On September 20, 1932, one of the most iconic American photos of the 20th century was taken of 11 men sitting on a steel beam, enjoying lunch during the Great Depression. What made it so outstanding was that they were up 850 feet in the air while constructing the RCA Building, now better known as 30 Rock, in New York City. To honor this momentous moment in American history and as part of America 250, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is pleased to announce that it will release a special bobblehead of the memorable scene.
The bobblehead is a replica of the famous black-and-white photograph taken of 11 ironworkers sitting on a steel beam. It is limited to only 1,932 pieces and will be sold exclusively on their website for $100. Each man’s head bobbles, and they will come numbered and are expected to start shipping in January with a flat shipping rate of $8.
“We are thrilled to unveil this replica bobblehead scene replicating the ‘Lunch atop a Skyscraper’ photograph taken in New York this week in 1932,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum cofounder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Called the ‘most famous picture of a lunch break in New York history,’ the image has become a symbol of the city’s and country’s resilience and determination. This one-of-a-kind bobblehead scene will be a valuable keepsake for both New Yorkers and fans of the famous photo.”
Courtesy of National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum
History of the picture
The photo was published in the Sunday supplement of the New York Herald Tribune on October 2nd, 1932, with the caption: “Lunch atop a Skyscraper.” The famous photo, originally titled “Builders of the City Enjoy Luncheon,” appeared in a Time magazine 2016 list of the 100 most influential images. While others may know it as “Lunch atop a Skyscraper,” the image has been called different names over the years, including “Lunch on a Beam” and “Men on a Beam.” Despite its seemingly spontaneous nature, the photo was arranged as a publicity shot taken during the construction of the 69th floor of Rock Center’s RCA Building and was a staged photograph to be part of a campaign promoting the skyscraper…