DOCUMENT 22.2
Building a New City
The creation of a modern city required both construction and demolition. Before city officials and business interests could build the skyscrapers and wide boulevards that have come to be so closely associated with cities, they had to clear away the results of centuries of unplanned growth. This process was often contentious, especially when the interests of reformers and developers clashed with those of the residents of the streets and buildings scheduled for demolition. As you watch these films of construction and destruction, think about the causes and consequences of the rebuilding of cities. What groups were most in favor of urban modernization? What groups were most opposed? Why?
Beginning of a Skyscraper (1902)
The Demolition of the Star Theater (1902)
Source: Video courtesy of Library of Congress, Moving Image Section.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
How would you characterize the work that went into the digging of a skyscraper’s foundation and the demolition of the theater? Are you surprised by the degree to which the projects involved manual labor?
Beginning of a Skyscraper was advertised to potential viewers as “an excellent study of American push and enterprise.” With this in mind, how might the film makers have characterized the stop-action footage of the destruction of the Star Theater?