National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

I was going to do a post about some of the assigned reading today, but with the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks  being tomorrow, I thought it appropriate to save that for another day.

While it's unlikely that I will be able to visit the museum and memorial any time soon, I have been browsing the web site (link will open in a new window). You may have seen the 9/11 Memorial before, which is made up of the reflecting pools located in the "footprints" of where the Twin Towers once stood with the names of those lost etched into bronze plates and other exhibits, which you can tour here. However, my primary focus will be on the museum, located underground.

First, let me say that, judging from what I've seen on the site, I think the museum is incredibly well designed and comprehensive. It makes extensive use of oral history from people who were both directly and indirectly affected by the events of that terrible day. They include testimony from survivors, first responders, family members and loved ones of those lost and those involved in the recovery efforts. Especially haunting is that of Amy Mundorff, the forensic anthropologist with the massive and grim task of sorting through and identifying the remains of the dead after the attacks. Her oral testimony and that of others is available online here.

Furthermore, there is a strong emphasis on the people who lost their lives in the attacks. As part of the museum, there is a "Memorial Exhibition". The description from the site is best:

The memorial exhibition, In Memoriam, commemorates the lives of those who perished on September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 and provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about the men, women and children who died. Visitors enter the exhibition along a corridor in which portrait photographs of the nearly 3,000 victims form a "Wall of Faces," communicating the scale of human loss.

Nearby, touchscreen tables allow visitors to discover additional information about each person, including photographs, images of objects, and audio remembrances by family, friends, and coworkers. Rotating selections of personal artifacts are also featured. An inner chamber presents profiles of individual victims in a dignified sequence through photographs, biographical information and audio recordings.

© 2004-2011, National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.911memorial.org/memorial-exhibition-0

There's much more to the site than what I've outlined here. I'm glad that the site for the museum exists and includes so much information and images of the museum since it isn't practical for me visit in person yet. I also encourage you to spend some time on the site. It's a great resource for learning about the significant places, people, and events on that day thirteen years ago.