New York, 1944. America has recovered from the depression of 1929 and entered a fight in which the old world is violently receding and giving way to the new. But in the very emblem of the modern metropolis it’s business as usual. Window-shopping, movies, theatre and pony rides in the park are the activities that express the dreams and hopes of millions who sought in New York’s vertiginous architecture the opportunity to reach new heights. To this day it remains a model to imitate.