Men at Lunch

The Great Depression inspired some of the most memorable photographs of the 20th century by perfectly capturing the heartache and suffering of a nation out of work. Images of breadlines, derelict housing, and desperate mothers informed the cultural consciousness by bringing the Depression to newsstands across the United States. But Lunch Atop a Skyscraper was different.

The sight of 11 Rockefeller Center construction workers casually eating lunch across a beam hanging 850 feet in the air was...