Vintage Footage Of Window Washers - Empire State Building

Adjustments: The Empire State Building does not have a flat roof, window cleaners are not able to attach themselves to a rope from the roof. Click to enlarge all pictures on this page.

Watch out below! Vintage footage of window washers cleaning the Empire State building just years after it was built - New York is known for its glittering skyline and breath-taking skyscrapers, but it takes a good deal of work to keep the view looking that brilliant. Footage has been released of window washers cleaning from great heights as they work to keep the Empire State Building sparkling. The news brief, shot in 1938, shows the fearless men going about their job, seemingly unaware of the massive drop just below them. Also see here & here for more footage about the Empire State Building.

High up: Footage has been released of window washers cleaning from great heights as they work to keep the Empire State Building sparkling.

No fear: The news brief, shot in 1938, shows the fearless men going about their job, seemingly unaware of the massive drop just below them.

The building itself was built only seven years prior to the British Pathe footage, and it was the tallest building in the world up until the construction of the World Trade Center in 1972. This video, along with all of British Pathe's archival materials, is now available for viewing free online to American audiences for the first time. While the men clearly were aware of the risks involved with their job, but the video is remarkable as the viewer can clearly see the traffic far below. 'No one can deny that a window cleaner isn't attached to his work, especially when he's 102 stories above the streets of New York,' the narrator explains.

Staying close: Instead, what they did was attach themselves to eye bolts that are embedded inside of the building.

Old school: The New York landmark was one of the few buildings in the world to continue to use this traditional labor intensive method into the 21st century.

Like some early skyscrapers, the Empire State Building does not have a flat roof, window cleaners are not able to attach themselves to a rope from the roof. Instead, what they did was attach themselves to eye bolts that are embedded inside of the building. The men then attach a taut rope to the eye bolts that are on either side of each of the windows in the building and then hangs outside of them to clean each window individually.

Good view: The Chrysler Building is seen through one window washer's legs.

Landmark: For over 40 years after it was built, the 102-storey Empire State Building was the tallest in the world.

Considering there are 6,500 windows in the building, which is now used as rentable business space and a tourist attraction, they clearly need a safe method that will work for the cleaners. The New York landmark was one of the few buildings in the world to continue to use this traditional labor intensive method into the 21st century. The video narrator is right when he comments that 'it looks a paneful business'.

When they were building it (not for the nervous)..