Columbia University Finding Aids > Avery Drawings & Archives Collections > Empire State Building archive, 1930-1969

Empire State Building archive, 1930-1969

Summary Information

At a Glance

Bib ID	3460549 View CLIO record
Creator(s)	Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940; Empire State, Inc.; Shreve, Lamb & Harmon
Title	Empire State Building archive, 1930-1969
Physical Description	15 cubic feet (15 cubic feet)
Language(s)	English .
Additional Description	http://www.columbia.edu/imaging/html/browsers/empire/empire-browser.html
Access	This collection is available for use by appointment in the Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. For further information and to make an appointment, please call (212) 854-4110 or email avery-drawings@libraries.columbia.edu.

Description

Summary

This collection contains reprographic architectural drawings for the Empire State Building; photographs of the demolition of the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which occupied the Fifth Avenue site; photographs of the Empire State Building under construction, circa 1930-1931 (one photograph shows former governor Alfred E. Smith standing in the building during construction), including 232 photographs by photographer Lewis Hine; photographs showing the building after completion, circa 1931-1956; scrapbooks of clippings of articles about the building, 1930-1957; and illustrations of the Empire State Building, circa 1930s-1960s. These subgroups of materials also have records in CLIO with more detailed descriptions of items; for these records, please search under "Empire State Building" or "Shreve, Lamb & Harmon" or "Hine, Lewis Wickes".

Using the Collection

Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library

Restrictions on Access

This collection is available for use by appointment in the Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. For further information and to make an appointment, please call (212) 854-4110 or email avery-drawings@libraries.columbia.edu.

Preferred Citation

Empire State Building archive. Dept. of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Gifts. Accession number--1964.001, 1971.003.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form

Heading	"CUL Archives:" "Portal"	"CUL Collections:" "CLIO"	"Nat'l / Int'l Archives:" "ArchivedGRID"
Photographic prints	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
architectural drawings (visual works)	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID

Subject

Heading	"CUL Archives:" "Portal"	"CUL Collections:" "CLIO"	"Nat'l / Int'l Archives:" "ArchivedGRID"
Architectural photography	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Architecture -- United States -- Designs and plans	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Empire State Building (New York, N.Y.)	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Office buildings -- New York (State) -- New York	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Scrapbooks	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Skyscrapers -- New York (State) -- New York	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Smith, Alfred Emanuel, 1873-1944	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (New York, N.Y.)	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Construction on the Empire State Building was begun in March 1930 and was completed in May 1931. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon for their clients, Alfred E. Smith and Empire State, Inc.