Chrysler Building, August 23, 1939
The Chrysler Building is one of New York’s most recognizable and iconic buildings and is seen as a paragon of the Art Deco style. Here it is seen from the sky with Central Park behind it. It was built by Walter Chrysler, head of the Chrysler Corporation, and was the tallest building in the world for 11 months after its completion in 1930, replacing the Manhattan Trust Building (40 Wall St.), but being bested by the Empire State Building in 1931. It is a prominent feature of the New York Midtown skyline and has appeared on numerous films though almost never as a main setting.
Some movies where the skyscraper makes cameos include: The Wiz (1978), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Spider Man (2002), and Men in Black 3 (2012). In this image, the Helmsley Building (230 Park Ave), with its square tower and pyramidal roof, is to the left of the Chrysler Building. The two-towered Waldorf Astoria (301 Park Ave) is to the right of the spire. The Rockefeller Building (30 Rockefeller Center) is at the left edge of the photo, and the spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral can be seen immediately to the right.
