In the wake of the tragic events of September 11 2001, I found myself documenting a pivotal moment in history through my lens. On that morning, I was in my Downtown Brooklyn apartment preparing my coffee and getting ready to go to school nearby where I was pursuing my graduate studies. Leaving my building, I noticed masses of folks coming from Brooklyn Bridge. What I initially thought was merely a demonstration transformed into a reality I couldn’t possibly imagine as the news of the attack on the World Trade Center reached me in my office. The campus closed shortly thereafter. Just weeks prior, I had photographed the World Trade Center from Manhattan Bridge, never imagining such a tragedy.
With a camera in hand, I ventured to Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Dumbo, and Manhattan Bridge. With a sense of urgency yet feeling numb from the shock I photographed the unfolding tragedy and the horrific scene. The choice of black and white film on September 11 was not deliberate, I reached for the available film in the gravity of the moment. The heavy smoke replacing the once iconic skyline served as a haunting backdrop to the disbelief etched on the faces of onlookers. Such attack on the United States was unfathomable. Acrid and inescapable sulfur scent lingered in Downtown Brooklyn, serving as a reminder of the tragedy across the East River.
For one year after the attack I developed anxiety every time I bicycled across the Manhattan Bridge, irrationally fearing an airplane will attack the bridge. For years the weight of these experiences led me to grapple with the question of how to share the photographs, and I felt uncomfortable exhibiting the work. I reserved the images for trusted friends.
In this collection, I present a visual chronicle of 9/11 and the immediate aftermath, intertwined with subtle signals echoing through the years that followed—an intimate portrayal of a chapter in history that has forever altered our collective consciousness.
August 2001, the view of Downtown Manhattan and East River from Manhattan Bridge. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, Downtown Brooklyn, morning, an ambulance rushing to Brooklyn Bridge. Kodak Elitechrome 100.
September 11 2001, the view of Downtown Manhattan from Dumbo, Brooklyn. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, Dumbo, Brooklyn, onlookers watching smoke from where World Trade Center once existed. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, view of World Trade Center and East River from Dumbo, Brooklyn. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, view of Downtown Manhattan from Dumbo with heavy smoke emanating from World Trade Center. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, World Trade Center smoke as viewed from Manhattan Bridge with DUMBO Clocktower in the foreground. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, heavy smoke from World Trade Center viewed from Manhattan Bridge. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, the sun filtering through World Trade Center smoke, viewed from Manhattan Bridge. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, Down Manhattan and East River as viewed from Manhattan Bridge. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, Manhattan Bridge as viewed from Brooklyn, with World Trade Center smoke in the background. Fuji Provia 100F.
September 11 2001, heavy smoke continues from World Trade Center into the evening. Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Fuji Provia 100F.
September 12 2001, smoke continues one day after 9/11. Dumbo, Brooklyn. Fuji Provia 100F.
September 13 2001, Downtown Manhattan from Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Fuji Sensia II 100.
October 2001, USA flag on an advertisement billboard, Chinatown. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
October 2001, Downtown Manhattan, 9/11 t-shirts for sale. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
December 2001, Downtown Manhattan, World Trace Center site. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
December 2001, Downtown Manhattan, World Trace Center site. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
December 2001, Kodak advertisement featuring NYC firefighters, Times Square. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
December 2001, 9/11 poster featuring WTC buildings, Times Square. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
April 2006, demonstration in Downtown Manhattan. Fuji Provia 100F.
November 2011, 9/11 memorial, Greenwich Village, Nikon D200.
December 2008, 9/11 graffiti, Midtown Manhattan, Nikon D200.
August 2008, World Trade Center mural. East Village, Cafe Pick Me Up (no longer exists). Nikon D200.
April 2011, 9/11 mural, City Island, Bronx, Nikon D200.
July 2017, Metropolitan Transit Authority site, Brownsville, Brooklyn. Nikon D800
September 2017, Union Square subway station, 9/11 memorial. Nikon D800
August 2001, the view of Downtown Manhattan and East River from Manhattan Bridge. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, Downtown Brooklyn, morning, an ambulance rushing to Brooklyn Bridge. Kodak Elitechrome 100.
September 11 2001, the view of Downtown Manhattan from Dumbo, Brooklyn. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, Dumbo, Brooklyn, onlookers watching smoke from where World Trade Center once existed. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, view of World Trade Center and East River from Dumbo, Brooklyn. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, view of Downtown Manhattan from Dumbo with heavy smoke emanating from World Trade Center. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, World Trade Center smoke as viewed from Manhattan Bridge with DUMBO Clocktower in the foreground. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, heavy smoke from World Trade Center viewed from Manhattan Bridge. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, the sun filtering through World Trade Center smoke, viewed from Manhattan Bridge. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, Down Manhattan and East River as viewed from Manhattan Bridge. Agfa SCALA X 200 @ 400.
September 11 2001, Manhattan Bridge as viewed from Brooklyn, with World Trade Center smoke in the background. Fuji Provia 100F.
September 11 2001, heavy smoke continues from World Trade Center into the evening. Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Fuji Provia 100F.
September 12 2001, smoke continues one day after 9/11. Dumbo, Brooklyn. Fuji Provia 100F.
September 13 2001, Downtown Manhattan from Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Fuji Sensia II 100.
October 2001, USA flag on an advertisement billboard, Chinatown. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
October 2001, Downtown Manhattan, 9/11 t-shirts for sale. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
December 2001, Downtown Manhattan, World Trace Center site. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
December 2001, Downtown Manhattan, World Trace Center site. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
December 2001, Kodak advertisement featuring NYC firefighters, Times Square. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
December 2001, 9/11 poster featuring WTC buildings, Times Square. Fuji Provia 100F @ 200.
April 2006, demonstration in Downtown Manhattan. Fuji Provia 100F.
November 2011, 9/11 memorial, Greenwich Village, Nikon D200.
December 2008, 9/11 graffiti, Midtown Manhattan, Nikon D200.
August 2008, World Trade Center mural. East Village, Cafe Pick Me Up (no longer exists). Nikon D200.
April 2011, 9/11 mural, City Island, Bronx, Nikon D200.
July 2017, Metropolitan Transit Authority site, Brownsville, Brooklyn. Nikon D800
September 2017, Union Square subway station, 9/11 memorial. Nikon D800
Farras Abdelnour Photography
A New York-based freelance photographer specializing in fine art and documentaries