Customer Reviews

The September 11 Photo Project

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After looking through all of the books featuring photographs taken during the September 11th tragedy, I had decided not to purchase any of them. I figured one look was enough...until "The September 11 Photo Project" came along. The book not only features a variety of images from both amateur and professional photographers, some of which deserve artistic merit, but also letters and text written by those who witnessed this tragedy firsthand. Photographs taken from the rooftops of buildings near by, store windows, and on the street - some of them blurry and hard to make out, some very clear, but all very personal. Also includes a variety of photos of the still-standing twin towers taken before the 11th. A great collection of photos much different than the 9-11 news photos seen in every other book and magazine. This book is much like a scrapbook put together by the people, and one that is difficult to put down. Some of the book's pages present several photographs tacked to the wall with letters as they appeared at the exhibit, and clear enough to allow you to read the authors' handwritten words. Other photographs are presented full-page and half page with a printed eyewitness account in the black margins. "The September 11 Photo Project" is a nice presentation offering a lot to look at, a lot to read, and a lot to think about. I highly recommend this truly moving book.

As a working photojournalist, I've bought a number the other 9/11 photo compendiums by that have been produced by professional photographers. This, on the other hand, is a compendium of images of the day and its aftermath taken largely by amateur eyewitnesses and residents of NYC. Yet somehow it's better than anything 'the pros' did on that day.

Sure, maybe the photos are a bit grainy, or fuzzy, or poorly exposed when compared to the images made on 9/11 by those who do it for a living. They aren't always sanitized, pretty pictures...but that's precisely where their power lies. Unlike some of the other photography books made about these events, this one leaves you with a real sense of what it was like to be a New Yorker on that day, watching this happen to your city and your world.

I didn't buy the first September 11th book I saw. I was waiting for just the right one to keep as a record for our family. When I saw this, I knew it was the one!

One of the reasons is because it is composed of thoughts and pictures of "ordinary" people - not professional writers and photographers. Sure, maybe its chaotic but that day wasn't exactly organized either and maybe this book reflects that.

It's really too much to take in all at once. Somewhere in there will be a picture or words that really "get" to you. So you put the book down for a while and then go back to it. Keep it where you can get at it easily and look at it over and over. We need to remember.

To me, this is the best book I've seen on 9/11. I'm sure there will be others that I will get but I don't think they'll be any better. Plus the proceeds from the book are being used to continue their project and to support the firefighters burn center.

I thank each and every reviewer who took the time to add their sentiments to any media portraying The World Trade Center Towers tragedy. What all you readers, viewers, experience with any media photos, etc., IT WAS EXACTLY LIKE THOSE PHOTOS, FILMS AND WRITTEN WORDS.....!

My spouse & I resided on the Lower West Side, Battery Park City, Gateway Plaza, So. End Ave. As survivors of the 9/11 World Trade Center Towers tragedy... our story is one in a basket of billions. From our Gateway Plaza apartment, facing the street and 300 yards from the Towers, we helplessly witnessed all from our apartment windows. The closeness of the Towers viewed from our windows - gave an illusion that one could reach out and touch the Towers; their beauty with night lights reaching toward the sky promoted a contemplative emotion.

We viewed the planes entering the Towers, the overwhelming inferno, individuals jumping, the collapse of the Towers, the darkness as debris hit our windows with a fury. What occurred over a period of hours, seemed like a much shorter time span. The darkness was darker than an eclipse, darker than the darkest night; and then a momentary hush after the air cleared. Viewing the roof garden one floor below, with the human reaction of looking out to see if someone might be on that roof garden and in need of help. Debris strewn everywhere, recording tape and paper hung from the trees of the garden and oh, so much ash. The momentary hush, whether real or imagined, then the viewing of debris for a second, fantasized that a parade had just passed by on our short street. I experienced anger not fear - anger that factions could bring such evil deeds to our wonderful country. I now really understand the expression a feeling of helplessness, I couldn't fix what had just happened.

We stayed in our apartment until 5:15 p.m. that day, waiting for someone to knock on our door to advise us to evacuate, with nothing but a battery radio to keep us abreast of happenings. "In a New York minute", we evacuated via the stairwell touched with ash, the result of a first floor door left open. With a few belongings, gathered with a tad of thought of what was being left behind, we stepped out of the door onto the pavement, seeing and standing in ever so much ash and debris, I wanted to turn around and go back to our home. It was one of other reality moments carried forever in my mind's eye.

We planned to walk up the East Side, but seeing the very tired police, fire, and med tech personnel within our immediate driveway and street, we opted to pass through the building in back of the apartment complex. We gained access to the Esplanade walking the short distance to reach the Hudson River dock - North Cove. We were escorted to the New Jersey shore via New York Police boat. From the boat deck, we viewed even more damage to the Manhattan skyline, especially noting the zigzag shape of the side of the American Express building, housed in one of the World Financial Center buildings along with the glorious Winter Garden, as well as the fall of World Trade Center Building 7. We were taken to the Jersey City Hospital, attended to by compassionate staff. Then traveled by National Guard truck to Hoboken, NJ where we were housed by a wonderful family who welcomed, with great trust, strangers to their home.

On Friday 9/14, our eldest son & daughter-in-law drove from New Hampshire via New Jersey routes to Hoboken for transport us to New Hampshire for temporary residence with our daughter, who along with her friend and our youngest son, greeted us with open arms & the overwhelming feeling of not wanting to let go with each hug that followed. {I sometimes wonder what the count of hugs were given from day 9/11 and long thereafter? Billions.} Our daughter and son had spent that Friday in New Hampshire collecting items of clothing and necessities which the Concord community generously opened their hearts and donated by churches, stores, individuals, employers, American Red Cross, et al.

One of our grandchildren -- he was 8 at that time - arrived home from a few days with his Dad. He hugged us so tight, understanding the depth of 9/11 events for someone so young and yet so wise. He told Grandpa & Babcia (Polish for Grandma) that he had something for them... his Mom was not even aware of his gift. He had spoken to his classmates about his grandparents' closeness in location of the World Trade Center Towers. Presented to us was a large envelope full of hand-made cards from each of his classmates. And if that isn't love and caring, I don't know what is - from the hearts and minds of children!
Residing now in New Hampshire, not because of 9/11 drove us away, but circumstances just went that way as we continue to put our lives into perspective.

We Miss - New York City deeply; events found nowhere else in the USA, the introduction to & interaction with so many wonderful cultures. There isn't a day or night in the past two years, that we do not think of 9/11... the Lady of Liberty & Ellis Island both on the confluence of the East River and the Hudson River, viewed from the lower part of the Esplanade. And that Lady of Liberty wept, I just know it, and she still stands with pride and remembrance that the USA is a democracy that will prevail.

We Remember - the victims, the survivors, their friends and families, the workers from the public and private sector, the volunteers, our neighbors in Gateway Plaza and staff in the small group of stores on South End Avenue, Battery Park City.

We Remember - the places we visited, the book signings attended, the celebrities we met, the concerts and theater plays, the movies, the arts, the parks, the strangers we talked with, on streets, on subway and those while standing in line for an event... yet there are so many places we didn't get to.

We Remember - Always In Our Hearts, Forever In Our Souls, Heroes, Victims, Survivors One and All... We Were There.

Painfully, the lump in my throat and the twist in my stomach, the tears in my eyes and the pain in my heart, to the depth of my soul, forever go on.

"God, teach me to laugh again, but never let me forget that I cried." Katy Fisher

This is a fine tribute, but it should be kept as a memorial or a showcase. This isnt a book for memorializing, it is a book of pictures FROM the memorial that was set up by Mr. Feldschuh. It is sometimes hard to see, many pictures are blurry and hard to make out. A lot of the pictures or captions are cut off as they are trying to represent what the gallery was.
If you are looking for a good book to remember the terrible fate we beheld, go for "One Nation" absolutly riviting, from cover to cover!

I know there are a lot of September 11th books out there but I really enjoyed the pictures of people all over the world that were effected by this tragedy. The photos capture the genuine emotion of all kinds of people and places. This is a great book!

As time passes and haunting memories fade beneath the shroud of everyday life, the tragedy of 9/11 continues to resurface. The apocalyptic events of 9/11 and its aftermath, the war on terror and the hunting of demonic cowards come even more to life annually in what is now known as Patriots Day. On this day and the days leading up to 9/11 I've looked through this book countless times to remind myself of just what happened. This collection of photographs by everyday people, caught up in one of the most horrific acts of senseless violence is a testament to the anger, disbelief, shock, hurt, courage and will of the American people. Some of the photographs are gut wrenching reminders of the innocence we all lost on that picturesque day that suddenly turned into a living hell. Others offer hope for the future of the USA and the spirit that lives on but all are real reminders of the consequences of a few determined individuals backed by an organization, that want to destroy our way of lfe. Some people may find this book too painful to look at, it is a terrible reminder of the thousands who died and the symbolic and physical destruction of the Twin Towers. As on the day that I witnessed the collapse of a magnificent building, that I once was in and looked at the panoramic view from the restaurant and observation deck, it is still hard to believe that it has been destroyed. This book is a collaborative effort in a sense, it brings together the efforts of all who tried to make sense of the atrocity they were witnessing. By stopping reality for an instant the contributors have created a memorial and a reflection on their own private hell for all to share in their grief. The collages are assembled much like the day, they are put together in a chaotic fashion that is quite fitting . If you can bear witness again please do ; this captures the peoples view of evil unleashed on that fateful day America was attacked and fresh in your mind what the War on Terror is all about and the inexorable justice that will result.

I was a bit disappointed with this book. It is very disorganized. While there are some very powerful pictures in this collection, the way they are laid out and edited leaves a lot to be desired. The raw power and emotion of the exhibition as seen in person surely can't be matched in a book form. However, I think that the editors could have come a lot closer to replicating the emotional impact of the gallery show than they did. This books fails to deliver the emotional impact that other books, such as the Magnum book, or even the Life "One Nation" book does.

i cried and i cried and i cried every time i ran my fingers through this, somehow it helps me to face the pain and start the healing. this book presents such a vivid record of all the emotions and anguish and pain of what happened that day and i'm definitely keeping this for my children.

A great effort in trying to record that evil event on 9/11.It would seem an impossible task to cover such a huge thing that affected so many people in so many ways.However when you think about it ,any picture in the book tells the story,and there are a million more that could do it as well.The perpetrators of this evil will be cast onto the garbage dump of history just as were those who served up Pearl Harbor,the Holocaust and other such acts of fanaticism,cowardice and hatred.Will the world remember;of course.Will such happen again ? I hope not,but I am sure it will.In only 2 short years it seems that many have already started to replace the horror and shock with political rhetoric.It is easy to identify them as they usually start off with .."It was an awful thing,but..." You fill in the blanks.With an act like this;there are no buts ! ! !
An excellent book,as is "One Nation ";and will be worth looking at many times as the War on Terror proceeds.