One New Yorker's Aftermath Journey: A Commemorative Tenth Anniversary of 9/11 Exhibit

From September 6 - October 14, 2011, I was given the opportunity to showcase a unique Seven Year 9/11 Aftermath Paper Ephemera and Autograph Collection of mine... which documents how I experienced the aftermath of 9/11 in New York City.

The exhibition took place in the Art Gallery of the Rosenthal Library at Queens College of the City University of New York... in Flushing, Queens. The Art Gallery and Queens College Art Center director is Dr. Susanna Simor. The curator was Tara Mathison.

Available for viewing at it was my entire 3000 piece event-specific collection (housed in a shelving unit), facsimiles of forty-four pieces highlighted on the wall, the copies of a few hundred other pieces housed in special event binders, and copies of the inventory of the event participants I secured the autographs of during my journey.

And how did I experience what happened after the attacks?

As an New York City area event videographer and concerned citizen who over a seven year period of time was present at over 200 public and private area occasions which addressed a myriad of aftermath issues - everthing from security, recovery, and rebuilding to the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, war casualties, costs and reporting, first responder health, civil liberties and torture. They took place at the Carnegie Council, Town Hall, Central Park, Waldorf-Astoria, Liberty Island, Council On Foreign Relations, West Point and the United Nations. Also at churches, colleges, private clubs, hospitals, art galleries, book stores and elsewhere.
And as an event-specific paper ephemera and autograph collector while at them, something I was already doing (for fun) as a C-SPAN and Columbia University video crew member when the attacks occurred. That day I decided to start an event-specific aftermath-related collection knowing it would become a one-of-a-kind archive.

At the events I gathered all the programs, cards, brochures, press releases, copies of speeches and other handouts I could... and the autographs of as many of the participants as possible. They included WTC family members, burn victims and first reponders, politicians, activists, authors, doctors, educators and others.

In all I secured around 3000 event and other supporting paper materials and 500 autographs.

In this Hub I have placed images I took of the exhibit.

I hope you enjoy it.

Do tell others about it. Many others.

An introduction to the exhibit

See all 97 photos

Front of the postcard invitation. It was designed by curator Tara Matthison.

The back of the postcard.

An image of the Queens College campus in Flushing. The Quad to the left and the library straight ahead beyond the trees.

The Rosenthal Library where it took place.

A partial image of the press release.

A poster placed on one of the glass panels at the gallery. (Also placed throughout the campus.)

The magnificent space

One image of the entrance to the exhibit.

Some of the first visitors.

Three binders from my collection lay on a table located at the entrance of the exhibit.

More visitors.

A picture of me at the exhibit on September 11, 2011 - ten years after the day I started my collecting effort and began my unique aftermath journey.

Images of the exhibit

The wall statement. In summary it states: I knew I would have access to a lot of important events... and the participants from all over the world... so I started a 9/11 aftermath-related collection.

This is the opened shelving unit exposing my entire collection, kept in binders in the same chronological order I gathered everything, and opened when visitors wanted to check out certain dates.

A list of the binders - posted on the wall near the shelving unit.

Did I exhibit eleven of my Most Moving pieces in this section? Perhaps. There are so many among the three thousand total pieces in my collection.

L to R: Flier I collected on the eve of the first anniversary of 9/11; publication from the West Point graduation when Bush spoke about pre-emptive strike for the first time in public; picture I took at a protest on 34th St. next to Macy's.

Flier left was signed by Harry Belafonte (at Riverside Church); next to it one signed by religion critic Sam Harris (at the New York Society for Ethical Culture).

Item left documents an important gathering addressing hospital emergency preparedness. Next to it is a signed pamphlet of rap poems from former NY Representative Major Owens.

Eleven favorite Autographed pieces were exhibited here. Actually I am proud of every acquisition.

Me, gazing at one of those favorite pieces, a postcard signed by retired firefighter Lee Ielpi at the opening of the WTC Tribute Visitor Center. Pictured is the helmet of his son who perished on 9/11.

Take a look at this document! Something I brought with me to a town hall meeting about Iraq in Westport, CT... autographed by then U.S. Representative Chris Shays (R -CT).

The piece on the left was signed by four Peaceful Tomorrows activists (at Union Square Park); next to it a flier autographed by then U.S. Surgeon General Admiral Richard Carmona (at the New York State Psychiatric Institute).

Eleven additional favorite pieces (signed and unsigned) were listed in the section titled, Collector's Choice.

L to R: Back cover of The Nation magazine dated October 8, 2001, and my United Nations Press ID.

My White House event press ID (at the Sheraton New York), next to an event flier pictured below.

This talk about the history of censorship in the U.S. took place at Nassau Community College. Already on tour when the terrorist attacks occurred, Joe Raiola's presentation was updated for this presentation.

These items were collected at occasions which addressed torture (outside Macy's); U.S. war dead (at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine); and the Iraq occupation (a Code Pink event at the Community Church of New York).

A list of the eleven pieces I selected as Most Important.

Program cover signed by jazz artist Bela Fleck (from NYC) at a huge fundraiser at Town Hall (on December 5, 2001).

A War Resister's League banner gathered at a Howard Zinn appearance: flier signed by then-Senator Bob Graham at the Council On Foreign Relations; another signed by Iraq POW Shoshana Johnson (at Nassau Community College); and the below pieces.

Flier left includes the autographs of Eve Ensler and Gloria Steinem. Next to it a media release I gathered when NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly was honored for protecting NYC from terrorists (at the Grand Hyatt).

Images from the binders: Materials collected from September 11 to December 31, 2001.

Here are two of the first pieces of ephemera I collected... on the morning of September 11, 2001, as the twin towers were burning.

Flier from the first post-9/11 public town hall meeting in NYC. Held on September 24, 2001 at the Great Hall at Cooper Union, it was sponsored by filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.

Above and below are two of dozens of pieces I gathered from the Press Room at the United Nations. (Most are now in possession of the future 9/11 Museum.)

They were acquired during the World Assembly meeting addressing measures to eliminate international terrorism (October 1-5, 2001). I was there representing C-SPAN.

Flier from an interfaith ceremony I attended at Union Square Park the very day the U.S. invaded Afghanistan (October 7, 2001). After it a march to Times Square by several hundred people opposed to war took place.

Program from a fundraiser held at the Town Hall, signed by writers Jhumpa Lahiri, Donald Antrum and the now deceased John Updike and Grace Paley.

Press ID I was required to wear when VP Dick Cheney came out of hiding from Osama bin Laden and spoke at the Al Smith dinner in NYC (on October 18, 2001). Yes, they misspelled my name.

Image from inside one of the two programs I collected at the Al Smith Dinner.

This event flier (also signed) documents when then-Delaware Senator Joe Biden came to the Council On Foreign Relations to talk about current affairs, including Islamic schools of hate in Saudi Arabia.

Flier marking when then-New York Times journalist Judith Miller, Jerome Hauer and others were addressing biological and chemical weapons (at the 92nd St. Y).

Flier I collected at another public town hall meeting, this time addressing terrorism after the anthrax attacks. It took place in Washington Heights at Columbia University Medical Center.

I collected this program at a Memorial Concert for three EMTs affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital who died on 9/11. Obviously a very somber affair, it took place at the Weill Cornell Medical Center.

After securing the autograph of conductor Anna Heifetz (center), she gave me a few photos of the Ambassadors of Peace Youth Orchestra. One is shown here.

Dozens of fhis flier were posted on the main campus of Columbia University (if I recall correctly) around Christmas. I gathered a few of them.

Images from the binders: Materials collected from 2002 to 2008.

A media release from one of the press events I helped videotape when WTC victims were released from the Burn Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell. This one on January 29, 2002.

This program was signed by scholar-activists Dr. Azza Karam, Nurah W. Ammat’ullah and Dr. Riffat Hissan at a symposium addressing the radicalism within Islam.

This all day symposium was held on May 2, 2002 at Columbia University Medical Center.

This West Point graduation program marks when President Bush spoke for the first time in public about pre-emptive strike. Today I wonder how many of the graduates seated in front of my camera died in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I secured this program after I helped videotape former President Bill Clinton's talk at the Yale Club near Grand Central Terminal. It was sponsored by the Council On Foreign Relations.

Close up from a flier listing a book event at a Barnes & Noble (on August 20, 2002) featuring then-20/20 co-host John Miller, famous for being the last American journalist to interview Osama bin Laden.

Another flier I obtained the evening of the first anniversary of 9/11... an all night vigil calling for peace at Washington Square Park.

Image of one of dozens of fliers and other event memorabilia I gathered at the huge anti-war rally on October 6, 2002 in Central Park.

Image of a post card from the Central Park protest.

Image of a card from the See Something Say Something suspicious package or activity awareness campaign which began in late 2002 by the MTA (New York City Transit). The Department of Homeland Security took it national in 2010.

This autographed flier documents when Dr. Bill Bennett, Amb. Paul Bremer, James Woolsey and others came to NYC to endorse the pending invasion of Iraq... to look for WMD and change its leadership.

This program flier was signed by then-Presidential candidate, Senator Bob Graham on the second anniversary of 9/11 (at the Council on Foreign Relations).

Also highlighted on the wall of the gallery, this flier was signed by former-Iraq POW Shoshana Johnson at her first public appearance. It took place at Nassau Community College.

Partial image of a brochure I gathered when the Unwavering Spirit exhibit opened on May 3, 2004 at St. Paul's Chapel (next to the WTC site).

This is a copy of the first page of the speech Jala Talabani, the President of Iraq, gave to a large audience at Columbia University on September 17, 2005.

This very interesting presentation, featuring Dr. Michael First, took place at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in northern Manhattan

NY1 stopped by to do a story on the exhibit.

It was a thrill to talk about my seven year collecting effort on camera.

I can hear mom and dad saying, "Son when are you going to cut your hair."

More images from the binders: items I collected at aftermath-related events from 2002 to 2008.

Flier marking when Judith Miller spoke at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia. Google her for another extremely interesting post-9/11 journey.

Program flier from a book talk at the Carnegie Council featuring war historian Caleb Carr (on February 7, 2002).

This is one of three programs I colllected on September 11, 2002 at St. Patrick's Cathedral. (One is at the future 9/11 Museum.)

Program I secured when I covered then-U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft's visit to NYC (on October 1, 2002)... to praise the USA Patriot Act and report his successes fighting terrorism. It took place at the Sheraton New York.

A huge march down Broadway against the U.S. invasion of Iraq took place on March 22, 2003. An estimated 250,000 people joined the demonstration.

This is at the corner of West 34th Street and Broadway - where I stood for almost two hours to witness it.

One of several pieces I acquired at a symposium on June 3, 2003 at Pace University featuring a panel with Egypt dissident Saad Ibrahim, Christopher Cerf, the recently deceased Christopher Hitchens and others.

This newsletter was autographed by author Bernard-Henry Levy at a talk about his book, Who Killed Daniel Pearl? It took place at the Overseas Press Club on September 4, 2003.

Announcement signed by Deputy General Paul E. Vallely, U.S. Army (Ret.) and Lieutenant General Thomas E. McInerney USAF (Ret.) on June 15, 2004 at their book talk. At the time they were consultants with Fox News.

Image of the cover of a pamphlet I acquired on July 4, 2004 at the cornerstone laying of what was then called the Freedom Tower - later renamed 1 WTC building.

I collected the above and below items at the re-opening ceremonies of the Statue of Liberty... on August 3, 2004 on Liberty Island. The autograph is of then-New York State Governor George Pataki.

Other autographs I secured were of then-CNN anchor Aaron Brown - whose first day at CNN was on September 11, then-Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, and the three USO Liberty Belles who ended the affair singing God Bless America.

This flier, signed by IAVA.org founder and war veteran Paul Rieckhoff, was secured on August 14, 2004 at a Soldiers & Military Families Speak Out About War On Iraq program... a Mouths Wide Open Community Center event.

Image from a brochure I obtained at an NYU Law forum addressing human rights violations occurring in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This anti-war literary event (on August 4, 2004), featured PEN American Center members, writers Monique Truong, Walter Dean Myers, Sir Salman Rushdie, Margo Jefferson and others.

Materials I gathered at Judson Memorial Church at an event condemning the indictment of now imprisoned human rights lawyer Lynne Stewart (July 11, 2005).

This is one of many items I collected at the AFSC-sponsored Eyes Wide Open boots exhibit (October 11-23, 2005) at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. A replica of the post card from it was posted on the gallery wall.

Image from a booklet I gathered at the October 25, 2005 event at which NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly was honored for protecting New York from criminals and terrorists.

Flier acquired when human rights activist Phil Donahue and CCR attorney Michael Ratner addressed Terrorism and Dissent at Stony Brook University (on November 3, 2005). Also signed by journalist Amy Goodman.

Also exhibited on the gallery wall, this hospital event flier was signed by Col. (Ret.) Boaz Tadmor, MD (on January 26, 2006). At it he spoke about how he treated victims of terrorism in Israel.

On the third anniversary of 9/11 I attended a book release discussion sponsored by Peaceful Tomorrows. It took place at the Puffin Room art gallery.

This event featured Ground Zero photographer Joel Meyerowitz showing his pictures of the destruction at and near the WTC site.

This discussion featured historian and CU professor Eric Foner, and war correspondents Seymour Hersh, Robert Fisk, John Pilger and Charles Glass. It took place in the Low Library at Columbia University.

I gathered this program flier (with autographs) and the below postcards at an event sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW.org).

In the audience I spotted anti-Iraq War mom Cindy Sheehan (she also made some comments) and former Amb. Ann Wright. It took place at the Community Church of New York.

At the world premiere of the film World Trade Center (August 3, 2006) I secured the autograph of U.S. Representative Peter King (D-NY)... also Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. (I coudn't get close to Nicolas Cage for his.)

Here is an image of the program cover from a symposium held at Hofstra University. It too was signed by U.S. Representative Peter King.

This event took place at the New York Society for Ethical Culture on October 16, 2006.

Some of the last event materials I gathered took place on September 12, 2008, the day I chose to end my aftermath-related collecting effort.

Here are cards announcing the occasion, a fundraiser for ailing First Responders who worked at Ground Zero during the cleanup... sponsored by Now Or Never.

The event included a talk by KRS One, actor Daniel Sunjata and others, a slide presentation from Richard Gage, founder of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, and a concert featuring rappers Talib Kweli and Dead Prez.