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.

Comdr. Dunn used this card to enter the Pentagon and gain access to areas outside the Navy Command Center.
Description
Comdr. Dunn used this card to enter the Pentagon and gain access to areas outside the Navy Command Center.
user
Dunn, Patrick
ID Number
2004.0141.01
catalog number
2004.0141.01
accession number
2004.0141
maker
GTE
ID Number
2004.0142.19
accession number
2004.0142
catalog number
2004.0142.19
Description: This collection of steel from the World Trade Center includes a heavily damaged column assembly from the outside column ring at the 70th floor of the south tower, and two short column stubs.Context: Despite gaping holes in the World Trade Center towers caused by the
Description
Description: This collection of steel from the World Trade Center includes a heavily damaged column assembly from the outside column ring at the 70th floor of the south tower, and two short column stubs.
Context: Despite gaping holes in the World Trade Center towers caused by the impact and penetration of the hijacked airplanes, the buildings survived the initial collision. Fuel from the airliners ignited major fires that engulfed many floors of the buildings. At 9:59 am (fifty-six minutes after being struck) the south tower collapsed and at 10:28 am (one hour and forty-two minutes after being struck) the north tower collapsed. Most experts believe the heat from the fires caused the floor trusses to fail, which allowed the outside columns to buckle outward, leading to the ultimate failure of both buildings. About 2,800 people were killed in the attack on the Twin Towers.
Date made
late 1960s/early 1970s
ID Number
2002.0205.01
accession number
2002.0205
catalog number
2002.0205.01

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.