Robbins Reef Light in New York Harbor, in 1951. Photo courtesy of United States Coast Guard.
The lighthouse in 2012:
Built in 1883 to replace an earlier structure, Robbins Reef Light is situated in New York Harbor, near the route of the Staten Island Ferry, which is where the second photo was taken. Now deactivated, the lighthouse has clearly seen better days, especially when compared to the 1951 photo. However, in 2011 it was sold to a museum in order to preserve the historic lighthouse.
The view of the upper east side of Manhattan from the top of the Empire State Building in 1932. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Gottscho-Schleisner Collection.
The same view in 2011:
Quite a lot has changed in the Manhattan skyline since 1932 – the two photos show the contrast between the early 20th century skyscrapers, which were mandated to have step-like setbacks, and the sleek, box-like modern skyscrapers of 2011. However, many of the old skyscrapers survive today, especially in the foreground. The most prominent in the 1932 picture, the Chrysler Building, is still easily seen from the Empire State Building today, although today it is more its distinctive spire, rather than its height alone, that sets it apart from the rest.
The view looking west from the Empire State Building in 1951. Photo courtesy of New York Public Library.
The scene in 2011:
There hasn’t been an incredible amount of change in the past 60 years in this small wedge of Manhattan, but one notable building that no longer exists is Penn Station, seen in the upper left of the 1951 photo. The above-ground part of the historic station was demolished in 1963 and replaced with Madison Square Garden, which is barely visible in the 2011 photo – the round building immediately to the left of the tall black skyscraper.
A worker atop the Empire State Building in 1931. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
The view in 2011:
Probably the most famous photo of the construction of the Empire State Building (and not to be confused with the staged photo of construction workers eating lunch on a beam atop the Rockefeller Center), one of the most dramatic elements of this photo is the contrast between the old worker and the new progress of the Empire State Building. Also interesting about it is the Chrysler Building, which had previously been the tallest building in the world, now looking small and insignificant in the shadow of the new title holder.
A worker atop the Empire State Building in 1931. Photo courtesy of New York Public Library.
The view in 2011:
The caption of the first photo is “Icarus, high up on Empire State.” However, this worker, thankfully, did not have his wings (cable?) melt. Both photos show some of the changes in the area looking north of the Empire State Building, toward the Upper West Side, the Hudson River, and New Jersey beyond it. The only readily-identifiable building from both photos is the large white building in the lower right corner of the 931 photo – it is barely noticeable in the same area of the 2011 photo.
A worker atop the Empire State Building in 1931. Photo courtesy of New York Public Library.
The same view in 2011:
These historic photos, which capture the human element of the construction of the Empire State Building, also show how much midtown New York has changed in the past 80 years. One prominent landmark that didn’t even exist in 1931 was the Rockefeller Center, whose construction was just beginning when the first photo was taken. It is now easily visible in the upper center of the 2011 photo.