RCA

Owen D. Young: WWI Statesman, GE Radio & TV Pioneer

May 19, 2026 by Randall Whitestone 2 Comments

On a warm, sunny day amid the winding hills of Herkimer County, the world descended on Van Hornesville, a small Mohawk Valley community, without a train station but home to a global, widely respected statesman of commerce and international finance.

Ninety-five years ago this June, Owen D. Young (1874-1962), architect of the Young Plan on Germany’s fiscal rehabilitation after World War I, and longtime chairman of General Electric Company, presided over graduation ceremonies for the town’s newly built seven-room schoolhouse replete with a swimming pool, a playground, and an auditorium “wired for talkies.” [Read more…] about Owen D. Young: WWI Statesman, GE Radio & TV Pioneer

Lunch On A Beam: The Making of an American Photograph

May 1, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

“Lunch on a Beam,” also known as “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper,” shows iron-workers eating lunch on a steel beam during the construction of Rockefeller Center’s RCA Building in 1932.

It’s a photo so famous you can likely picture it in your mind: seated in a row, eleven men chat and break bread 850 feet above the ground, the dense cityscape behind them. [Read more…] about Lunch On A Beam: The Making of an American Photograph

Venice Design & Manhattan’s Skyline

January 6, 2026 by Jaap Harskamp Leave a Comment

Spread over an archipelago of islands nestled amongst the marshes of the northern Adriatic coast, Venice was founded in the fifth century AD by refugees who fled the “barbarian” onslaught after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.

In 811 its seat of government transferred from the island of Malamocco (one of the earliest settlements) to an area corresponding to present St Mark’s Square which was less vulnerable to attacks from sea. [Read more…] about Venice Design & Manhattan’s Skyline

RCA Central & Rocky Point’s Hallock Family Homestead

July 20, 2025 by Michael DeBonis 3 Comments

The Hallock Family Homestead and Museum is believed to be the oldest structure in the north-shore hamlet of Rocky Point, in Suffolk County, Long Island. According to Brookhaven architect and historian David Griffin:

“The Hallock family purchased the land to build their somewhat lavish home in 1720. The two-story house is a splendid piece of English neoclassical Georgian architecture. Balance and symmetry are the key to understanding every part and parcel of its harmonious design.” [Read more…] about RCA Central & Rocky Point’s Hallock Family Homestead

RCA

We Need Your Help Now More Than Ever

New York Almanack receives no public funds.

It’s supported only by readers like you.

Please give today (a monthly recurring gift is best)