Beginning a Skyscraper

synopsis

A film clip shot for the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company captures the foundation excavation for Macy’s department store in Herald Square, New York, in which we see dozens of diggers wielding pickaxes, smoke, dust, and horse-drawn carriages. Although the film’s title suggests it is a future skyscraper, the still-popular Macy’s has only twelve floors.

biography

Robert K. Bonine (1861–1923) originally began working as a photographer, focusing primarily on stereoscopic photographs of urban landscapes. Later he got a job at Edison and also worked as a cameraman for Biograph. He spent the last 15 years of his life in Hawaii, where he was originally sent by Edison, continuing to film local events and manage a cinema.

more about film

director:

Robert K. Bonine