The National September 11 Collection

The collections we present on this site represent a work in progress. Early collections embody the best efforts of staff across the National Museum of American History to document and preserve a wide range of stories about September 11. Recent collecting efforts have integrated a more collaborative community-based approach to find underrepresented and unknown stories. Each object, as material evidence of the attacks and their immediate aftermath, is a piece of a large and complex story. The collections will grow as we gain historical perspective and a greater understanding of the events of September 11.
La Colección Nacional 11 de Septiembre
La colección que presentamos en este sitio es una obra en progreso. Las primeras recopilaciones plasman los mejores esfuerzos del personal del Museo Nacional de Historia Americana por documentar y preservar una amplia gama de relatos acerca del 11 de septiembre. Los esfuerzos de colección recientes han integrado un enfoque más colaborativo, de base comunitaria, en busca de historias desconocidas o poco representadas. Cada objeto, como evidencia material de los ataques y su secuela inmediata, es un pedazo de una historia larga y compleja. Las colecciones crecerán a medida que ampliemos la perspectiva histórica y la comprensión de los eventos.


-
Pentagon helipad clock
- Description
- Description: This Skilcraft electric wall clock, which hung in the Pentagon helipad fire station, was knocked to the ground by the impact of American Airlines flight 77 crashing into the Pentagon.
- Context: When terrorists flew American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon, the crash nearly took the nearby Pentagon helipad firehouse with it. The concussion caused the ceiling of the firehouse to collapse, temporarily trapping firefighter Dennis Young in the fallen debris. The blast also knocked this clock from the wall, freezing it at 9:32. The airplane actually struck the Pentagon at 9:38 am; apparently the clock was six minutes slow.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 2000
- maker
- Skilcraft, The Chicago Lighthouse
- ID Number
- 2002.0278.01
- accession number
- 2002.0278
- catalog number
- 2002.0278.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Pentagon rescuer's uniform and citation
- Description
- This uniform was worn by Col. Mark Volk, Chief, Strategic Leadership division, Office of the Army, during the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2002.0280.03
- accession number
- 2002.0280
- catalog number
- 2002.0280.03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Fragment of the Pentagon facade
- Description
- Description: This piece of scorched limestone facade was recovered from the wreckage of the Pentagon.
- Context: The Pentagon, completed in 1943 under the urgencies of World War II, was built to provide a central headquarters for an expanded U.S. military. On September 11, hijackers crashed an American Airlines Boeing 757 airliner into a portion of the Pentagon that had been reinforced recently as part of a building renovation and counterterrorism effort. The plane crashed just outside the building and slid nearly halfway through it. It totally destroyed a section of the first two floors of the five-story building. The heavily damaged upper floors initially held but, with an intense fire raging, soon collapsed.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Indiana Limestone Company
- ID Number
- 2002.0289.01
- accession number
- 2002.0289
- catalog number
- 2002.0289.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
cigarette lighter
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2004.0170.16
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Windows On The World Menu
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 2001
- maker
- Glaser, Milton
- ID Number
- 2004.0300.08
- accession number
- 2004.0300
- catalog number
- 2004.0300.08
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
necklace
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2019.0310.03
- catalog number
- 2019.0310.03
- accession number
- 2019.0310
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Ironworker's Chaps
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2002.0054.15
- accession number
- 2002.0054
- catalog number
- 2002.0054.15
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
U.S. 25-cent Coin
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 2000
- maker
- United States Mint
- ID Number
- 2002.0297.06
- accession number
- 2002.0297
- catalog number
- 2002.0297.06
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Flight 93 Seat Belt Fragment
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2004.0142.18
- accession number
- 2004.0142
- catalog number
- 2004.0142.18
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
9/11 Airplane Landing Gear Strut
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2004.0142.29
- accession number
- 2004.0142
- catalog number
- 2004.0142.29
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Beeper, Goumantie Thackurdeen
- Description
- Description: This beeper belonged to Goumatie Thackurdeen, an employee at Fiduciary Trust Corp, which was housed in the 97th floor of the South tower. The beeper was recovered from the debris of the World Trade Center.
- Context: When the first plane crashed into the North Tower, people in the South Tower could see falling debris and feel the heat of the explosion. Employees of Fiduciary Trust assessed the situation and began evacuating. Before leaving, Goumatie called her mother to say she was exiting the office.
- People began streaming into the stairwell. Shortly thereafter, a plane crashed into the South Tower, impacting the 78th-84th floors. According to newspaper reports, 99 percent of the people below the points of impact survived. Yet for those above the impact zones or trapped in elevators, there was no escape. Goumatie was one of 87 Fiduciary Trust employees killed in the attacks.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 2000
- maker
- Motorola Inc.
- ID Number
- 2004.0268.01
- accession number
- 2004.0268
- catalog number
- 2004.0268.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Jan Maciejewski Wallet
- Description
- Description: This wallet belonged to Jan Maciejewski, a Polish immigrant who was a waiter at Windows on the World, located in the 107th floor of the North Tower.
- Context: Jan hadn’t been scheduled to work the morning shift on September 11, 2001, but had agreed to fill in for a friend. According to newspaper reports, 99 percent of the people below the points of impact survived. Yet for those above the impact zones or trapped in elevators, there was no escape. Jan’s wallet was found in the debris; it contained $32 in burnt bills, 12 business cards, an address book and card holder.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2004.0269.01
- accession number
- 2004.0269
- catalog number
- 2004.0269.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Windows On The World Menu
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 2001
- maker
- Glaser, Milton
- ID Number
- 2004.0300.02
- accession number
- 2004.0300
- catalog number
- 2004.0300.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Ironworker's wrench
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2002.0054.06
- catalog number
- 2002.0054.06
- accession number
- 2002.0054
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Ironworker's bucket
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2002.0054.09
- accession number
- 2002.0054
- catalog number
- 2002.0054.09
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Police Seach Dog Harness
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1990s
- ID Number
- 2002.0019.01
- accession number
- 2002.0019
- catalog number
- 2002.0019.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Ironworker's Gloves
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2002.0054.13
- catalog number
- 2002.0054.13
- accession number
- 2002.0054
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
9/11 Poster, Flight Recorder Boxes Identification, New
- Description
- Description: This poster depicting parts of an airliner’s flight recorder was produced to help law enforcement officers locate the missing "black boxes."
- Context: Police investigators combed the debris of the World Trade Center looking for personal objects and evidence about the hijacking. High on the list of things to find were the two flight recorders (“black boxes”) from each of the two planes that had been used to destroy the Twin Towers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) created a poster to show all the law enforcement officers at the Staten Island recovery site, most of whom had never seen a flight recorder, what they should search for. No flight recorders were recovered from the World Trade Center debris.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2002.0057.10
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Banner, Oak Park Elementary School
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 2001
- maker
- Oak Park Elementary
- ID Number
- 2002.0236.01
- catalog number
- 2002.0236.01
- accession number
- 2002.0236
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
9/11 Police Officers Helmet
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 2002.0238.07
- catalog number
- 2002.0238.07
- accession number
- 2002.0238
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Pages
Filter Your Results
Click to remove a filter:
- data source
-
topic
- September 11 360
- September 11 Terrorist Attacks 360
- September 11th Attacks 357
- Attack on the World Trade Center 159
- Attack on the Pentagon 94
- Attack on United Airlines Flight 93 53
- Transportation 9
- Air Travel 8
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 6
- Federal Air Marshall Service (FAMS) 3
- Terrorism 2
- Architecture 1
- Clothing and dress 1
- Dress accessories 1
- Engineering 1
- Government 1
- National Treasures exhibit 1
- Politics 1
- Social reformers 1
-
object type
- label 10
- page, procedure manual 9
- Identification Card 7
- Jackets (garments) 7
- Menu 6
- Posters 6
- Trousers 6
- seat belt 6
- Caps (headgear) 5
- Coins (money) 5
- Flags 5
- Signs (declaratory or advertising artifacts) 5
- Badges 4
- Floor indicator 4
- ID Badge 4
- Medallions (medals) 4
- Piece of Fuselage 4
- Seat Belt 4
- Shirts 4
- Banners 3
- date
-
place
- United States 312
- New York 160
- World Trade Center 159
- Manhattan 153
- Virginia 96
- Pentagon 94
- Pennsylvania 53
- Shanksville 53
- Fresh Kills 27
- Manhattan Island 7
- Arlington 1
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport 1
- Grand Forks 1
- Haiti 1
- Maryland 1
- North Dakota 1
- Seattle 1
- Washington 1
- Washington Dulles International Airport 1
- culture
-
set name
- Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, 9/11 355
- Transportation 9
- National Museum of American History 3
- Price of Freedom 3
- Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, General 2
- : Armed Forces History, 9/11 1
- Clothing & Accessories 1
- Engineering, Building, and Architecture 1
- Government, Politics, and Reform 1
- National Treasures exhibit 1