RootsChat.Com
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: smileygirl on Tuesday 22 July 25 15:24 BST (UK)
-
Can anybody tell me which building this is in the background of my photo?
-
On this map, you can click on the pink landmark buildings and a photograph comes up.
I’ve been counting windows! Yours has only 6 plain ones.
So it’s not the Metropolitan Life,
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/fa1bcaad31374a88839da3f0166e640a/page/Page
Maybe one of the towers of the Equitable Life building although you would think there would be a hint of the other tower.
Added…One Wall Street?
-
Hi mckha489
Thanks for your response. I tried out the link, lots of buildings!!!
I have found one possibility let me know what you think?
The Chanin Buikding built in New York City between 1927 and 2929
-
Yes, I think you have it.
It’s got that small kink/ stepin the corners that shows in your photograph
-
Ha yes I hadn't even noticed that!
Great well spotted!!
;D ;D
-
Since that’s the upper section of the building, and there are no other buildings in sight, I suspect that he is already quite high up on another nearby building.
And since we are looking at a ‘narrow’ side of the building this hypothetical other buidling would probably also be on E 42nd Street.
-
Alan boyd all I know is he worked as an elevator operator in a bank. I don't know which one though.
-
In my reply #5 I had misinterpreted a map: in fact if the Chanin Building is narrow-side on like this the view must be from further along Lexington Avenue.
After spending far too long on puzzling over where this photo was taken from, I have reached the tentative conclusion that it is from the roof (or possibly an upper parapet) of the Bowery Bank Building, directly across E 41st Street from the Chanin Building. This matches the information that your relative was an elevator operator at a bank.
The photo below shows the two buildings. The street cutting diagonally across the bottom left is Lexington Avenue, the Chanin Building is obviously the building in the foreground, and the ziggurat -ike building is the Bowery Bank Building.
The Bowery Bank Building was/is 240 feet high. The Chanin narrow tower starts at approximately
270 feet. I get the impression that the subject is looking down towards the camera, possibly because the parapet wall is several feet high. So I think would be possible to capture this view from the roof of the Bowery Bank Building, but I'm not 100% convinced about the geometry.
There is no evidence that the image is inverted since the jacket buttons look correct. The light is coming from the man's right. If he was sitting on the parapet of the Bowery Bank Building with the Chanin Building behind him he would be facing SSW so the sun would be in the west, suggesting that the photo was taken in the late afternoon.
-
Alan Boyd
Wow that is very interesting . I don't know how you managed to figure all that out! I do think you are correct. I am scared of heights there is no way you would catch me sitting on top of a building for a good photo!
Ah so now we know which bank he worked at.
Thankyou so much for doing that.