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.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2012.3069.15
nonaccession number
2012.3069
catalog number
2012.3069.15
Description: This damaged floor marker, labeled “Stairwell C, Floor 102,” was recovered from the debris of the World Trade Center.Context: In a high-rise building, many people ignore the stairs until an emergency.
Description
Description: This damaged floor marker, labeled “Stairwell C, Floor 102,” was recovered from the debris of the World Trade Center.
Context: In a high-rise building, many people ignore the stairs until an emergency. For those below the impact zones in the World Trade Center, the stairs proved to be a lifeline to safety—about 20,000 people escaped the building. Above the impact zone in the north tower (floors 94 through 98), there was no hope as all three stairwells were blocked by fire and debris. Above the impact zone in the south tower (floors 78 through 84), those who did not evacuate immediately in the 17 minutes after the north tower crash had an extremely limited chance to escape through one partially blocked stairwell. Many believe that building improvements and training procedures following the 1993 bombing helped save many lives on September 11.
ID Number
2002.0238.04
accession number
2002.0238
catalog number
2002.0238.04
This elevator emergency sign was recovered from the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001. It is rectangular in shape and has a hole cut out of the center for the emergency button used by the fire department.
Description (Brief)
This elevator emergency sign was recovered from the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001. It is rectangular in shape and has a hole cut out of the center for the emergency button used by the fire department. The sign reads “In Case Of Fire, Elevators Are Out Of Service.” The 99 elevators were normally the lifeblood of the World Trade Center, but during the September 11th attacks many workers were trapped inside. This sign was recovered from the debris at the Staten Island recovery site at Fresh Kills.
Location
Currently on loan
ID Number
2002.0238.05
accession number
2002.0238
Sign used at checkpoints at Grand Forks International Airport in North Dakota in 2002 that advises passengers that fireworks are prohibited on the commercial flights and will be confiscated by TSA screeners. It reads "Warning! Fireworks Forbidden."Currently not on view
Description
Sign used at checkpoints at Grand Forks International Airport in North Dakota in 2002 that advises passengers that fireworks are prohibited on the commercial flights and will be confiscated by TSA screeners. It reads "Warning! Fireworks Forbidden."
Location
Currently not on view
user
Transportation Security Administration
ID Number
2011.0161.06
catalog number
2011.0161.06
accession number
2011.0161

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