File:First Rockefeller Center Tree1931.jpg

The raising of the "first Christmas tree" by workers at the site of the future Rockefeller Center (New York City), under construction in 1931, establishing this annual tradition which continues more than 75 years later

the collection of the Copyright holder, the Rockefeller Archive Center, as reproduced in Daniel Okrent's book, Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center. New York: Viking, 2003 (ISBN 0-670-03169-0).

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Cropped, by User:JGHowes

Yes

Fair Use Rationale (limited to this article only): It is believed that this low-resolution version solely to illustrate a unique historic event – the first Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center, erected by the construction workers during the Great Depression – is permissible Fair Use because:

1. This image is a reduced size, low-resolution version. As such, it is non-reproducible for commercial purposes.
2. This image does not diminish the value of the original media to the copyright holder nor interfere with the media's original purpose.
3. It illustrates an event of historic importance, i.e., the indomitable spirit of the American worker even in the midst of the Great Depression and the establishment of the Christmas tree tradition at Rockefeller Center, which has been a source of inspiration and enjoyment to millions of people over the years. Use of this image conveys this event to the reader of this encyclopedic article better than mere prose.
4. It meets all criteria in WP:NFCC

Not replaceable. It is a unique, non-recurring, non-reproducible historic event and no free alternative is known to exist.