Rockefeller’s Rink Was Meant to Be Temporary (1936)
Rockefeller’s Rink Was Meant to Be Temporary (1936)
Rockefeller Center’s rink opened as a temporary attraction on Christmas Day in 1936. It was intended to draw people into the shops around its sunken plaza.
The story behind the scene
The plaza needed an attraction that would bring visitors down from street level. A skating pond gave people a reason to stop and spend time there.
The experiment lasted. Skating became a recurring winter activity at the centre, rather than a brief promotion for the surrounding businesses.
The 1941 photograph was taken only five years after the rink opened. It records skaters using a place that had already outlived its temporary beginnings.
What you’re seeing
John Collier’s photograph shows skaters moving towards the camera, with spectators behind them. The modern photograph returns to the rink, where people still circle the ice beneath the surrounding buildings.
Why this photo matters
The activity provides the strongest connection between the two views. The rink has lasted because people continue to use the small patch of ice that first drew visitors into the plaza.
Historical photograph: John Collier, 1941, Library of Congress, 2017822301. Modern photograph: Devyn Tapia.
Sources: Rockefeller Center; US National Archives