American Eagle of Chrysler Building

Photographer Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971) perched atop American eagle-shaped gargoyle (61st floor) photographing New York City with a large format camera, circa 1930. Photographed by Oscar Graubner (1897-1977) and published in Life magazine, on January 1, 1934. Source: Warren Coville Collection of iconic photojournalism images / Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

The RCA Building, now 30 Rockefeller Plaza, is in the background. It was was completed in 1933.