The Howard Wright Construction Company broke ground at the Space Needle site on April 17, 1961. The result of a design collaboration among businessman Edward E. Carlson, architect John Graham and University of Washington architecture professor Victor Steinbrueck, the Space Needle was built for the 1962 Century 21 Exposition (World’s Fair) in Seattle. With the addition of the final torch tower, the construction of the 600 foot Space Needle was completed on December 8. 1961. Seattle’s Pacific Car and Foundry Company was the subcontractor for the steel fabrication and erection of the Space Needle.

This photograph depicts two steelworkers from the Pacific Car and Foundry Company at around the 515 feet level, standing on one of the brackets which will support the Space Needle’s observation deck. Remarkably, no men were injured during the often precarious work involved in the construction of the Space Needle.

Caption information source: Space Needle USA by Harold Mansfield and George Gulacsik, 1962.

Printed on border of photograph: Pacific Car and Foundry Company

Stamped on verso: Photograph by Pacific Car & Foundry Co, Neg. No. 11815-373