rare and all original c. 1931 booklet or brochure issued during the empire state building dedication ceremony on may 1, 1931. the 48 page booklet, measuring 12 x 8 1/2 inches is profusely illustrated with a dedication by alfred e. smith, who was instrumental in getting the building built during the great depression. the cornerstone was laid on september 19th and the building opened to the public on may 1, 1931. the booklet cover features a wonderful depiction of the massive aluminum interior lobby plaque, mural or relief of the empire state building with the sun rising behind its mast. a very limited number were made, and are incredibly hard to find today. published by the select printing co., inc., new york city. the site of the empire state building was first developed as the john thompson farm in the late 18th century. at the time, a stream ran across the site, emptying into sunfish pond, located a block away. beginning in the late 19th century the block was occupied by the waldorf-astoria hotel, frequented by the four hundred, the social elite of new york. the empire state building was designed by william f. lamb from the architectural firm shreve, lamb and harmon, which produced the building drawings in just two weeks, using its earlier designs for the reynolds building in winston-salem, north carolina, and the carew tower in cincinnati, ohio (designed by the architectural firm w.w. ahlschlager & associates). the general contractors were the starrett brothers and eken, and the project was financed primarily by john j. raskob and pierre s. du pont. the construction company was chaired by alfred e. smith, a former governor of new york and james farley's general builders supply corporation supplied the building materials. excavation of the site began on january 21, 1930, and construction on the building itself started symbolically on march 17—st. patrick's day—per al smith's influence as empire state, inc. president. the project involved 3,400 workers, mostly immigrants from europe, along with hundreds of mohawk iron workers, many from the kahnawake reserve near montreal. according to official accounts, five workers died during the construction.