Eleven members of Chicago’s #1 local iron workers recreated an iconic image from 20th century pop culture by standing for lunch on a girder hundreds of feet above the Loop. In the new photo, the flask of whiskey has been changed to a soft drink, and the two men on the far left are now exchanging a photo on their phones instead of a cigarette.

The image recently reappeared on Reddit’s “Old School Cool” sub, accompanied by the original Lunch atop a Skyscraper photo, and swiftly rose in popularity. While the black and white original was taken from the 850-foot 30 Rockefeller Plaza (now officially known as the Comcast Building) in Manhattan in 1932, the re-staging was taken from atop Chicago’s new CNA Center.
The 35-story Loop office tower, designed by John Ronan Architects, will open at 151 N. Franklin next summer. With the building now completely encased in glass, it is evident that the photograph was taken earlier. The presence in the distance of the now-demolished yellow crane of River North’s impending 3Eleven residential tower confirms the photo’s age.
A group of steelworkers in the United Kingdom faced disciplinary action in 2011 for producing the same picture high above London. In contrast, the Chicago image appears to be sanctioned, as it is proudly shown on the official webpage of Chicago’s #1 local iron workers.