Press

(ALBANY, NY) – The New York State Museum has announced the June 26 opening of its second exhibition in France exploring the personal and historical significance of September 11, 2001.

The exhibition, which first opened at Le Caen Memorial in Caen, France on June 6, 2008, is traveling to the Oradour Memorial Museum in Oradour-sur-Glane France, where it will be on view in the Centre de la Memoire at Oradour through April 2010.

A major historical site in France, the Memorial at Oradour-sur-Glane commemorates the site of the June 10, 1944 murder of 642 civilians by a Waffen SS Division, which also destroyed the village. The remains of the city, now known as the Martyrs’ Village, have been preserved and are accessible through the Oradour Memorial Museum.

The Museum decided to host the exhibition on the World Trade Center (WTC) attack because it also commemorates a tragedy where innocent civilians were murdered. The exhibition’s goal is to help visitors gain a clearer understanding of the events of September 11, learn more about the people whose lives were lost, and provide visitors with a platform to share their experiences relating to the tragedy.

Organized by the State Museum, the exhibition – “September 11, 2001” -- features rare artifacts from the World Trade Center recovered after the collapse, and a timeline that traces events of the day. It includes personal stories and objects, images, interactive programs and films about everyday life at the World Trade Center, and the aftermath of the attack.

About 4,000 square feet in size, the exhibition includes hundreds of photographs, and more than 100 artifacts from the WTC towers, (many never before seen by the public), from the State Museum’s collections, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), and objects loaned by families and survivors of the attacks. The exhibition includes a PANYNJ rescue vehicle destroyed on 9/11, personal objects linked to several individuals who perished or survived, and expressions of sympathy from New York, such as the Times Square scrolls, memorial fences and posters of missing persons.

The exhibition is divided into themed sections. The introduction focuses on the World Trade Center before September 11. A film of the ABC News John Miller 1998 interview with Bin Laden is included. Visitors will also see WTC artifacts, photographs of the WTC, and video/ films from the Power Authority of New York and New Jersey, showing everyday life at the WTC. Facts about the site and WTC construction are also included.

In another section of the exhibition, visitors experience a large walk-through timeline, with images, text, artifacts and sound, designed to help visitors understand how the day unfolded, the sequence of the attacks, evacuations and collapse of the towers. Objects include a WTC sign, steel and aluminum facade of the tower, airplane pieces, a seatbelt from one of the airliners, and rescue objects from the Fire Department of New York, New York Police Department and FBI. Also included are objects recovered from the WTC site, including the remains of an Alexander Calder sculpture, a destroyed fire department vehicle, elevator signs, keys and evacuation signs. This area also features “The First 24 Hours,” a film by French filmmaker Etienne Sauret.

Another section will feature images of and artifacts from Ground Zero and the recovery operation at Fresh Kills, a former landfill on Staten Island whose name, “fresh stream,” came from early Dutch settlers. This area will show the extent of this historic and humanitarian operation that was designed to find remains of every person lost, and their personal possessions Objects on display will include WTC souvenirs, signs, rescue artifacts, destroyed lamppost fragments and a recovered fragment of Auguste Rodin’s bronze “The Three Shades,” from the collection of Cantor Fitzgerald.

Biographies of nine 9/11 victims and survivors, along with artifacts, are also included in the exhibition to help to put a human face on the tragedy.

The New York State Museum has the largest collection of artifacts from the World Trade Center and many of these have been used in the Museum’s permanent exhibition in Albany, N.Y., the nation’s most comprehensive permanent exhibition about the World Trade Center history and September 11th attacks. An online version of the permanent exhibition is available at http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibits/longterm/wtc/

Formed in 1836, the New York State Museum is the largest and oldest state museum in the United States. The Museum is dedicated to promoting inquiry and advancing knowledge about the human and natural history of New York State. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, N.Y., the Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department, the University of the State of New York and the Office of Cultural Education. Further information is available by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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