Building the Waldorf

Title

Building the Waldorf

Description

The images of the construction of the Park Avenue Waldorf Astoria were made in 1929-1931 by the Thompson-Starrett Company, the construction agency hired to execute the plans of Schultz and Weaver Architects.

The photographs document various stages of the building process and provide valuable historical information about the state of the art engineering used in constructing the hotel. The photographs also of serve as visual documents of New York City, as they capture the area around and from the vantage point of the construction site. Most photographs are of the building exterior, although there are a few images of the interior--in particular the hotel lobbies.

Most of the photographs were originally collected on the pages of a cloth bound, gold embossed album created by the Thompson-Starrett Company in 1931.

Collection Items

Bird's Eye View
Black and white photograph depicting a Bird's Eye view of the construction of the Waldorf=Astoria, 1930.

"1930 Construction Begins - new Hotel opened Oct. 1931"

Bird's Eye View
Black and white photograph depicting a Bird's Eye View of the construction of the Park Avenue Waldorf=Astoria, c. 1930.

Steam Shovels at the Construction Site
"Photograph shows Park Avenue and 50th Street corner of the Waldorf-astoria site, with Lexington Avenue in right background. In foreground, wreckers are seen tearing down balance of steel columns which formerly supported the old New York Central…

Constructing the Waldorf, 1930
Black and white photograph depicting the construction of the Park Avenue Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, 1930.

Waldorf=Astoria making its appearance on Park Avenue
Black and white photograph depicting the construction of the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, 1930.

Constructing the Waldorf, 1930
Black and white photograph depicting the construction of the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, 1930.

Constructing the Waldorf, 1930
Black and white photograph depicting the construction of the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, 1930.

Constructing the Waldorf
Black and white photograph depicting the construction of the Park Avenue Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, 1930.
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