singerbuilding

"The Equitable Life Assurance Building was completed in 1870 at 120 Broadway in New York City, New York. At 130 feet (40 m), it is considered by some the world's first skyscraper and was the first office building to feature passenger elevators. The architects were Arthur Gilman and Edward H. Kendall, with George B. Post as a consulting engineer and hydraulic elevators made by the Elisha Otis company. The building was destroyed by a fire on January 9, 1912." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equitable_Life_Building_(New_York_C... "

The note above identifying the building as in Brooklyn is incorrect. It was in Manhattan.

The building in the background is the Singer Building, the third tallest building ever destroyed (behind the two World Trade Center towers, of course). It was also the tallest building in the world From 1908-1909.

the caption is wonderfully informative, if your eyes are up to the challenge.

I know its truly NYC in the early 20th century , but it reminds me of the illustrations of that time of what it was thought that the city would look like in the 21st century ala Jules Verne.

An ad was placed in the New York Herald in May of 1906 offering investors a chance to get in on this investment in the Globe Tower that was projected to cost $1,500,000 and was expected to pay up to 100% interest annually. Not unlike current times, investors flocked to the project and plunked down their hard earned dollars with visions of a fortune in their future. There was a ceremony for laying the cornerstone on May 26, 1906 with the usual pomp and circumstance. By the end of the year, the foundations were still not laid and investors began to get nervous. So on February 17, 1907 another ceremony was held and the first piece of steel was installed. Promises were made to be 50% complete by May 15th and 100% complete by the end of 1908. By 1908 the fraud was evident, the dream was dashed and there was no government bailout. BUT, we did get some very nice postcards. www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/79558