Building skyscrapers isn’t for the faint of heart. These towering giants dominate skylines and shape the modern world, and they are the result of daring feats of engineering. The construction process was far from glamorous, often involving workers suspended hundreds of feet above the ground, but what makes this even worse? When workers are suspended hundreds of feet in the air with no harness. The following photos capture the dangerous moments that defined the creation of some of the world’s most iconic skyscrapers.
1. This seems like a good place to tee off.
Hey, if you’re a worker who’s comfortable enough to take your child up there, more power to you. I just hope no one took a 200 mph golf ball to the head.
2. These guys are casually having lunch 60 stories high.
This is the famous photo of 11 men taking a lunch break 850 feet high at Rockafeller Center. They’re all seemingly unphased and taking a casual lunch break, but how?
3. No harness and a 50 lb sack on his back.
I mean, come on, he’s carrying a massive sack and looking up at the camera with no harness. He embodies the term legendary.
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4. Nothing like a quick musical number on your break.
Our panic attack would have those harmonicas singing like crazy. These guys are true heroes for being able to perform up there.
5. Someone has to get on top of the World Trade Center and fix the antenna.
Is there any amount of money you’d take to do this job? I’m just confused as to why this guy does it without a harness.
6. Okay that guy on the bottom right is asking to fall.
While this is during the construction of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the fall is just as life-threatening. I mean, why would that guy choose to sit in a position with absolutely zero balance?
7. This isn’t in a policeman’s job description.
What do you do when you see a bunch of construction workers fooling around on the building they’re making? You go up and ask them to take a photo of you doing it, too.
8. Imagine being as high as the Empire State Building with no harness.
This guy looks like he just needed a break during work. Why he chose to do it in the most dangerous spot imaginable is a mystery.
9. Hey, at least the boss is treating his workers nicely.
Here you can see some waiters servicing workers to a five-star meal. We’re not sure what union those guys work for, but we’re ready to join.
10. Painting the Brooklyn Bridge is just as terrifying as it looks.
It’s unclear how this fits into the job description of painting. You know one of them dared to climb, and the rest joined in.
11. This photo stresses us out.
These workers on top of the Woolworth building in New York are truly crazy. I mean, take a look at that guy in the back.
12. Do they intentionally not use ropes or harnesses to seem manly?
These are painters on top of the Tokyo Tower. You just know that metal is slippery, and they don’t have any ropes for some reason.
13. We want to know if these guys are born without a fear of heights or if they get used to it.
Seriously though, how can you tighten a bolt as you gaze down 900 feet? New Yorkers are really built differently.
14. It isn’t quite a cozy bed.
What’s better than a bed and some pillows? How about a metal beam and your construction worker friend’s leg? I have a hard time sleeping in bed, and these guys are snoozing almost a thousand feet in the air.
15. Even the photographer of the famous skyscraper photo isn’t in a harness.
This is the photographer of the previously shown photo “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper,” Charles Ebbets. He’s casually about to take one of the most famous photos ever while standing thousands of feet in the air unharnessed.
