indubitably evoked
On this day in 1931, the Empire State Building opened for business.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Happy 88th Birthday, old friend.
For a bunch of the particulars regarding the Empire State Building – builders, timeline, how much it’s thought to weigh – check out this 2018 Newtown Pentacle post. My favorite of NYC’s great buildings from the twentieth century, the Empire State Building is literally one of the two or three pole stars by which I navigate my way through the City of Greater New York, and when I see it poking up from behind a tree line on a New Jersey highway or appearing from behind canyons of lesser structures when I’m on a ship or boat, I know for a fact that I’m coming home.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
From a photography point of view, there’s no other structure in our megalopolis that says “New York City” as loudly as the Empire State Building does. If you’ve got it in frame, you’ve got a shot that just shouts “I’m walkin here.” Even abominations like Hudson Yards, or the actually interesting Copper Building, which interfere with the sight lines of the ESB cannot diminish the prominence of the structure in my eyes.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My favorite time to capture images which the Empire State Building is found somewhere in the background of are at night, and in particular foggy ones. That’s when it’s literally scraping the sky, and its theater lit spire is glowing.
The Progressive era of the American Story didn’t build cathedrals… instead they built skyscrapers. The Empire State Building is ours.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 
Other noteworthy ESB factoids for the connoisseurs of the macabre:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1945_Empire_State_Building_B-25_crash
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building#Suicide_attempts
Cav
May 1, 2019 at 11:53 am
My favorite is the Chrysler Building. That exploding fireworks motif is to die for.. Thanks especially for the last photo. Not to mention the Chrysler’s 4 gargoyles. However, the NYC skyline has been totally ruined with those needle towers.. In some sight lines, you even have to hunt to find the iconic Empire and Chrysler Buidlings. And the biggest architectural act of cowardice? The Freedom Tower. Only one tower. Mohammed Atta must be laughing his dead ass off.
georgetheatheist . . . zany ziggurats
May 1, 2019 at 3:25 pm