New York’s LOST Skyscraper - The Rise and Fall of SINGER TOWER - IT'S HISTORY
Today we explore the famous Singer Tower, a New York City skyscraper that once defined an era, and has now been completely forgotten. Upon its completion it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing Philadelphia’s city hall which was the previous record holder. The Singer building was one of the worlds most beautiful examples of urban architecture - now it is an example of poor historic preservation.
This episode was based on the work of O.F. SEMSCH - A History of The Singer Building Construction, It's Progress from Foundation to Flag Pole, if you’d like me to create and audio book version here on it’s history SUBSCRIBE NOW! 1,000 new subscribers and I will make the video!
Index:
00:00 - New York City's North River in 1679
01:27 - Why Was the Singer Tower built?
02:12 - The History of Construction of the Singer building
03:17 - The concept behind Singer Tower
03:50 - The History of the Singer building engineering room
05:00 - How much coal did Singer tower burn?
08:13 - The Dome of the Singer building
08:38 - The Clock system of Singer tower
09:43 - The elevators of Singer tower
10:38 - The vault of Singer tower
10:42 - Singer tower completion
11:15 - The down fall of Singer tower
13:30 - The Demolition of Singer tower
» Mentioned Videos:
"Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn Heights Promenade (1964)" by roger4336 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
"Lower Manhattan from Lackawanna Ferry (1964)" by roger4336 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
"New York - Lower Manhattan (Postcard c.1914)" by roger4336 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
"Big Buildings of Lower Manhattan" by sjrankin is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
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This is going to be a BIG video! We bring Singer Tower back to life for the first time since 1969!!! HIT THE BELL !!!!
I thought the Chrysler building was the tallest building until empire state or the sears tower ? I think the Chrysler building was erected in 1932 with all German Krupp seel, and a lot stainless steel,,,,
A most excellent and informative history of one of my favorite buildings. Such a shame it was replaced by a huge nothing. Had it survived, like many older small footprint skyscrapers, it would have been converted into luxury apartments. Thank you for all the photos and drawings I've never seen before.
@@bustersmith5569 it was after the singer building
I'm guessing you meant to say "modern tower" on the thumbnail. Don't you just hate it when common words get misspelled in such a prominent place?
They sure don't build them like they used to! I always scan for the Singer Tower in films featuring NYC in the decades before it was demolished. As your video shows, it gradually became obscured by its many neighbors, but once in a while you see it peeking out from behind. In the TV series, "The Naked City" filmed in NYC during the early 60's, you can sometimes spot it in the background. The artistry and craft that went into building like this cannot be matched today. I work in 3D design, and find it so ironic that with all the software packages and advanced manufacturing techniques available, today's urban architects cannot move beyond variations on a box and unadorned, planar surfaces. There wasn't a craftsman 100 years ago who couldn't dance circles around most of our "starchitects" and designers. Modernism has created a society of visual illiterates, whose minds simply cannot comprehend anything beyond primary shapes and colors.
I'm from Saint-Petersburg, Russia, and there we have a Singer building still, it's one of the landmarks and art nouveau masterpieces.
Yes, Dom Knigy.
Cool
Насколько я знаю Зингер хотел построить похожий небоскреб на месте дома книги, но компании отказали, потому что в центре уже тогда было ограничения высоты
I just googled it. Wow! Beautiful!
Hi, I'm from St. Petersburg, Florida! 🙂✌
Can’t believe I’ve never heard of this before. The history is crazy
Are you sure someone from the future didn't build this place?.
Because their creating a false history for the future...
I got over the shock of such discovery long ago. Just think of how great it is to have new things to discover EVERY day!!! "Youthful!!" -- one a day will keep you that way.
I can believe it...it's just another 'fabrication'....meant to hid the real truth of this world.
It's even harder for me to realize that I was there when it was still standing, and never noticed it.
My Great Great Grandfather C.T Wills was the contractor who built the Singer Tower. Thank you for such a great and informative video. This history deserves to be remembered.
And they built it in one year?
About 18 months. Remember the original building existed, the tower was an addition, albeit with big changes of the original Bourne building to accomodate it
This terrific video stirred up my memory of being in the building shortly before it's demolition. I remember standing in awe looking at the opulent lobby and it's beautiful red veined cream color marble. Thanks for posting.
I would love to have seen the lobby in person. Pictures exist online of the lobby corridor but I've never seen a proper color photo. It must have been incredible.
Wow when were you born
So at least you can time travel in your mind. A luxury!
@@bapedoublecup..1949
@@bapedoublecup , it stopped me in my tracks.
I am a huge architecture buff and I have never heard of Singer Tower - this is a literal jaw-drop for me
I am too and I’m very shocked
i mean it was once the tallest building so and the tallest demolished so thats how i knew it
Same and I was an independent tour guide in nyc (mainly food based )
If you know a little bit more your boss you'll be dropped this is nothing
At the time, it was the tallest building ever voluntarily demolished. Now 270 Park Avenue is.
A very sad story! The Singer Tower was not only a masterpiece of arquitecture and enginering, but also a work of art. The newyorkers went mad in the sixties because they demolished very iconic buildings, like the Roxy Theater, the old Met and the magnificent Pennsilvania Station as well!
Carlos Jorge Stöckel : Wow.What a mindset. Out with the old and in with the new,I guess. Sheesh
@@ebayerr As european I have other "mindset" as you called! Greetings from Germany!
@@Darrigrande : Well. I meant the "mindset" of the people who thought it was a good idea to destroy historical landmarks rather than preserve them. But I understand you point as well. Greetings from the Midwest U.S.of A.
Which "newyorkers" are you referring to, Carlos?
@@rudolphguarnacci197 The ones that planned, implemented and executed the demolitions in the 60s
I always thought that NYC's original sin was the demolition of Pennsylvania Station. I completely forgot about the Singer Tower.
I just watch an episode of the American Experience about the building of Penn Station and the tunnels that were built under the rivers to serve it. Fascinating story with a shameful end.
I second this! The Singer Tower is interesting, but the loss of the original Penn Station is sad and fascinating.
I could be wrong but I believe the demo of Penn Station is what led to the landmark preservation law, and a lot of the debris was dumped in the Meadowlands swamp in New Jersey
@@literallyunderrated Yes, that's what they said in the conclusion of the documentary. The Pennsylvania Rail Road needed money (it was entirely privately funded which lead to it's vulnerability) and real estate prices soared so they sold out to the developers of Madison Square Garden. The outcry at the loss of Penn Station lead to a huge preservation movement-the one that saved Grand Central.
@@cynthiajohnson9412 The entity that was once the Pennsylvania Railroad still exists. It's just an insurance company now. Just a fun fact I like to share
As someone who owns AND USES a very old Singer rmachine, and someone who loves architecture, I found this program fascinating!
I love mine! Mom loved hers. Singer machines are amazing!
My mom had a table sewing machine with a built in pedal. Beautiful machine.
I have a few beautiful vintage Singers. The sewing machine was as revolutionary as the PC was 20 years ago.
Sad that the quality of their machines aren't what they used to be.
We have owned ours for nearly 40 years it is the sewing machine sitting on a wood table with the beautiful wrought-iron tredle.
Architect 1: “what should we replace this building with” Architect 2: “A BIG BLUE BOX”
lol
insane the shit in NYC that got torn down and what it was replaced with, Penn Station jesus.
The solution is... rebuild me
@@singerbuilding6787 YOS
Doctor?
Madness! The same mass-psychosis swept all over the western world in the 1960s and 1970s. What WWII didn't destroy, real-estate developers accomplished in those days.
You can thank Germany and their disgusting Bauhaus architecture for all this.
@@AsiaMinor12 You can't just blame Germany for everything, like people doing it for their eugenic policy, this was a collective effort of the western civilization. You right Bauhaus is disgusting but it's not just the germans who coming out from nowhere to make things worst. Also people should have already know if they let the germans rule the world we all will living in cubes one day.
@@AsiaMinor12 Personally I consider the Swiss architect Le Corbusier one of the most dangerous men of the 20th century. His "machines for living" and other hideous monstrosities were straight out of a dystopian nightmare. Compared to him, Bauhaus was quite harmless, although I'm not a fan of that school either.
@@Zodroo_Tint you're kidding right. Hitler hated modern art, and he was the only one with ambitions to "rule the world" brainlet
@@AsiaMinor12 Blame the Germans for non-German cosmopolitan modernism sure buddy
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" is actually a quote from the poet Keats.
@@breonnie: I'm surprised you replied to this comment. There are two spaces between the words "is" and "a", poor to no editing. This is typical for online word processors.
White men can't jump lol!
@@breonnie What are you talking about? They seem to know a lot about the Singer Building, which is more than i can say for most others
Rob wells
Such a magnificent building and it only had a lifespan of less than 80 years... Tragic and heartbreaking.
Some of the stunning mansions belonging to the Vanderbilts only lasted 30 years or less before they were demolished. Such a shame...and then to replace them with steel and glass boxes?? Bonwit Teller was demolished for Trump Tower and the 2 stunning friezes were meant to be retained as museum pieces..but they were just smashed to pieces as he deemed them too expensive to remove? Pieces of history lost forever for.......progress??? I agree that it is heartbreaking
Allegedly only 80 years- could've been much older and found by a new civilization. Same with Vanderbilt mansions, Penn Station and the statue of liberty. Our history may be highly fabricated. These wonders are beyond our current architectural abilities and they were built during horse and buggy era...?
Not quite even 60 years. Completed 1908, demolition begun in 1967.
Well, it was pretty much outshone by the Empire State Building. By the 1940s, the Singer Building was just an old building, no longer anything special. When they tore it down it was just a 50 year old building, not historical or even outstanding. Just like tearing down a building from 1985 today.
Sounds like you've barely given it a thought. The Singer Tower outshined by the construction of the empire state? The Pennsylvania station was outshined by what?
As a kid I was once looking through an older book in our house and I found a ticket to the top of the Singer Building.
Wow that should be a museum piece
When I was looking through thrift store music, I found a tape for the soundtrack to Titanic, and the owner’s original ticket stubs were inside the case. Your Singer building ticket is way cooler, but it’s always so neat to find things like that tucked away 😋
I hope you still have this little treasure from a big building. Great building, not just tall
Can you show us that?
@@Emiliapocalypse whats with that emoji you creep
My mother-in-law was an elevator operator at the Singer Building in the late 1940s. Dept. 56 made a ceramic model of it that I bought in her honor. Until now I never saw how beautiful the inside was. Thank you.
I bet she had some crazy stories!
I'd love to see the model. Would you be able to post it on KZhead? Thank you!
My grandfather worked there after the war and he said coal was delivered every 4 hours day and night all winter long. I have about 200 pictures my grandfather took while he was employed there. It's awesome seeing the inside of it. Most are pictures of areas most people would never see unless you were a employee
Would you please share these pics with us?
@@jpt3640 yea. Where at ?
@@coinslotsandjoysticks2572 well, i don't know. a lot of people use facebook or other social platforms for sharing pics. i don't like them, but that's up to you. Mh... Or are you asking for a volunteer to scan and edit the pics?
@@jpt3640 no I just didn't know where to post them. I'll get em all out and do it this afternoon and let you know when I did
@@coinslotsandjoysticks2572 Would love to see them as well! If you have trouble finding a place to upload them, let me know and I will help
My Mom was born & raised in NYC. I remember her taking me & my siblings there to see it before it was torn down. I have An old Singer sewing machine that I restored & proudly sits in my Living room on display. Great videos.Thank you for sharing these great history on NYC.
Can you please articulate the day's events? Researching for a book on the topic and would appreciate first hand accounts.
Can you imagine how much more fascinating New York would be today if they hadn't eliminated certain historical/architectural gems...?
It would've collapsed with the twin towers in 9/11. Can you imagine two huge steel behemoths collapsing right on top of it just a couple meters away ?? It would've been crushed to bits.
@@carljohnson621 it could not be destroyed,the case example is Verizon building that survived 911 and was closer .
@@singerbuilding6787 Well we'll never know, the Singer wasn't there when 9/11 happened. We could say the exact opposite thing about the Deutsche Bank Building; it was close to the Trade Center, WTC 2 collapsed and it was condemned, demolition works ended back in 2011 or thereabouts. All I said is that a 612 foot tower standing in close proximity to a collapsing 1,362 foot tower would've been inherently dangerous to it.
@@carljohnson621 oh now it’s “we’ll never know?” You seemed confident in your first reply. Don’t make a claim and then scurry back on an excuse once you get called out. Looks weak
@@MrCaptainTea Like I said before your rude reply, the Singer couldn't have stood a chance against WTC 1&2, it was way thinner and way smaller than the twins and way too close to them to get out of it unscathed
That was a gorgeous building. Sad is gone...
Twin towers were better
@King of All Buttocks dam just by saying that you should get fined
@@r62aguy85 The twin towers were bland, featureless, and without character. The only thing they had is that they were tall.
@@notahotshot it may look bland but it definitely stood out
Yeah but it was a BRICK skyscraper. It definitely would have been torn down by now. This is what everyone is missing.
Just thinking about working all the way to the top makes me feel uneasy that’s so crazy props to all those people who spent their days building this tower
Mostly native americans as they were fearless of heights!
@@carolbell8008 I have so much respect ... I would die just because Im so scared 😅
@@carolbell8008 Not sure they were exactly fearless regarding heights, but it's a rite of passage for certain tribes.
Deconstructing this building was insanity! One of the most attractive skyscrapers ever, and so much hard work and effort to build it in the first place.
I love the look of the city buildings of that age. They are both an architectural beauty and an actual work of art. Thank you for sharing its story with us.
@@driley4381 @DRiley It's Neoclassical Renaissance, Art Deco wasn't really a thing yet at that point. However, even the Singer tower was unique among Neoclassical architecture. Almost like something from an alternate universe..
Twin towers were better
@@r62aguy85 The twin towers were bland, featureless, and without character. The only thing they had is that they were tall.
@ notahotshot: from the ground level the height of the Twin Towers created an optical illusion that made them appear tilted. Unique and interesting is not always pretty.
yeh, & they weren't built by the so called architect who was named in this narrative either. These buildings, many similar to have been built by the same 'company' are ALL OVER THE WORLD... amazing isn't it that we are never taught about the people who these buildings were 'inherited' from. ...our ancestors.
I would be intrigued by a VR recreation of this building.
That's a good idea.
The blueprints of Singer Tower should be available on archives. Which should make drawing the floor plans and exterior easier.
@@iMadrid11 twin towers were better
@R62A Guy , what does they have to do with a VR creation?
@@davvvvo nothin I just feel they were under appreciated that’s all I lean for crying out loud they were the tallest buildings in the world and the fact that they were twins just makes even better and unique they were also the first twin towers ever built and they were noticed from everywhere in NY and even parts of PA I feel the building in the video is irrelevant
If time travel was ever possible I would want to visit the NYC of the early 1900's to live and breathe the atmosphere of these iconic buildings!
The air would smell of coal and horses.
@Joey Harper Be happy you live in America at all when the vast majority of the world can only dream of being able to go on the internet and type "Shit waste and liberals" lol.
@Joey Harper Bah, the only ones with power are the loud ones on twitter. If more conservatives were as loud as them it would be balanced but the conservative voice is spread way to thin and doesn't get noticed nearly enough. The problem is that while that radical left group posts 500 times a day, a conservative voice will post only a fraction of that. The reason i don't worry about them is because they are actually a very small group and twitter makes them look like an army, but the silent majority is massive, and it took a while, but they are starting to notice. Only a matter of time for normality to return.
@Joey Harper Well I’m from Russia! Ok? How about that? We can only dream about this “liberal shit” if you say something against the government. you get your ass arrested right away!
Yeah, but all those horses producing thousands of gallons of urine and tons of manure every day! And most people didn't have access to daily baths and showers. But walking around would indeed be cool. I'm surprised we don't have the technology yet that would allow us to move around in an immersive simulation...a Star Trek holodeck if you will.
THANK YOU for the most in depth discussion of this list masterpiece I have yet seen. What a beautiful tribute to this sadly lost piece of historic architecture. The 60’s committed many architectural crimes, this is near the top.
I'm from South Africa and my grandmother had a singer sewing machine that we converted into a table! I was awestruck learning about the Singer Tower and the connection to the company all the way in South Africa.
Never knew Singer Tower existed, but hearing of its advanced technology it really was the grandfather of the modern skyscraper, all the technology used within its basement is almost identical to what was implemented into the WTC towers, from the super pumps that pumped water to the upper floors to the high speed elevators, if I was alive and had the money Singer Tower would’ve been turned into some upscale apartments or at the very least a multi lease office building with various businesses to be housed within, not very glamorous but it would’ve most likely survived longer
Man trying to get close to the true God's heaven.
All the ornate details and n such a massive scale, incredible.
Unfortunately, you wouldn't have been able to command the lease and rental aggreement amounts needed to cover the logistical operation of the building. It just wasn't monetarily feasable to preserve.
here in Charleston if you knew what the owners of a 2 story theatre went thru to make the masonry safe. it was from the same period and very ornamental. this theater seats 600. this building is 1 100th the size of this building. i cannot imagine getting enough revenue to do that.
There's always enough money. People don't understand that this stuff was intentionally done.
As a lifelong New Yorker (until 2015), I had only heard stories about the Singer building. What an interesting story. Great video, Ryan (and crew).
In Yugoslavia (Serbia), there is an expression when a machine (primarily a car engine) is working very smooth, fantastic: "Radi kao Singerica" - Works like Singer (sewing machine) That expression exists... for a very long time, for decades, most likely from that golden era of Singer.
The Singer Tower was wonderful. We can't bring back the past, but at least we have the history and pictures of it. Great video thank you.
I totally agree with you.
@@alexdelrio45 twin towers were better
Actually we probably could have rebuilt a replica of the Singer Tower, or even a slightly taller version of it built with modern materials. We still could, although likely not on the original site.
@@r62aguy85 The twin towers were bland, featureless, and without character. The only thing they had is that they were tall.
Someone could replica it. It's not the exact same, but if the director is someone who has been in the tower before, it could at least FEEL like it.
The tearing down of this iconic tower was a crime. What a beautiful building she was! Thanks for a great and informative video.
I like what was torn down to build Singer Tower.
@@sharksport01 Oh.... Here you are again.
Singer were huge. There were up to 20,000 employees at their factory here in Clydebank, Scotland. They built a high clock tower on the site, and an extra train track and station was created to help the employees commute. Singer train station is still in constant use today.
Your 20 minute docu video has more info than a 2 hour version of CBS 48 Hours or NBC Date Line. Well done and thank you! When you take more than 5 fact filled minutes to highlight the Singer's features, we know this is no ordinary building. It had all but the hull and propulsion system of the most sophisticated ocean liners of its time without the controlled environment of being built in a shipyard. And how state of the art architecture, engineering and construction could be completed so quickly is amazing.
The clock tower in the old Singer factory in Clydebank Scotland bears a striking resemblance to this Tower. I presume they used the design and plans for the NY Singer Tower and adjusted them accordingly.
Would depend on which was built first, i guess, and if the same architect had been involved in both.
@@juliebeans7323 Yep. Architects and engineers of stonking great buildings definitely work internationally.
The Clydebank headquarters was built in 1885 and therefore pre-dates the New York headquarters. Interestingly, the clocktower of the Clydesdale building was demolished in the 1960's when the clock stopped ticking.
My aunt always told me how much she loved the singer budding. I'm interested in hearing the book myself. So that's one more new subscription
I’m from Ełk, Poland and I was extremely suprised to see our historic water tower in this video. Oh small world. Still, it’s a shame that such beautiful and historic building just disappeared from NYC skyline. Great video and a great story.
My grand father has Singer U K make sewing machine 80 years old. And still it is in working condition today. Thanks Singer company. Sanjay Pune India.
I understand its floor plate was impractical for offices of todays standards, but always felt this couldve been revived as a residential building or even hotel fairly well. A real shame it got the axe. Few buildings could match its beauty
Penthouse 50 mil
@@maconp1119 do you mean this ironic or critical? I don't get it. Not a native speaker of English
@@topquarkbln: no, they are speculating on the cost of a penthouse suite.
Never even hear of it. That’s why I love history you learn something new every day
Agreed .... very interesting story on this part of history.
There are basically 3 buildings that deserve to be rebuilt the way they were: 1. Penn Station 2. The original St Paul's Cathedral that was destroyed in the great London fire of 1666 3. The Singer Building Though the Singer Building shouldn't be rebuilt in New York City. It should be built in a smaller city where it can still be the tallest and not be crowded out by modern monstrosities.
@@Novusod Couldn't agree more. Most familiar with Penn Station (76yo) from Long Island, we were too young to understand it's greatness; took it for granted. Until the replacement: a true horror! It's a slaughter house now! It should be rebuilt EXACTLY like the original. We Long Islanders had a separate lobby from long distance trains above. Elegant, calm, unconfused. Those was spectacular! We used to walk through them waiting for trains. Dreaming of long distance trains! Not returning to our parents in Huntington! lol The building had "personality".
@@brucesmith3072 nothing has personality today. The internet has literally shared so much that nothing new or fascinating exists. It's not just the quarantine making our conversations more awkward and moments shorter, it's everything social media has done...it's why you can't surprise someone with something momentous or even subtle in thought. I can name so much that all leads to each thing, but that is the main genre, it has effected automobiles, building architecture, people most definitely, colors or definitely lack thereof, material, and how we use the other type of material. People are discouraged by this pathetic world we placed or colonized over the beautiful absolutely breathtaking old world and I mean old to even 1970, all of that is trashed for modern day, even 1990 feels elegant, even hip hop stars and rappers feel elegant and knowledgeable back then. Now everythings slurring worlds and loosing all ability to speak, too much information is causing our minds to be clouded. God I should have realized.
*heard
I would think the logistics of demolishing such a large building in the middle of one of the largest and busiest cities in the world would be absolutely daunting. Just imagine getting all the vehicles and materials needed for demolition to the site without disturbing the other buildings nearby, and then you have to carry away all the debris.
Or call it something else.
Just sad, that building looks so elegant and beautiful and it’s unfortunate it’s gone‼️
Fell in love with the Singer Tower as a kid when I discovered it in a book about ocean liners. It was depicted in a photograph of the HMS Lusitania. Love the Victorian architecture. It was a shame and crime that it was demolished in the late 60's.
Just a small nit-pick, but it was RMS Lusitania. It stands for Royal Mail Ship, HMS is only for British Royal Navy ships. The Singer tower was indeed a lovely building though. Like something from a fantasy novel like 'His Dark Materials'.
@@lesigh1749 The Lusitania was built in Clydebank just outside Glasgow, Scotland. Ironically only half a mile from Singers Factory in Clydebank.
@@gerrymaxi6681 Its a small world!
It was a Beaux Arts design
A truly beautiful building! It angers me that the idea of destroying such a marvelous example of architecture and ingenuity could even be thought of. The building was ahead of its time. A time, I might add, which had some of the greatest architecture in human history.
New York was on a roll in the 60s. They destroyed Penn Station just a few years earlier, another great loss from the same era.
Weep not, fellow architectural fans. Just like design elements of old Pennsylvania Station live on through the Farley Post Office across the street from MSG, a part of the old Singer Building lives on in Brooklyn! Where, exactly? Would you believe GREEN-WOOD Cemetery?! Yup, Ernest Flagg was actually commissioned to design the mausoleum for The Singer Family. Look carefully at the front facade, and you'll spot design elements similar to the top portion of the old Downtown tower! Have fun...
@@JoseMorales-lw5nt Wow! I never knew that! Thanks a lot. I'll definitely research that more. Also, some of the eagle sculptures from Penn Station have even been salvaged and were used as part of the Market Street Bridge in Philadelphia which was the headquarters of PRR.
It was unsafe and impossible to maintain. Period.
@@sharksport01 They could if they really wanted to or just rebuild the building and make a few changes to make it more safer. Period.
This video educated me. I'd never even heard of the Singer tower until now. What a beautiful building it was. The story of its' demise and destruction is heartbreaking. Thank you so much for your work in putting this excellent video together.
We have 1916 OTIS elevators at work. They’ve been updated over the years, but it’s still requires an elevator operator.
The best thing is they still work.
It is wild to think about the amount of work that people put into building such a structure, only for it to be torn down in their lifetime
Back in the day NewYorks skyline looked like it was chisled out of stone the buildings were masterpieces today they are just steel & glass monoliths.
Architecture today is ugly back then skyscrapers were all different and unique.
Agreed. I know it wasn't a Skyscraper, but Penn Station was just amazing.
Not want to hurt the americans feelings but in my country when something need to fix or rebuild we usually rebuild it like it was before, than the commies came and they said NO but that is a different story. I never understood the americans and part of the reason I'm happy not to be an american is exactly how they behave with their own culture. Those early skyscrapers were beautifull, they tried to be unique and they tried to make their city beautifull, than the steel and glass came and they started to make those buildings with no personality. The WTC was the center of this, two of the ugliest building in the city ruling the whole skyline. I get it, it's capitalism, if something doesn't make profit anymore it has to go, it doesn't matter if it is a building or your own mother, I get it, I just doesn't understand it. From the start the leaders of the USA knew they will be an empire, they knew they will have more resources than any other empire before and what they do, they build temporary buildings. I guess one thay the Empire State Building and the Crysler building has to go too.
people probably said that back then.
@@Zodroo_Tint that is big city America. Out in rural Pennsylvania we preserve frontier log cabins and wood bridges
Very professional video. No clickbait, no bullshits, simply full packed with information. Thanks!
My mother AND my brother has their own Singer sowing machines and i can't remember how many i've seen trough the years. And i live far away in Norway. I've always loved the machines, because they are beautifully engineered. After seen this video, i love them even more. R.I.P. Singer Tower. You were astonishing. Thanks for this video.
Man I love how older building and skyscrapers looked.
"a thing of beauty is a joy forever" is a quote from a poem by John Keats.
Thanks.
Greetings Mr Brian: Your contribution to Singer, NYC and history is greatly appreciated. Indeed the Singer tower was a masterpiece, feat of the time and mostly, a representation of a pride now lost. Thx.
It think the location chosen for the Single Tower was its downfall, as it became hidden by other towers. The 1914 Smith Tower in Seattle which was the 3rd tallest tower in the country and the tallest in the west coast for many decades I think took inspiration from Singer tower, although it is simple looking from the outside in comparison but the inside is very ornate. It would be hidden today by newer towers except for its great locations at the edge of the downtown area which even today has no other competing towers near it and stands out very clearly as you approach the city from the south, or SE., it stands alone still today which preserves it.
It’s so sad that NYC let gorgeous structures like this building and Pennsylvania Station be demolished.
Well, like they said, there was a real issue regarding who would be willing to buy it if it was a historic building. Historic buildings tend to be quite expensive and restrictive when it comes to upgrades and maintenance.
@@georgyporgy777 bahaha, they were literally just tall steel beamed buildings with state of the art technology for that time, I don’t understand why there is a conspiracy about it 💀
Today NYC is a sewer.
Thrilled someone took the time to create a documentary on this iconic building. This is one of my favorites.
My grandfather worked in the tower. He was a bookkeeper. Took the train from NJ into NY every day. He is still missed.
Awesome! Do you have any pictures he took of it? Any cool keepsakes?
For my mom, I just found an early 1970's Singer machine and table and she was so thrilled! She used to sew me and my brother matching clothes in the 70's. Made me lucidly realize how much things have changed in my life, gosh! Love history of the building. The new steel building is so bland.
I'm looking forward to this. Here I am a native of the Pacific Northwest -- I never had a chance to lay eyes on the Singer Tower. I would have been six when it came down. But its construction, it's jewellike architecture, and its unfathomable destruction have fascinated me for years. The story of Penn Station has been told and retold, but not the Singer Tower. I was thinking just the other night, someone really ought to do a good KZhead video on the subject, with a solid script and narration. You beat me to it!
Following up upon watching -- great job! I've been curious enough, over the years, to look up what I can with a Google search, and it is clear your research goes much deeper than that. The video tells me a few things I didn't know -- kudos. The video is a great example of the creative uses people are finding for KZhead these days. One thing I'd steer you to is a brilliant essay that appeared in the New Yorker when the building's demolition was announced. And I always get sort of a chill down my spine when I see the Singer Tower show up in a Hollywood movie. Two examples -- The Fountainhead (1949) and the stock-footage sequence at the start of Insignificance (1985). By the way, my assumption is that the masonry could have been maintained. I remember reading about similar concerns regarding the Woolworth Building in a mid-'70s piece in American Heritage -- eventually they were licked. If I remember right, some elements were duplicated with fiberglass.
Singer had 19 manufacturing plants across 18 countries. Four of them were responsible for most of the vintage machines produced: two in the US, one in Canada, and one in Scotland.
Superb expose on one of too many beautiful, lost buildings. Excellet work and video. Thank you.
Lived in New York City since 1996-2015 and I’m just learning something new today that I never knew was there before.
For decades my uncle had a deli in the John Wolfe building, designed by Henry Hardenbergh of The Dakota fame, built in 1896. and located at the intersection of Liberty and Maiden Lane. When the city was preparing for the construction of the World Trade Center in the '60's, it decided to widen the streets in the area, and declared eminent domain. The Wolfe Building and the adjoining German-American Insurance Company Building were demolished. Of course, the city never did widen the streets, leaving a triangular lot that stood empty for years. Eventually, it became the depressing Louise Nevelson Plaza, a gravel pit featuring one of her large sculptures, but mainly known as a shortcut to the the adjacent Duane Reade. You never see a soul there, not even the pigeons will dignify it. Had the Wolfe Building survived, in such a prime location, it would have eventually been converted into luxury condos selling for tens of millions. As far as I know, my uncle never received any compensation for his displacement.
Wow, a New York place even pigeons don't like. Thanks for sharing. I'll look up the Fred Wolfe building.
something tells me the people behind the World Trade Center destroyed that building on purpose.
Both the John Wolfe & German American Buildings have always been some of my favorites. Honestly the most useless demolition of any building in downtown, aside from maybe that whole neighborhood by the Brooklyn Bridge demolished for onramps and public spaces.
As a baby boomer, I was lucky to see the Singer Building while it was standing. My grandmother lived in Stuyvesant Town, on the 11th floor at 435 E. 14th Street. She enjoyed a perfect downtown view of the entire skyline. It was a lovely view, decorated with lighting for the holidays that would now be considered "non PC" but for my two cents, unforgettable. I remember seeing that old bulging at the top tower for years. My grandmother would point out the various buildings and their names, with particular emphasis on the Singer Tower, for it was built when she was still rather young. In any event, I recall green lighting and red lighting and especially around Christmas. It was always a colorful display. Being a boomer, I became overly wrapped up with all the stupid things my generation pulled and for some years, while I saw my grandmother at our house in Queens, I hadn't visited her apartment in lower Manhattan in years. I might have heard about it's removal but being one of those ignorant boomers all full of themselves it didn't register. Then I went to visit. The tower was gone. I recall a somewhat empty feeling in my stomach. It was odd to see something so solid just disappear. I guess I was learning about the inconstancy of life and such. In any event, I recall seeing the old tower in person, with younger eyes than in my picture above and, frankly, it was a WONDROUS sight. Compared to the dull, glass, lifeless nothings of today, so apropos of the current generations of empty idiots, it was beyond AMAZING! Thanks for recalling it's glory days.
Thank you for sharing!
It was your generation who did, and still does, remove history.
Oh God, what could (and should) have been a touching little story, you ruin with petty grievance. Non PC Christmas lights? What the heck is that? You are aware that many cities today have Christmas decorations out in downtown areas right? And calling younger generations idiots? I'd look in the mirror with the track record the boomers have. And people like you wonder why they are so maligned. That being said, I know plenty of baby boomers who are awesome. You miss the cut.
@@gholwiih I thought "current generations" includes himself. to me value of anecdotes outweighs any subjective grievances, everyone has some and I can easily ignore them. no need to build up drama about every little thing
@@davidthedeaf and who's been destroying statutes and having them removed this past year ???
So many building, more 1960's destroited and The Singer Tower was just is such detail. That was sad. Good Video. Thank You!
This was such a beautiful building, especially inside with those elaborated decorations. It's a shame it was demolished to build a forgettable building instead.
It's sad that my office in 2021 has barely any of the amenities and none of the artistry of an office building from 1908.
I'm in Kenya and to this day, you will find a singer sewing machine in deep villages and inside some homes (were popular in the 80's and 90's). Quite telling about the reach of this company. Nice to learn about the tower.
Thank you very much for uploading this very interesting documentary. What a shame that this extraordinary and beautiful monument had been demolished!
My grandfather worked for Singer in the 1950s and have been in that building several times. Thanks for this video.
Thanks for this video! Isaac Merritt Singer (1811-1875), the company’s founder left a troubled home at twelve and began life as an actor. He eventually became an inventor and successful businessman. Although he never saw the Singer Building, its architecture ironically had a theatrical quality. A change from the more austere Romanesque styling of earlier skyscrapers. It would be good to produce a video on Singer himself. He was quite a character.
It looks like A palace, but in A skyscraper form, it must be elegant there, shame it’s gone.
That’s what I was thinking. That level of detail and ornament seems rare in modern buildings.
Lots of 19th century buildings and early skyscrapers look like that
I remember working on a Singer motorcycle at least 40 years ago . very cool
What a gorgeous building and amazingly modern for its day. As all buildings age the maintenance curve gets steep, can only imagine what that looked like in the 60s , and now it's 60 years after that. $$$$$$
I've admired this building since I was a boy, even though I'm a Californian, who never visited NYC until I was in my thirties. People who visited the building in 1908 must have been deeply awed. Nothing like it had been built before. In a time when most of America was still rural and a lot of people were living in the world of Longfellow's "The Village Blacksmith," this building was taller than many other cities' tallest buildings 50 years later, and it combined modern tech with Louis XV-style elegance. A couple of taller buildings were built within five years, but they weren't nearly as dramatically different from what went before. I visited all the old skyscrapers I could, but this gem was long gone, and I felt that I was missing something essential.
I think in the US people always lived in cities/metros for the most part. Not like in Europe or China were urbanization only started in the 20th century. I might be wrong about this!
@@yannick245 America's urban population didn't surpass its rural population until the 1920s. In 1776, America's largest city was Philadelphia, with about 40,000 people. London, Beijing, and Edo at that time had about 1,00,000 people. The growth of cities in America was a long process.
@@yannick245 No. Early Americans were mostly farmers. Farming wasn't very productive a long time ago.
@@toomanymarys7355 Thank you! I always was under the impression that Americans "always" mostly lived in the Mid-Atlantic region along the big cities. Or at least that urbanization took place much earlier than in the rest of the world. With the mass immigration from the 1850s.
I could never find the Singer building in the New York skyline - now I know why, can't believe they would knock it down.
Except for things like cars, trucks, planes and things like that, the majority of people in the US don't seem to have a real sense of historical value when it comes to buildings, so iconic buildings are knocked down with casual disinterest if some greedy developer sees an opportunity to raise a larger and more modern building.
Twin towers were better
@@tjroelsma There are beautiful buildings in most US cities, but they fall into disrepair. By then it's way too expensive and time consuming to restore all the intricate architecture - and alot of people really don't care about old stuff.
@@r62aguy85 The twin towers were bland, featureless, and without character. The only thing they had is that they were tall.
@@paulsawczyc5019 The whole "falling into disrepair" point you're making already proves my point that the average American doesn't have much of a historical sense. Once a building has been built, delivered and lived, worked in, it's considered obsolete and ready to be torn down after only a few decades, because of the idea of consumerism that rules the US. (buy it, don't do maintenance, wear it out and throw it away) I'm not a historical buff by any means, but I can appreciate an iconic building for it's innovative idea's in the time it was built in. Over here we at least put some value on historical things, where in the US people seem to want to erase all traces of the past and just build new things, because "new is always better, right?" The funny thing is that when they realise that new isn't automatically better, because many new things are way more complicated and therefore require way more maintenance, those same people immediately start lamenting how "everything was better in the time of my pappy and my grandpappy", conveniently forgetting taht it was actually they themselves who were so eager to dispose of those old things in favour of the latest shiny new product.
I live in Poland now. Just 20 miles from Ełk, where you've seen this Singer sawing machine in the water tower museum. There's plenty of those machines around here. My grandmother was using one and it's still in my apartment. Indeed a beautiful attifact. Piece of art in fact. Very good material. Thank you!
Excellent video. Well done! Previously, I had watched your video on the 'lost street cars', and now, after watching this video about the Singer Building, I have subscribed. My mother had a Singer treadle sewing machine, which was, to me, an ancient machine at that time. I enjoyed watching her using this machine. Times sure have changed, now we have computerized sewing machines!
Such an iconic building! What a shame that it was demolished to make way for a monstrosity. Great video.
Nothing is sacred anymore. But as long as we have the memories, it will never be completely “gone”.
The Singer Tower was a masterpiece and an iconic building on the New York Skyline. It was the masterpiece of Ernest Flagg. It should have been preserved instead of being torn down for the sake of expediency and to create more rental space.
It was amazing but impracticle to maintain. It's only chance would of been someone with a massive amount of money to restore and maintain it.
At the same time the old penn station was destroyed and replaced by the ugly one that still exists...quite a few horrible decisions were made at the end of the 1960s...probably by the same persons...
@@alainprostbis Radio Row was a place where electronics like radios and t.v.s were sold in Lower Manhattan from 1921 until 1966. It was torn down to build the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
@@Azarable all the same. This district should not have been demolished either. We agree. The old penn station was demolished partly to make place for the madison square garden complex.
@@alainprostbis I had no idea that the Singer Tower in New York existed until today when I saw this video. As for the twin towers, I really like them although it stood in the same area where Radio Row used to be. Now the twin towers are destroyed by terrorists on 9/11 in 2001 and it has now been replaced by an ugly skyscraper called the Freedom Tower.
I'm absolutely subscribing so I can hear that book. Great video on a great building!
I only discovered your channel today. I worked for Singer years ago when it was still a major player in business. I was unaware this building every existed. NOW, I would be interested in the technical end that your were talking about. I have spent a portion of my day today looking at some of your videos. I'm impressed and delighted.
Ernest Flagg was quoting the English poet, John Keats, when he said, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." Keats wrote that line before 1818.
You might like to explore Stanford Whites' 1892 "The cable building" on Broadway and Houston st, it was originally the power plant for the Broadway cable cars, I had lofts in the building and worked there in the 1980s and explored it top to bottom. It had four 1200 HP Corless engines in the sub, sub basement that pulled the cables under the street, powered by 12 Heine high pressure boilers it had a 32 foot 105 ton driving drum in the basement. The Metropolitan cable car company had their offices on the 8th floor directly above my loft. Unfortunately the cable machinery proved to be very problematic and the line was electrified only a few years later, and more unfortunate- ALL of the equipment, the dynamo that produced the power for the building, the engines and 9 of the boilers were removed and likely scrapped. It was the only one of it's kind and was different than the San Francisco plant which never mechanically pulled steel cables on tracks under the roadway. Had they not destroyed the system it could have been a fascinating museum showcase.
What a beautiful video! I always had heard of this building very briefly in the scale of the world's tallest, but never really knew much about it as it was quickly eclipsed by height alone. Thanks for taking the time and effort to share this great history.
The thinking and just everything you do is so amazing how you pull it all apart and analyze it is awsome. My gramy had old sewing machine in a table and done quilts blankets
I’m 70 years old, never heard of this building. I would of liked to have seen it.
Ken, will you please look into Jon Levi's channel? I'd live to know your opinion on what he has to say because of your age.
@@Eche888 I used to visit Manhattan in the early 1940's, absolutely irreplaceable in its beauty....that world is so far gone, not even the nicest building today comes anywhere close to the worst building then.
@@WitchKing-Of-Angmar how old were you when you visited in the 40's
@@williamtyler9209 just around 5, then again in 1947 when I was 10 and vastly inspired by all things automobiles and skyscrapers.
@@WitchKing-Of-Angmar twin towers were better
From an engineering prospective, the Singer Tower was quite ahead of its time. It offered the similar kind of luxury and comfort we normally get in today’s modern buildings. Also for that same reason, literally everything was custom built for the tower, I can imagine many of the electrical and heating system weren’t future proof; and it was just too costly to upgrade them all; so it is not hard to imagine they didn’t try hard enough to save it.
As a professional in the architectual industry I love mini docs like this, what an amazing time for construction.
Well done for making such an interesting film. From a grammatical point of view it’s refreshing and wonderful to hear history being described correctly in the past tense. (It drives me quite mad listening to history described incorrectly using the present tense). Keep on doing what you’re doing. Thank you.
The technology of that time still impresses me today. Sure, maybe there's more advanced ways... But what they did then, from what they had at the time, seems much more impressive somehow.
hell even the cars were better....what back to The future said was correct, an old 40's ford would utterly destroy most cars made today..... tip if you know cars buy the shell of a 50's car and put a modern engine in it from the 90's and turn it into a hot rod, that thing will turn heads and stand up to punishment your 2021 corvette can't handle....cus it's shell is made of fiberglass and the frame is composite metals, older cars were steel....outer shell and frame lol imagine a Civic getting smashed by a 1950 ford?? LMFAO!!! there'd be nothing left of the Civic lol
@@darthXreven Yeah I would love to see somebody leverage the torque of modern electric motors in classic era car bodies. Maybe a mix of the classic interior looks but some modern tech. Not really sure which way to go there but could be something.
Excellent documentary of the Singer Tower...such a shame when significant architectural marvels are lost and forgotten to new construction...✌🏻
when humanity still had a taste of class about it. Now, its just 'how much money can we make'. Great presentation. Thank you for sharing.
The fact that we get free documentaries on KZhead by IT'S HISTORY is truly a gift 👍
It is a architectural crime, that this beautiful and iconic building is demolished. It is a shame !
Yes indeed, This was a treasure how sick minds could justify it's demolition speaks of our time Kali-Yuga
Thank you very much for the upload.I was only reading about this very subject last week.thank you again.
Excellent presentation and a fine tribute to the superb Singer Tower. Thank you so much.
How sad that people give this a thumbs down. I enjoyed the presentation and am very impressed by the technology built into the building.
On the other hand, less than every 50th viewer has given a thumbs down. It's a very good ratio on KZhead.
It deserves a thumbs down, so historical removers can know the displeasure the rest of us feel when they destroy our heritage.
It’s unfortunate when you tubers create content that is both excellent and displeasing historically.
Plus, though the content is great the guy is annoying as hell.
It's been said that people who don't understand KZhead that well are angrily giving thumbs down to the commercials not realizing that they are actually giving the rating to the the actual video that follows. Commercials don't accept ratings. Those ratings get applied to the video.
How can a build that was once the tallest building in the world not qualify as being historically worth saving???
ask the yuppies that demolished countless works of art in the same time period.
Maybe it was a piece of shit?
@@TheBraddles82 tallest piece of shit still has to be saved, point stands
every building was once the tallest how many do you save.
@@raypitts4880 How did you work that out?
Thank you for a highly entertaining and informative piece on the Singer Tower. My eye is always immediately drawn to the Singer in those photos of old New York.
I have never even been to New York City before but watching your guys videos gives a sense of being there at one point with the amount of detail you guys put in to each video. It's very sad to hear about some of these buildings being such grand marvels to just a memory in some sorts. The sub stations that powered the subways and the singer building they were made of stone and concrete but they were very much alive with all the work that had to be done to them and the moving parts within. When they were taken out of service it's like they actually would die it's very sad