Men at Lunch

Unravelling the mystery behind New York’s most iconic photograph.

Men at Lunch is a captivating investigation into one of the most recognisable photographs of the twentieth century, the 1932 image of eleven steelworkers casually eating lunch on a girder suspended 800 feet above New York City. Directed by Seán Ó Cualáin, the documentary delves into the photograph’s enduring mystery and cultural resonance.

Through the voices of historians, photographers, journalists, and construction workers, the film reconstructs the context in which this striking image was taken. It examines the social and historical backdrop of early twentieth-century New York, a city defined by its immigrant labour force and the rapid rise of its skyline. The documentary questions the authenticity of the image and investigates the possible identities of the men immortalised in it, taking the viewer from Manhattan’s archives to a small town in Ireland, where surprising clues emerge.

Balancing meticulous research with emotional storytelling, Men at Lunch transforms a single photograph into a lens through which to view ambition, migration, and the human spirit that built New York.