For Monday's eclipse, we wanted to see how eclipse watchers on the building's 86th floor observation deck might have changed over time. So we put a photo from a 1932 partial eclipse side-by-side with a similar one from this year.
The photo from the solar event on August 31, 1932, shows a mix of people, mostly dressed up in ties and dresses. They're also using a mix of filters that appear to allow them to see the sun (hopefully safely). This was the first eclipse since the building's opening the prior year.
Take a look here:

Notice two things that are missing? Cameras and cellphones.
Now, fast forward nearly 85 years later to August 21, 2017. The dress for an event like a total eclipse is a bit more casual, and the most jarring difference is how people are efforting ways to capture the event with cameras and portable electronic devices. The protective glasses appear to be a bit more uniform, too.
Here's a similar image, also shot on the observation deck:

The crowd is a little less dense in the modern photo, but that's mostly due to the size of the crowd at the time.
This photo probably gives a better comparison, but it was shot from a different angle:

What other differences do you spot in the then/now photos? Tell us in the comment section below.
Check out more photos of the 2017 solar eclipse from atop the Empire State Building here: