The Aftermath of 9/11

Last fall, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we turned to the work of photographer Joel Meyerowitz. In the aftermath of that fateful day, Joel spent nine months at Ground Zero, capturing images of the recovery effort and first responders—the firefighters, police officers, EMS, construction workers—who put their lives on the line and families on hold to show up for a nation in repair.

Today, we sit with four people who were there or had loved ones on the ground: Amadeo Pulley, Ivonne Sanchez, Lieutenant John Ryan, and Bianca Quintanilla. Below is a virtual companion to their stories, with corresponding time-codes bolded for clarity.

Prologue: Joel Meyerowitz (3:06–6:55)

September 5th, 2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
3:06

Assembled panorama of the plaza, 9/23/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
4:06

Chapter 1: Amadeo Pulley, NYPD Arson and Explosion Squad (7:06-25:38)

Amadeo Pulley, NYPD Arson and Explosion squad, 10/11/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
7:06

Rescue workers on the plaza, 9/23/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
10:24

A man holds a photo of his lost son, 10/24/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
11:42

Woman grieving, 10/24/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
(11:42)

Wash stations at the corner of Fulton and Church, 10/07/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
(12:23)

Interior of the shower area at the “Taj Mahal”, 10/07/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
12:23

Volunteers serving lasagna in the Taj Mahal, 11/15/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
12:25

Assembled panorama on West Street, at the base of the American Express Building, looking south toward the South Bridge, 09/23/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
14:05

Detectives of the NYPD Arson and Explosion squad, 10/11/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
14:11

A man basket flying the Stars and Stripes with a Native American in its center, 10/11/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
15:48

Ironworkers preparing to go up in a man basket, 10/11/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
15:48

A wall near the South Bridge representing all the nations that lost citizens on September 11th, 05/01/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
16:48

Handmade banners on the fence of St. Paul’s Chapel, 10/11/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
17:06

A welder wounded by an explosion of buried ammunition in the Customs Building, 10/24/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
23:01

Seven thousand family members attend a memorial service on Church Street, 10/28/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
23:37

Looking into Ground Zero from the roof of 225 Broadway on the corner of Broadway and Barclay, 10/28/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
23:56

Chapter 2: Ivonne Sanchez, EMS (25:44–47:10)

A rescue dog from the NYPD K-9 Unit being led onto the plaza, 10/05/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
26:10

Ivonne Sanchez, EMS, 05/01/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
30:30

Children’s worktable in the daycare center, 11/15/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
36:17

Abandoned toys on the floor of the daycare center, 11/15/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
36:40

Interior of the daycare center, 11/15/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
36:40

Construction workers, 02/08/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
43:17

Workers march into the site for the closing ceremony, 05/28/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
43:36

Chapter 3: Lieutenant John Ryan, Commander of the PAPD (47:17–1:06:25)

Lieutenant John Ryan with his Police Academy graduation photograph, 11/15/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
47:17

Assembled panorama of the site from the World Financial Center, looking east, 9/23/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
56:20

Ironworkers, 9/23/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
56:58

An officer and dog from the NYPD K-9 Unit, 10/21/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
57:14

An honor guard saluting the remains of a fireman on Vesey Street, 10/21/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
59:30

A flag-draped Stokes basket on the back of a mule, 12/12/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
59:44

Chaplains on West Street, 10/21/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
59:51

Jimmy Richards, a fireman on a raking field, 05/01/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:02:27

Marty Siegel, Bovis manager, 05/01/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
(1:02:43)

A smiling security worker, 05/01/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
(1:02:09)

A welder cutting down the flagpole on the last column, 05/28/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:04:40

Tilting the last column forward, 05/28/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:05:11

The last column suspended, 05/28/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:05:11

The last column on the ground, 05/28/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:05:11

Signing the last column, 05/28/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:04:20

Sailors from the USS Iwo Jima, 05/28/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:05:20

The last column leaving Ground Zero, 05/30/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:05:20

Chapter 4: Bianca Quintanilla, daughter of the late Linda Vetrano (1:06:30–1:28:33)

Linda Vetrano, a volunteer for The Salvation Army, 02/08/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:08:45

Salvation Army volunteers dancing in the Taj Mahal, 11/15/2002
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:10:22

Epilogue: Joel Meyerowitz (1:28:36–1:32:39)

Assembled panorama of West Street, looking north toward the Customs Building and the New York Telephone Building, 09/23/2001
© Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery
1:29:53

Support organizations doing work for first responders:

FealGood Foundation

The mission of the FGF is multi-pronged: To assist all emergency personnel, including but not limited to, firefighters, police officers, nurses, volunteers, sanitation workers, transportation workers and construction workers, within the United States who have been injured, or face serious injury due to action or omission, in the course of their duties or within their everyday lives.

Tuesday’s Children

Tuesday’s Children provides a lifetime of healing for families who have been forever changed by terrorism, military conflict or mass violence.

Friends of Firefighters

Friends of Firefighters is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that provides independent, confidential, and free mental health counseling and wellness services to active and retired FDNY firefighters and their family members.

World Trade Health Center Program

With each passing year, it becomes more imperative that those who may be eligible for the World Trade Center Health Program learn about how to enroll. It is never too late—the World Trade Center Health Program is authorized to continue providing WTC-related care until 2090. Some WTC-related health conditions can take many years to develop. For those who might be eligible for the World Trade Center Health Program, please visit www.cdc.gov/wtc/apply.html or call 1-888-982-4748 for more information on how to apply.

Voices Center for Resilience

Voices Center for Resilience (VOICES) is a non-profit organization that assists communities in preparing for and recovering from traumatic events and provides long-term support and resources that promote mental health care and wellness for victims’ families, responders and survivors.

Voices Center for Resilience, formerly known as Voices of September 11th, builds upon our unique legacy of providing long-term support for the 9/11 community, while sharing our nearly two decades of expertise to assist those impacted by other tragedies in the United States and abroad.

Show-notes:

All images courtesy of Joel Meyerowitz.
Get your copy of Aftermath.
Stream No Responders Left Behind on Discovery+.
Visit Joel’s website to learn more about his life and career.
Follow Joel on Instagram.
Special thanks this week to Guy Greenberg and Erik Luers.