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Scope and Content Note

This series consists of one volume of black and white photographic prints depicting construction of the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building in Albany, New York. The images span the entire course of the project from groundbreaking in February of 1927 to completion of the building in January of 1929. The earliest images depict groundbreaking ceremonies and feature Governor Alfred E. Smith posing atop heavy construction equipment. A significant number of images depict excavation and laying of the building's foundation. Additional images depict erection of the building's steel frame in stages and hint of the building's final shape. Later images illustrate progress in the laying of stone blocks comprising the building's exterior. Three final images depict the completed structure as seen from various angles.

These prints were submitted to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department as evidence in the case of Seglin Construction Co., et al. vs. the State of New York. Seglin Construction Company and its subcontractors originally initiated claims against the state for damages suffered due to the delay, additional work, and additional materials necessitated by the change in design of the building's foundation. For this reason, more than half of the images in this series depict construction of the building's foundation.

A0536-16: This accretion consists of 16 enlarged duplicates from the original accession.