Building The Empire State

Constructed in 11 months, the Empire State Building was a marvel of modern engineering. Its frame rose more than a story a day--no comparable building since has managed that rate of ascent. In "Building the Empire State", a rediscovered 1930s notebook charts the construction of this crowning achievement. Illustrations.

"Filled with marvelous arcana."--"New York Times"
This is the in-house notebook compiled by the general contractors documenting the entire construction process, supplemented by essays explaining the technical accomplishment embodied in the great tower. Constructed in eleven months, the 1250-foot Empire State Building, the world's tallest skyscraper from 1931 to 1971, was a marvel of modern engineering. The frame rose more than a story a day; no comparable building since has matched that rate of ascent. The construction of the Empire State Building was orchestrated by general contractors Starrett Brothers and Eken, premier "skyline builders" of the 1920s. They scheduled the delivery of materials and the construction and recorded daily the number of workers by trade. Compiled from these records, an in-house notebook documented the construction process. Meticulously typed on graph paper and illustrated with construction photographs, this unique document combines a professional specificity of detail with a charming rhapsody to the firm's crowning achievement.