One of a series of 16mm silent films made by architect Walter Harrington Kilham, Jr., this historic film shows the construction of the metal skeleton of Radio City Music Hall. Kilham also authored a book, "Rockefeller Center: a pictorial record from photographs" published in 1933. Kilham worked directly underneath architect Raymond Hood, the chief designer of Rockefeller Center, and his films document history in the making. This film contains with incredible images of steel erection and the work of steeplejacks / ironworkers in the heights above the city, emplacing steel and riveting beams into place. As the film notes, a 300 ton steel truss was emplaced -- largest in the world at that time. Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city. Its interior was declared a city landmark in 1978. It is notable as being the headquarters for the precision dance company, the Rockettes. Designed by Edward Durell Stone, the interior of the theater with its austere Art Deco lines represented a break with the traditional ornate rococo ornament associated with movie palaces at the time. The radiating arches of the proscenium united the large auditorium, allowing a sense of intimacy as well as grandeur. The interior decor was created by designer Donald Deskey. Deskey's geometric Art Deco designs incorporate glass, aluminum, chrome, and leather in the ornament for the theater's wall coverings, carpet, light fixtures, and furniture. His work borrowed heavily from the European Modern aesthetic style, of which he was the foremost exponent in the United States. We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference." This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com

Comments

1. What fell off building at 07:50?
2. Another great video! 👍👌👏