Brooke, Chris, Gabi, Robyn

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum was erected to memorialize the events of September 11th, 2001, and February 23rd, 1993.  On both of these dates, the World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists. On February 23rd, a truck bomb was detonated below the World Trade Center. Six died and thousands were injured, though little structural damage was done.  After this attack, several safety measures were improved and implemented, these new safety features are often credited with the survival of many after the second attack. On September 11th, 2001, four passenger planes were hijacked, one crashed into the Pentagon, two crashed into the Twin Towers, and one crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. 184 people were killed both in the Pentagon and aboard the plane which crashed into it. The two planes that crashed into the Twin Towers lead both the North and South towers to collapse, killing over 2,500 people and leaving thousands more injured. On the fourth plane, the 40 crew members and passengers were killed.  These events were devastating and continue to impact society today.

It is suggested that one looks up the museum prior to arrival in order to know what to expect, especially for younger audiences. The official 9/11 Memorial and Museum website has a warning that the material may not be appropriate for children under 10, though they do have an online self-guided tour should an adult decide to bring a child there.  The average time spent inside the museum is two hours, and ticket prices range from $15-$26, with discounts offered to children, college students, and U.S. veterans. However, the memorial with the names of all those who died is located outside of the museum and is free.

The Memorial Twin Reflecting pools are located within footsteps of where the Twin Towers once stood. The names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed into the bronze panels edging the Memorial Pools. The Memorial Museum itself is located quite uniquely. It is within and surrounded by remnants of the original World Trade Center site this is known as the archaeological heart of the World Trade Center.  It contains a permanent collection of more than 11,000 artifacts including ephemera, textiles, artwork, oral histories, books and manuscripts. Also, it possesses over 300 moving images, and more than 40,000 print and digital photographs. The largest of the spaces inside the Museum is Foundation Hall. Here, there is a room with ceilings ranging from 40 to 60 feet high and nearly 15,000 square feet of floor space. Within this room is the slurry wall. The slurry wall is a retaining wall originally built to hold back the Hudson river, as well as the remnants of cutoff box columns that once formed the exterior structure of the Twin Towers.

The museum is broken into two main exhibitions: the Historical Exhibition and the Memorial Exhibition. The Historical Exhibition is split into three parts: before 9/11, the day of 9/11, and after 9/11.  The Memorial Exhibition commemorates the lives of those who perished on both February 23rd, 1993 and September 11th, 2001. This exhibition contains several interactive exhibits.

One of the most significant collections this museum is the Tribute Collection. This is a larger collection of objects, consisting of multiple sub-sections, that came together through compiling items from those who lost loved ones during the attack, or were merely affected in some manner. Tanya Hoggard, a flight attendant who volunteered at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 attacks, is responsible for organizing the specific tribute collection known as the “Dear Hero” collection. She recognized that children were coming to show their support from around the natio by delivering letters and artwork to the firefighters and recovery workers who were present the day of and after the fact. Seeing just how positive of an impact this had on those involved, she began compiling these “objects” to ensure they would be preserved and eventually become part of a larger collection, which became the 9/11 Memorial Collection.

Inside the 9/11 Memorial Collection, there are a myriad of structural objects which help shed light on the fateful events on the morning of September 11^th, 2001. After extensive research, our group has narrowed down the entire collection of recovered architectural artifacts to three objects: An elevator motor, a staircase, and a small collection of glass fragments from a shattered window. Each of these objects tells a story of how people stuck in the World Trade Center (WTC) attempted to escape the deadly terrorist attack.

The museum contains several objects that have been donated by families and friends of those who perished.  These objects include photographs, notes, momentos, videos, and even voice recordings. Today, the museum continues to reach out to the families of those who died in order to share their stories.  A family member or friend can bring objects to the museum, mail them, or even create a recording of themselves talking about the person being memorialized and submit it to the museum via internet, phone, or in person.

Works Cited:

Editors, History.com. “9/11 Timeline.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 21 June 2011, www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-timeline.

“Home | National September 11 Memorial & Museum.” Home | National September 11 Memorial & Museum, www.911memorial.org/.

Kennicott, Philip. “The 9/11 Memorial Museum Doesn’t Just Display Artifacts, It Ritualizes Grief on a Loop.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 June 2014, www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/the-911-memorial-museum-doesnt-just-display-artifacts-it-ritualizes-grief-on-a-loop/2014/06/05/66bd88e8-ea8b-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.49984e9f768b.