A sandhog calls out the number of inches of the "shove"

Description:

Early in 1939 Carl Mydans traveled 100 feet underground to document the building of the Midtown Tunnel in New York City, which runs under the East River all the way from 42nd Street in Manhattan to Queens. His photographs were published in LIFE magazine (April 3, 1939) and earned Mydans a Grand Prize by U.S. Camera [n.d.].

At the moment this picture was taken, hydraulic jacks from the shield-- a criss-cross structure of heavy girders ringed in steel plate-- is pushing against the last laid iron section. As the shield pushes ahead into the river bed, the "shove" is called out. Afterwards, sections are plugged to avoid any air leaks. In good ground, the shield makes one shove every five hours; in bad ground, it can take up to twenty-four hours.

Date Made: 1939

Photographer: Mydans, Carl

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United States: New York, New York City

See more items in: Work and Industry: Photographic History, Photography, Carl Mydans

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Related Publication: Mydans, Carl. Carl Mydans, Photojournalist, Life Magazine

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 2005.0228.051Accession Number: 2005.0228Catalog Number: 2005.0228.051

Object Name: photograph

Physical Description: paper (overall material)Measurements: overall: 8 in x 10 in; 20.32 cm x 25.4 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-e4db-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1303305

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