ARCHITECTS
Higher: A Historic Race to the Sky & the Making of a City
Neal Bascomb
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Published 2004; Broadway Books (New York, NY)
Bascomb covers the construction of the Chrysler Building, Empire State Building, and Manhattan Company Building at 40 Wall Street and their architects, Van Alen, William F. Lamb, and Craig Severance respectively. This true story has everything: former friends turned bitter rivals, the race to build the tallest building, a surprise third competitor added, and last minute surprises and hijinks in an attempt to outsmart the others.
The Art of Rockefeller Center
Christine Roussel
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Published 2006; W. W. Norton (New York, NY)
Roussel highlights the artists and the meaning behind their works, organized by what building or location in Rockefeller Center they appeared. Emphasis is placed on the lengths to which John D. Rockefeller Jr. went “to ensure that only art of good provenance would embellish his enterprise” including commissioning an art advisory group to recommend artists and review their work.