The MEMO Blog

When Leonard White saw the elaborate giraffe costumes in a production of The Lion King on Broadway, he began collecting giraffe figurines as well, including the figurine currently on view in the Museum’s memorial exhibition. Nearly 18 years later, White’s family is still collecting giraffe-related memorabilia in his honor.

After 9/11, Naoto Nakagawa found that the work had been transformed by the tragedy. On the canvas, he now saw the star-shaped moss arranged in horizontal bands of color that evoked the American flag. Rather than sunlight, the light permeating the surface represented those who had been killed on 9/11, expressed as shining stars. 

During the early morning hours of Aug. 7, 1974, 24-year-old French high-wire artist Philippe Petit took his position at 1,350 feet above ground on the edge of the South Tower. High above the streets of New York, Petit began the 131-foot walk between the Twin Towers with no net.

Beau Wilson, a senior museum interpretive guide at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, sat down to tell us about his experience leading this intimate morning tour of the museum space.

On July 19, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum welcomed 17 visiting teenagers affiliated with the “Faces of Hope” project, which tracks the unfolding lives of children born on Sept. 11, 2001, in all 50 U.S. states. 

The Memorials Registry tracks the creation of public 9/11 memorials around the world, effectively documenting both the enduring global impact of the attacks and the diverse ways in which communities across the world have come together in a display of resilience in the face of tragedy and aching tribute to those lost.

In the years following the attacks, many 9/11 family members have donated art created by their loved ones. Some of these items are currently on display in the memorial exhibition or featured in the Artists Registry.

On view in the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s memorial exhibition is a sample of Paige’s gratitude list from a notebook donated to the Museum by her husband. 

On the 18th anniversary of 9/11, teachers and students from around the world will join us for the Anniversary in the Schools, a free webinar that aims to provide a new, meaningful way to deepen students’ knowledge about the events that unfolded. Registration is open for the webinar.

A 9/11 Memorial employee and hockey fan shares a special meaningful adjacency on the 9/11 Memorial.