Lorraine Williamson
A Basque immigrant unknowingly became part of one of the most recognisable images in American history. Decades later, his family discovered his quiet legacy in the steel industry. The Basque worker in the skyscraper photo was eventually identified as Nacho Ibargüen, linking their family to an iconic moment in history.
In 1932, during the depths of the Great Depression, a photograph of eleven construction workers eating lunch on a steel beam high above New York City captured the world’s imagination. One of them, the man second from the left lighting a cigarette, was Nacho Ibargüen Moneta. A Basque migrant whose identity remained a mystery for decades.
Escaping conscription, chasing opportunity
Born in Balmaseda, Vizcaya, in 1899, Ibargüen was one of ten siblings. In 1919, like many young Basques, he left Spain to avoid military service — and likely deployment to the Rif War in North Africa. His first stop was Argentina, where two brothers had already settled. But life there didn’t suit him.
Amid a strike by British sailors, Ibargüen seized the chance to board a vessel headed to Europe. From Bristol, he spent time in various ports before eventually arriving in New York City, a place undergoing rapid urban transformation.
Life in Brooklyn and love in a new land
Work was plentiful in the high-rise construction industry. During this period, Ibargüen met Esperanza Ojinaga, a fellow Basque from Berango who had arrived in the US as a child. They married when she was 16 and made their home in Brooklyn, where they raised four children.
A chance discovery, decades later
For over 50 years, neither Nacho’s family in Spain nor his children in the US realised he was part of the iconic photo known as Lunch Atop a Skyscraper. As reported by ABC.es, the truth emerged unexpectedly in the 1980s.
During a visit to Balmaseda, Nacho’s son Dani was given a framed version of the photo — purchased from El Corte Inglés. He immediately recognised his father and was moved to tears.
Confirmation through archives
The Asociación Harresi cultural group in Balmaseda later confirmed Nacho’s identity through research at the Rockefeller Center archives and by comparing family photos. Ibargüen had worked on the GE Building — now the Comcast Building — and the photograph was taken on 20 September 1932.
Although many of the men in the image remain unidentified, a handful are known today: Joe Curtis, Joseph Eckner, Patrick Glynn, Matty O’Shaughnessy, and Nacho Ibargüen.
A staged image with real risk
Despite its casual appearance, the photograph was a staged publicity shot, likely by Charles C. Ebbets. The aim was to promote New York’s resilience during economic hardship. Published in the New York Herald Tribune on 2 October 1932, it quickly became a global symbol of courage and endurance.
The workers posed without safety harnesses, 250 metres above the city, representing the immigrant labour that helped shape modern New York.
Dani’s unfulfilled dream
Dani, who worked for Pan-Am and regularly visited Spain, had hoped to retire in the Basque Country. He even learned Euskera. But after the airline collapsed in 1991, he could no longer afford to relocate. He died of bone cancer in New York in 2000.
A legacy in the skyline
Nacho Ibargüen’s story is a reminder of the thousands of immigrants who built the foundations of America’s greatest cities. His legacy lives on in steel, sky, and an unforgettable image.