September 11 sensitized us to suffering. Images of the terrorist attacks and the aftermath became iconic. They were windows into our fear, rage, shock, and sorrow. As the months passed, and inspiring pictures of courage and caring came in from around the world, we realized that the tragedies in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania had shown us a way into boundless compassion. Looking at such images can be a spiritual practice.
Many times during the past year, we have walked past a storefront in the SoHo district of New York and noticed the crowd milling around inside, looking at prints of photographs hung on clotheslines. This was where Here Is New York got started, the brainchild of a resident in the building who posted a picture of the Twin Towers in the empty store’s window shortly after the attacks and then watched as people stopped to stare at it reverently. Eventually, she and her partners solicited photographs from professionals and amateurs, scanned them to digital files, and began selling ink-jet prints. Before long, there were long lines at the door, thousands of prints were sold with the net proceeds going to charity, some of the photographs were sent out in traveling exhibitions, and all were posted on the Internet.
The organizers describe the effort as “partly an impromptu memorial, partly a rescue effort, and partly a testimonial of support for those who were actually doing the rescuing . . . a rallying point for the neighborhood and for the community at large.” The book is indeed a democracy of photographs, presented in no particular order other than a division into black-and-white photos and color ones. Nearly 1000 of the more than 5,000 that were collected are included. All the photographs are available in a searchable database on the website: www.hereisnewyork.org.
These images have the power to sear their way into your consciousness. Some will seem familiar — the buildings in flames — until you realize you are viewing them with a couple holding each other on their rooftop, as thousands of other eyewitnesses did that day. A Brooklyn woman plays with her baby as a dark cloud covers Manhattan. The dust and debris down below is dense and oppressive. Workers fleeing the area appear to be wearing grey masks. Pigeons make tracks in the strange white stuff. Empty shoes left behind cry out for an explanatory caption. But for most of this wreckage, there is no complete story.
Equally moving are the pictures of the rescue workers at Ground Zero, New Yorkers greeting each other with tears in their eyes, displays of missing posters on phone booths and pizza parlor walls, and thousands of candles in the city’s parks. The faces of the people reflect sadness, relief, anger, confusion, gratitude, and concern. September 11 brought out every emotion known to humankind, and if any one document of the day captures that impact, this is it. Take your time with these images, and they will open your heart.
