Collection: Charles Clyde Ebbets

Charles Clyde Ebbets (1905–1978) was an American photographer active in the early to mid-20th century.

Though his authorship of the widely reproduced "Lunch atop a Skyscraper" (1932) remains contested, the image, depicting laborers perched on a steel beam during the construction of Rockefeller Center, has become emblematic of Depression-era urban industrialism. Ebbets worked in New York, documenting architecture, labor, and street scenes.

Ebbets’s photographs often used dramatic vantage points to show scale and human presence within industrial landscapes. His work employed deep focus and stark tonal contrasts, aligning with the documentary style of 1930s American photography. While "Lunch atop a Skyscraper" remains his most circulated image, his output also included commercial assignments and personal projects depicting New York’s built environment.