Book Review: "Lunch On A Beam"

Archivist Christine Roussel has written a terrific new book about the background and identification of the faces in an iconic Depression-era photo: "Lunch on a Beam" (shown on the cover, above). Being a native New Yorker, I was riveted (pun intended) by this photograph taken high in the sky in the heart of Manhattan, an image so familiar and yet associated with so many questions. Even the Wikipedia page may not have all the answers dug out by Christine Roussel, though it has some other wonderful photos from the time and place.Where, when, why, and who?Where? Atop Rockefeller Center's RCA building under construction. This complex was being constructed despite the incredible Depression-era financial collapse that took so many jobs away. This was way, way before my time, but many decades after the complex opened, I loved visiting Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree lighting, to see the high-kicking Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, to enjoy the dazzling skyline visible from…