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Philadelphia, 1904. "Land Title Trust Building, Broad Street." The umpteenth appearance on these pages of this early skyscraper. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size.
Oh, 8x10, you've done it again.
Superb image and stunning building. Just imagine how much weight is behind all that masonry added to the steel skeleton and interior fit-out.
Looks as good as new today!
Below is the same view from October of 2013.
From what I can tell, everything on the left in 1904 from the Second Empire building with the curved staircases to City Hall is still there. Although at least one building closer to City Hall, that looks like it was originally a bank, has been repurposed as a Ritz-Carlton hotel.
The rise (?) of such buildings was made possible by many technical advances such as steel design and engineering, but right at the top is Elisha Otis's safety elevator.
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