the quickening pace of early 20th century society.
Over 14 months in 1930-31, Hine shot thousands of photos of the construction of what was to become the tallest building in the United States’ largest city.
From bedrock to the colossus of the Manhattan skyline, Hine documented every foot of the construction of the building. He began the treacherous ascent — safety belt in place and camera in hand — with the expectation of creating an ideal portrait of modern architecture.
To obtain the best images, he was often swung out in a specially designed basket 1,000 feet above Fifth Avenue.
However, his resulting photographs of this year-long project speak more of the integrity of the workers who toiled to perfect the structure than of the glorification of the building itself.
The black and white images show serious faces of men doing serious work — from carpenters and steel workers to plumbers, welders and brick layers.
Since its impressive beginnings the Empire State Building has enjoyed a storied history.
Construction was completed in 1931 and New York’s tallest building quickly reached iconic status.
Just two years later, it would provide an ideal platform for a giant ape to swat planes from the sky.
Over the decades, it went on to take central roles in a number of popular movies, from An Affair to Remember to Sleepless in Seattle.
And, of course, the structure lost and later reclaimed its tallest NYC building status when the World Trade Center was destroyed in 2001.
For more information about the exhibit, please contact the museum at 604-888-3922.
