9/11 is one of those events that will never be forgotten. In a sense of historical irony, the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City may be one of the best-documented events in US history, due to the all the major media outlets based in the city and so many great photographers living in and around New York City at the time. While the attacks on the Pentagon and flight 93 in Pennsylvania were covered, nothing comes close to the amount of video, film and early digital files shot during the attacks on the towers.
For the past few weeks, and most certainly for the next few days, we will see almost all of that footage played over and over again. We will hear and see the stories of all of those involved. From the striking of the towers, to the heroes who ran into the burning towers, to those that were lost when they fell, their legacy and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Many photographers not only documented the attack, but also the rescue that followed in the days, weeks and months. The great Jay Maisel took his camera and photographed the faces of the citizens of New York City, as they watched the rescue attempts at ground zero, his gallery and now release book shows the emotion of those closest to the attack.
In the years since the attacks many monuments have been constructed to honor those lost in the attacks. Drew Gurian, Joe McNally’s assistant, showed me the work of Jessica Jamroz, who has worked on a monument in New Jersey, for the citizens of the state that were lost during the attack on 9/11. Her work on the design of the monument is amazing, as are so many others around the nation.
For me, one of the best tributes to the attacks on the towers is Joe McNally’s “Faces of Ground Zero”. Like so many, Joe wanted to do something, needed to do something, and just so happen to be working in a studio, just blocks from Ground Zero, with the largest Polaroid camera.
Over the next five weeks, he took photos of officials, rescue workers, and family members of those lost in the tragedy. The photos turned into a book, which has turned into many showings of the images to the public.
10 years later, Joe has brought us back to those same faces with updated photos and video. This isn’t something that he started this year, but something that he has been doing since that day 10 years ago. Joe has kept in touch with those people and stayed in their lives, keeping us updated on how they continue to live in the wake of everything they went through. They can ask for no better voice than Joe McNally. His words and tenor when he speaks about the that day is truly amazing and to hear him tell their stories in person in a life changing experience.
As a student of history, I am drawn to the personal stories of those who are involved in world changing events. The detail of how individuals have dealt with those events and tragedies is the can be the most reveling. Facts are always necessary in history, historians try to always search for those facts in search of accuracy, but it the stories of those people involved, that is where the truth can be found, that is where we see the human side of any event.
I have no idea if Joe intended to be the caretaker of those people featured in “Faces from Ground Zero”. But in taking those photos, and talking with those people, he has taken their stories and brought them to a light that we will be able to return to for so many years to come. There is no politics or ideology in their images or words, just their story. And in the years that have past, Joe has continued to hear and document their story, through photo, and now video. How these individuals continue to live their lives, either with the tragedy that directly involved them, or the loss of a family or friend, is really the story that must be told.
At Photoshop World, I again had the privilege to hear Joe speak about this ongoing project. He shared the updated photos, as well as the stories. As each photo passed on the screen, the emotion in the audience was palpable. You could hear the tears being held back from many, and once Joe was done speaking, the standard applause given to every photographer presenting, turned into a standing ovation. Every single person in the audience knew exactly what they had heard and seen, touch by the photos and memories of one of the darkest days in American history.
If you have never seen the “Faces of Ground Zero” or haven’t seen the updated images and videos from Joe McNally, you can find them here. You can also donate money to help continue a legacy that will live on, long after we are gone.
To those lost on that terrible, you are not forgotten.
To those that lost family and friends, we will never forget.
Great men and women, like Joe McNally, will never let that happen.
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