Aftermath : World Trade Center Archive

A collection of photographs documents the destruction done to the World Trade Center in the September 11 attacks and the next nine months of work to clear the debris in Ground Zero.

"Aftermath is a testament to the heroism and compassion that were so much a part of the recovery effort at ground zero. Joel?s work and dedication presented on the pages of this book is for every American, as a tribute and historical record ensuring 9/11 is never forgotten on future generations." - Joe Daniels, 9/11 Memorial President, 2011

After the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York on September 11th 2001, the world-renowned photographer Joel Meyerowitz felt compelled to visit the site. In his own words, he was 'overcome by a deep impulse to help, to save, to soothe, but, being far away, there was nothing I could do. On his return, Meyerowitz soon made his way to the scene where, upon raising his camera, he was reminded by a police officer that this was a crime scene and that no photographs were allowed. Meyerowitz duly left the scene but within a few blocks the officer's reminder had turned into consciousness. To Meyerowitz, 'no photographs meant no history' and he decided at that moment to find a way in and make an archive for the City of New York. Within days, he had established strong links with many of the firefighters, policemen and construction workers contributing to the clean up. With their assistance he became the only photographer to be granted unimpeded access to Ground Zero. Once there, he systematically began to document the wreckage followed by the necessary demolition, excavation and removal of tens of thousands of tonnes of debris that would transform the site from one of total devastation to level ground. Soon after, the Museum of the City of New York officially engaged Meyerowitz to create an archive of the destruction and recovery at Ground Zero. Meyerowitz takes a meditative stance toward the work and workers at Ground Zero, methodically recording the painful work of rescue, recovery, demolition and excavation. His 400 photographs featured here succinctly convey the magnitude of the destruction and loss and the heroic nature of the response. The images included here are a combination of prints from a large format camera, which allows for the greater detail, and standard 35mm, a format which provided Meyerowitz with the freedom to move easily around the site and capture each moment as it happened. The remarkable pictures in the archive visually relate the catastrophic destruction of the 9/11 attacks and the physical and human dimensions of the recovery effort. The aim of this book is to provide record of the extraordinary extent of the World Trade Center attacks and to documents the recovery efforts. The book will serve as both a poignant elegy to those that lost their lives and as a celebration of the tireless determination of those left behind to reclaim and rebuild the area known as 'Ground Zero'. The 2011 Edition of Aftermath will find a new audience at the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 in September 2011 at the opening of the 9/11 Memorial in NYC.