THREW Mikes EyEz

Original Writings, Images, Video and Artworks of Mike Hartley

Tag Archives: 9/11 Memorial and Museum


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Remembering and still Learning

Long before 9/11/2001 the date 9/11 was special to me because it was my mother’s birthday. I love her so and miss her badly. The only birthday of hers I missed was on 9/11/2001.

I was working at The Washington Post at the time, and it was nonstop news cycle for this tragic event. She understood me missing it but didn’t like me being downtown. I had planned to take off early that day and take her out, but life dictated otherwise.

So many people now don’t have any experience with that event. Probably the last time this country came together.

Anyway, I thought I had seen a lot that day and the following months. I worked in the media and saw photos and videos before they were even published and broadcast. And I believe some they chose not to run at all. I even saw a few things firsthand from the top of the Post building in DC I could see the smoke from the Pentagon crash site and of course the military on the corner of 15th and L street.

We visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in NYC earlier this year, and it was one of the most moving things I’ve experienced. So much more that I didn’t know and see. An incredible job of putting this together and so well done and respectful.

I’ve split up some images into vertical and horizontal galleries of inside and outside groups.

Indoor view featuring large steel sculptures resembling hands, set against a backdrop of modern skyscrapers and a glass atrium, with international flags hanging overhead.
An interior view of a large building featuring tall concrete pillars, with visitors seated and standing in a spacious area. The walls are textured and the lighting is soft, creating a modern atmosphere.
Hanging metal beams displayed in an art installation inside a museum.
View of the 'Survivor Stairs' at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, featuring a concrete stair remnant next to an escalator and wooden staircase, with visitors walking around.
Rusty metal artifact displayed in a museum, resembling a truncated pyramid on a concrete base, surrounded by gravel.
Interior view of a memorial site with visitors, featuring a large steel beam suspended from the ceiling and a softly lit pathway leading to an elevator labeled 'September 11.'
A transparent display case featuring a vertical structure with a white frame, accompanied by an informational sign and a background of modern interior design.
A large rusted steel column adorned with various stickers and markings, standing in the middle of a museum exhibit. Visitors are gathered around, with a backdrop of a concrete wall and a circular object on the right.

I walked in stunned silence and wonder.

A large indoor space with people walking around, gathered, and sitting on benches. The area features a tall, symbolic column with various markings and logos, against a modern architectural background.
Interior view of a large, unfinished concrete structure with exposed walls featuring multiple metal anchors and a circular recess at the base, with visitors in the background.
A group of visitors observing a heavily damaged fire truck exhibit, with twisted metal and debris, in a museum setting.
A large, curved metal sculpture displayed in an indoor space, with a textured surface and a backdrop of concrete walls. The sculpture appears weathered and metallic, with people visible in the background.

It’s easy to get choked up going through this memorial.

A white rose placed on a black memorial engraved with names, reflecting a moment of remembrance and tribute.
A close-up view of a memorial plaque featuring engraved names, with a white rose placed on it, set against a backdrop of modern buildings and trees.
The 9/11 Memorial in New York City featuring a reflecting pool with engraved names of victims and the One World Trade Center in the background.
Close-up view of a memorial inscription featuring names engraved on a dark stone surface, with a water feature in the background.
Close-up view of a waterflow over a textured surface, featuring thin streams of water cascading down.
View of the National September 11 Memorial Plaza with a reflective waterfall, surrounded by bare trees and modern skyscrapers in New York City.
View of the 9/11 Memorial with names inscribed on metal panels and the One World Trade Center building in the background.
A close-up view of a reflective water feature with cascading water, set in a public space surrounded by people.
A close-up view of a large waterfall cascading over a black stone edge, with a reflection in the water below; people are gathered around the feature, enjoying the scenery.
View of the 9/11 Memorial, featuring the reflecting pools and surrounding modern skyscrapers in New York City.
A close-up view of the 9/11 Memorial pools featuring engraved names of victims, with a small American flag placed on the surface.
View of the 9/11 Memorial with names inscribed on stone panels, surrounded by tall buildings and trees in a cityscape setting.

So many others perished from working on this area and its aftermath.

View of the 9/11 Memorial with reflecting pools and names inscribed on metal panels, framed by skyscrapers in an urban setting.
Engraved names on a memorial plaque at the 9/11 memorial site, with a reflective water feature in the background.

Getting to the Flight 93 Memorial and the Pentagon one is on my bucket list also.

Photos by Mike Hartley