Photos of Real Jobs Before People Cared About 'Safety'
Not so many years ago, before strict safety standards were implemented, many jobs could be risky, and photos from that era show workers performing tasks at great heights and on large construction sites without harnesses or adequate protective measures.
In the following images, you can see a construction worker tightening bolts on the Empire State Building, with the Chrysler Building in the background, in 1930, and construction workers building the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan enjoying lunch on a steel frame hundreds of feet above the ground in 1930.
These images show us a world where concern for workplace safety wasn't paramount, and workers adapted to adverse conditions. Seeing them evokes a sense of wonder and bewilderment at how they risked their lives to complete impressive structures.
World Trade Center, 1970
World Trade Center under construction (1970).
Cotton Factory, Circa 1908
Pre-Child Labor Law girls, working in a cotton factory, circa 1908.
August 1908
Night shift in an Indiana glass factory, August 1908.
Mount Rushmore, 1932
Mount Rushmore under construction. This photograph was taken in 1932 while workmen were carving the face of George Washington.
Chicago Sewers, 1912.
Men constructing Chicago sewers, 1912.
Italian Coal Miners
Italian coal miners working in Belgium (around 1900).
Empire State Building Construction
Empire State Building construction workers circa 1930.
Empire State Building, 1930
Construction workers resting on a steel beam above Manhattan during construction of the Empire State Building, 1930
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, 1930
Construction workers building the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan enjoy lunch on a steel frame hundreds of feet about the ground, 1930.
Empire State, 1930
Construction worker tightens bolts on The Empire State Building, with the Chrysler Building seen in the background, 1930.
Rome Subway, 1939
Construction of the Rome subway under the grounds of the Colosseum, 1939. Rome subway has just turned 70, being inaugurated in February 1955.
NYC Subway
Construction of the NYC subway, 1901-1905.
Moscow Metro, 1950s
Construction of the Moscow Metro, 1950s.
Berlin Wall, 1961
Construction of the Berlin Wall, 1961.
Route 66, 1920s
Construction of a four-lane segment of Route 66 near Devils Elbow, Missouri, 1920s.
Penn Station, NYC
Construction at Penn Station, NYC, circa 1930s.
Chicago, 1964
Coffee break on the job in Chicago, 1964.
Early 1900s
Child labour in the US, early 1900s, from textile workers, to miners, newspaper sellers and metal workers.
Child Laborers, 1908
Child laborers working in glass and bottle factories (1908).
Golden Gate Bridge, 1935
A man standing on the first cables during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, 1935.
