More than any other phenomenon, the skyscraper has determined the character of the American city, altering its physicality and land use patterns; prompting design, technological, and infrastructure developments; creating internal work environments; and redefining boundaries and expectations of individuals and groups defined by gender, class, and ethnicity. This volume examines the various dimensions of the skyscraper in its American urban context. Focusing on the major skyscraper cities of New York and Chicago between 1870 and 1960, the studies in this volume address many of the major aspects of the skyscraper through a diversity of methods, including planning and public policy, art and architectural history, labor and business history, and American studies. The result is a kaleidoscopic view of the skyscraper, a building type whose existence as object and icon are inextricably linked to the city itself.