Steve McCurry was in his New York apartment on September 11, 2001 when he saw the World Trade Center towers on fire from his window. He photographed the second tower collapsing and spent the day at Ground Zero taking photos until his film was gone. Later as he walked away from Ground Zero, he was struck by how people seemed unaware of the magnitude of the event. McCurry worked to document the tragedy while keeping his emotions in check as a photographer. He snuck into Ground Zero the next day and continued photographing until removed by angry police officers. McCurry described the scene as surreal with fine white powder and pulverized debris everywhere but no recognizable office equipment.

2. In Memoriam - September 11, 2001
Steve McCurry: The Ground Zero Photographs

4. "I live by Washington Square Park, and my office has a view of Lower
Manhattan. I was there, going through mail with my assistant, when we got
a phone call saying that the World Trade Center was on fire. I looked out
my window and saw both towers were on fire.“ Steve McCurry

6. I had just returned from Tibet the night before. I had not unpacked my luggage
or camera bag. Shortly after nine o’clock when I heard of the attack, I went up
on the roof of my apartment building and watched both towers billowing smoke.
Steve McCurry

12. I photographed the second tower collapsing at 10:28 AM. After shooting
from the top of my building, I walked down to Ground Zero at noon, and
stayed until late that night when all my film was gone, but I couldn’t bring
myself to leave. Steve McCurry

14. Later, as I walked back home, I was struck at how life slowly seemed to
come back to near normal the further you walked away from Ground Zero. It
was strange listening to conversations of people who seemed to be unaware
of the magnitude of this incredible event. I wanted to go up and shake people
and say, “Don’t you realize that this is probably the most important day in
your life?’” Steve McCurry

16. "It seemed like so much was gone. We didn’t know the extent of the attack,
like maybe they hit Wall Street too, knowing the whole financial world was
down in Lower Manhattan. Maybe that was all gone too. You jump to your
fears. The one thing that was clear was that this was something that was not
only going to change my life but the entire world."Steve McCurry

19. "It was surreal. There was this very fine white powder everywhere and all
this office paper, but there was no recognizable office equipment—no filing
cabinets, telephones, computers. It seemed like the whole thing had been
pulverized. It was just dust, steel and paper."Steve McCurry

24. "In a situation like that, as a documentary photographer, you had to keep a
cool head. Do your job. Document this tragedy in the best way you possibly
can. You tell yourself to not over think things. You have to go on autopilot to
some extent, just go on your instincts and intuition and not allow your nerves
or your emotions to overwhelm you. " Steve McCurry

28. "We were all completely torn up inside, but you have to get control of
yourself and organize yourself so that you can function. Dial your
emotions back so that you can put one foot in front of the other." Steve
McCurry

33. "I found a way to sneak in by cutting through a fence, and it allowed me to
spend the morning of September 12 there. I eventually got removed by the
police. They were really angry—the police, the firemen, everyone down
there; emotions were running very high. One fireman threatened to beat my
brains in with a shovel. I understood their position completely. From their
point of view, we were there as tourists or spectators, when really we were
there to record history, to create a record of this evil deed." Steve McCurry

38. "It didn’t seem possible. Like you’re seeing something but you don’t really
believe what you’re seeing. Even though I had seen them implode and there
was all this smoke, it was not in the realm of possibility for the towers to be
gone. It felt like we were living inside a dream, or rather a nightmare." Steve
McCurry

41. end

42. cast In Memoriam - September 11, 2001 , Steve
McCurry: The Ground Zero Photographs
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americanphotomag.com
stevemccurry.com
magnumphotos.com
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