Aftermath

by Joel Meyerowitz

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, to document and record the aftermath of the largest ever attack on US soil. Although initially turned away by police (on the grounds that the site was a crime scene and could not be photographed), Meyerowitz was determined to gain access to the area.

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 and the immediate neighborhood. The 9/11 Photographic Archive numbers in excess of 5,000 images and will become part of the permanent collections of the Museum of the City of New York.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, History

350 pages, Hardcover

First published August 21, 2006

About the author

Joel Meyerowitz is an award-winning photographer whose work has appeared in over 350 exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world. He was born in New York in 1938 and began photographing in 1962. Meyerowitz is a “street photographer” in the tradition of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank, although he works exclusively in color. As an early advocate of color photography (early-60’s) he was instrumental in changing the attitude toward color photography from one of resistance to nearly universal acceptance. His first book “Cape Light” is considered a classic work of color photography and has sold over 100,000 copies during its 26-year life. He has published nineteen other books including “Bystander: The History of Street Photography” and “Provence: Lasting Impressions.”


In 1998 Meyerowitz produced and directed his first film, ”POP”, an intimate diary of a three-week road trip he made with his son Sasha and his father, Hy. This odyssey has as its central character an unpredictable, street wise and witty 87-year-old with Alzheimer’s. It is both an open-eyed look at aging and a meditation on the significance of memory.

Within a few days of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, Meyerowitz began to create an archive of the destruction and recovery at Ground Zero. He was the only photographer who was granted unimpeded access to the site. Meyerowitz took a meditative stance toward the work and workers there, systematically documenting the painful work of rescue, recovery, demolition and excavation. The World Trade Center Archive includes more than 8,000 images and will be available for research, exhibition, and publication at museums in New York and Washington, DC.

In 2001 The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department asked the Museum of the City of New York and Meyerowitz to create a special exhibition of images from the archive to send around the world. The images traveled to more than 200 cities in 60 countries and over three and a half million people viewed the exhibition.

In addition to the traveling shows, Meyerowitz was invited to represent the United States at the 8th Venice Biennale for Architecture with his photographs from the World Trade Center Archives. In September 2002, he exhibited 73 images – some as large as 22 feet – in lower Manhattan. Some recent books are: “Taking My Time”, his fifty year, two volume, retrospective book by Phaidon Press of London, “Provence: lasting Impressions,” co-authored with his wife Maggie Barrett, a book on the late work of Paul Strand by Aperture, "Glimpse": Photographs From Moving Car, which was a solo show at MoMA, and "Joel Meyerowitz Retrospective", published in conjunction with his recent show at NRW Forum in Dusseldorf.

Meyerowitz is a Guggenheim fellow and a recipient of both the NEA and NEH awards. His work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, the Boston Museum of Fine Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, and many others.

Reviews

[Astrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply impressive, photo’s and stories that I didn’t yet know about 9/11. We often only hear about the events of 9/11 on the day itself, while the months after are also worth spotlighting.

[Valene Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful tribute to 9.11 I will, as many of us will not forget where we were that day and what we were doing. The pictures are so eloquently taken and really photos in words. I didn’t start crying until the end of the book when they were taking down the last column.

[Mugren Ohaly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this book so good is the story the photographer writes about his entire experience.

[Ray LaManna · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are some very moving photos of the clearance of the World Trade site. On the 20th anniversary, it's good to remember the monumental and emotional job which so many had to do.

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favourite.

[Amy Paget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it takes a long time to fully absorb a tragedy, and that’s certainly the case for me and the September 11,2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. I vividly remember the day, being at work, having children in ‘lockdowns’ at school and being worried about my husband’s colleagues and their air travel plans. Joel Meyerowitz’s photographic archive, Aftermath, brought some closure for me and provides a visual archive of the cleanup of the site. The large-size, 7 pound photography book documents Meyerwitz’s visits to the site from September 23, 2001 to June 21, 2002. I didn’t realize how many other buildings were lost in the attack and how many adjacent personnel were injured or killed. With its pictures of wounded buildings over the several block site, I could begin to get some sense of the scale. Meyerowitz’ spare commentary details many of the challenges he had visiting the site. I am so glad he did; and that the resultant exhibits of his photographic archive have toured world- wide and are available for casual or historical study.

[Zioluc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dopo l'11 settembre 2001, Meyerowitz decide di documentare l'opera di salvataggio e sgombero del luogo del crollo delle torri a futura memoria.
A fatica ottiene i permessi dal municipio e da un museo e inizia la sua opera nel grande cratere, divenuto ormai un cantiere in cui lavoratori e forze dell'ordine dapprima lo guardano con sospetto armeggiare con la sua grande macchina fotografica col treppiede, poi lo accolgono nella loro comunità.
Fotografie tragiche e storie strazianti, notevoli o anche solo curiose, per un documento storico eccezionale in cui la qualità delle immagini - per me non eccezionale - non è la cosa più importante.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Striking photos and stories from Ground Zero. Meyerowitz created a compelling and moving book.

[Christyna Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this photographer/author speak on C-SPAN. His stories of taking photos after 9/11 moved me enough to buy the book.

[Yes Sir!]

i just purchased this book...will update this later.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

terrible, graceful, encouraging all at the same time.

[Pat Loughery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meyerowitz' photojournalistic collection of the cleanup process after 9/11 is sobering, humanizing and powerful. It is important work.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Comprehensive photographic essay of the cleanup at Ground Zero. Impressive and moving.