Birth of giants: rare footage of the large-scale construction of the World Trade Center (5 photos)

In the late 1960s, lower Manhattan became one of the most spectacular construction sites on the planet, where the iconic Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were erected before the eyes of the world. Archival footage captures a key period in the history of New York's skyscrapers from 1968 to 1971. Unique photographs depict the breathtaking process: the work of gigantic construction cranes at dizzying heights, the erection of massive steel frames, panoramic views of the hazy city from the workers' cradles, and the daily routine of brave workers balancing on steel girders above the clouds. These images convey the sheer scale of the engineering feat of their time, capturing the moment when two futuristic vertical structures were just beginning to change New York's architectural landscape forever.