Tag: 9/11

9/11: Fifteen Years Later… We’ll Never Forget

On By mvschulzeIn 9/11, Buildings, Photography2 Comments

Shortly after the first plane struck the North Tower, my daughter called to ask if I had heard the news that a small plane had crashed into New York’s World Trade Center, tower #1. Her ‘heads up’ was early and sketchy, and not too alarming, …as these things happen, rarely, but occasionally. Soon however, I was enveloped in what seemed like a nightmare fantasy – grappling with my emotions and becoming increasingly stressed and overwhelmed as reports and images from the TV were now almost too surreal to comprehend.

Below are some photos captured from that day and a week later, as the impact and aftermath  of 9/11/01 changed our world forever.

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I recall practically gasping for air as I watched it all unfold on the TV.  Commentators themselves were grasping for threads of understanding,  reporting on near simultaneous events in Washington DC and Pennsylvania. As the onslaught continued I thought: When will it end? Where is this all going?  And “What’s that? A truck filled with explosives heading for the George Washington Bridge????” No, that unfounded report was NOT  true….but what was next? 
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Later afternoon, from an vantage point in New Jersey, about 20 miles NE, the panic and fear was giving way to quiet disbelief and sorrow.
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Returning from the overlook, the quiet was palatable –  the communities slowely absorbing the magnitude of this insidious act of terror.  Contemplative silence underscored the juxtaposition of this otherwise beautifully clear day. 
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9/18/01, 11:31 PM a week later, …a consoling couple silently contemplates the aftermath as the searching for victims continues, as seen from Jersey City across the Hudson River.
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The skeletal remains of Tower #2 is seen fragilely standing, surrounded by dark shattered buildings, cranes, and hundreds of the tireless first and second responders in the rubble below.

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Summer, 2016

As usual, click on the image for a closer look, and thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

 

After walking the Brooklyn Bridge, 3/27/95

On By mvschulzeIn 1990's, Buildings, Daytrip, Explore, History, New York2 Comments

 A follow-up from my previous post about the Brooklyn Bridge, found here.

Just off the Brooklyn Bridge, is the 40 story Manhattan Municipal Building,  on the National Register of Historic Places. A magnificent structure with intriguing interior design elements complementing its Beaux-Arts architecture, topped by columns and cupolas, and …an impressive guilded copper statue:  “City Fame.” 

80.114 3-27-95 City Hall, NYC

Back in 1995, I was fortunate to see these features up close, but as was typical for those days, my camera was out of film. 

80.116 3-27-95 Very top of City Hall from Brooklyn Bridge
Picture taken from Brooklyn Bridge, 1995, Canon Rebel, SLR 200mm telephoto

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However, 15 years earlier, in 1980,  I had photographed the Brooklyn and Manhatten bridges from the World Trade Center, as seen below.

38.076 8-17-80 NYC Daytrip, Top of World Trade Center, H, J, S and M (7)_edited-1

38.075 8-17-80 NYC Daytrip, Top of World Trade Center, H, J, S and M (6)_edited-1
The Manhattan Municipal Building would be just out of view to the left, at about the same height as the white “former” AT&T building shown here.

 As usual,. thanks for visiting, and comments are always welcome. M:-)

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge, NYC – Twenty Years Ago Today

On By mvschulzeIn Buildings, Daytrip, Explore, Hiking, History, New York, Photo9 Comments

Lacking an idea for a subject, (sharing every week or two is my usual routine,) I arbitrarily looked into my archives for today’s date and ultimately came across the following – on March 27th, 1995.  

This post contains eight photos.

Short on time? just scroll down and click on the images….and as usual, comments are always welcome. 

80.097 3-27-95 Brooklyn Bridge and Woolworth Building
From the Brooklyn side, looking back at the Woolworth Building on the left, once the tallest building in NYC.

My career had me working “on the road” that day at the NY Post Production plant in Manhattan, then located just north of the bridge. After, I took advantage of the beautiful day and walked across the iconic structure.

80.103 3-27-95 Intricate Brooklyn Bridge cables
From this vantage among the web like cables, the Twin Towers stand to the left, doomed to fall 6 1/2 years later on 9/11/11
80.110 3-27-05 Brooklyn Bridge webbing north side
On my Canon Rebel (film) SLR, I used a polarizing filter to bring up the contrast a bit, as these intricate patterns were awesome against the clear blue skies.
80.109.1 3-27-95 Main cable, Brooklyn Bridge
There are four primary cables stretched over the two towers. I love the simple but obviously adequate design of the drop cable’s attachments, shown here. 

Just imagine the forces (weight) sustained by these components!

80.090.1 3-27-95 Manhatten and brooklyn Bridges
In this close up view of a load cable and crossing “stabilizing” cable, the Manhattan Bridge is seen beyond,  completed in 1909, 25 years after the Brooklyn Bridge.
80.091.1 3-27-95 WTC from Brooklyn Bridge
With the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in the background, various “working lines” of the Brooklyn Bridge steadfastly remain taut after 104 years at the time of this photo – 129 years today.
80.087.1 3-27-95 Lamp and Woolworth from BB
Opened to the public in 1913, the Woolworth Building stands about 3 times taller, seen here with one of the bridge’s lampposts in the foreground.

80.082 3-27-95 Brooklyn Bridge Plaque

After completing this walk, I explored the City Hall Building just off the Manhattan side of the bridge, finding easy access to the rotunda on top with its awesome view of lower Manhattan. 

Thanks as usual for viewing. M 🙂

New York on Sunday – From Hamilton Park, Weehawken, New Jersey

On By mvschulzeIn Buildings, New York, Photo, Travel10 Comments

This Post contains 9 images, taken today, Sunday, 9/14/14

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A small gem of a park atop the Palisades.

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The view is awesome.

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Across the Hudson River, midtown and north. Note the new and very tall  “residential” skyscrapers now beginning to dominate the skyline to the left.

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Cruise ships berth right against Manhattan, as seen from Hamilton Park.

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A view slightly south: the Chrysler Building, left; Times Square area buried within, just to its right; and the Empire State Building. 

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Four miles down-river stands the Freedom Tower.

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This wide view shows the tower in lower Manhattan; Jersey City to the right; and lower pathways and view spots in the park (foreground.) Jeanne is talking to a friend, Linda, on the bench.

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Looking down river with my telephoto lens, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge is almost 12 miles to the south. Just beyond and left (out of sight,) the Atlantic Ocean.

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It was a nice day for a visit to this special little place.

Thanks for viewing, and as usual, comments are always welcome.

LETS GO TO THE TOP – A High Perspective (initial edition)

On By mvschulzeIn Art, Buildings, Mystery, New York, Photo, Pondering, Queen Mary 2, Technology, Travel12 Comments

Some Close-Up Views of the Very Top of  Four Iconic Landmarks 

Can You Recognize These?

(Full images follow below)

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ONE – 2012
27.041 11-5-75 NYC, Circle line around Manhattan_edited-2 - Version 2 - 2009-04-22 at 19-39-06
TWO – 1975
38.074 8-17-80 NYC Daytrip, Top of World Trade Center, H, J, S and M (5)_edited-1 - 2010-05-06 at 21-43-33
THREE – 1980
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FOUR – 2013

 

All four have two things in common:  New York City, (and at one time or another,) were the tallest buildings in the city.

Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building – 1930 to 1931
Empire State Building
Empire State Building – 1931 to 1972; 2001 to 2013
World Trade Center
World Trade Center  – 1972 to 2001

 

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One World Trade Center – 2013 to present

   

As usual, comments are always welcome.

THANKS FOR VIEWING

 

 

 

 

 

 

“New York” on Sunday

On By mvschulzeIn Art, Cruise ship, Photo, Pondering, Queen Mary 2, Science, Technology, Travel7 Comments

It’s January 15th, 2014, and winter is beginning to bother me! So I thought about a Sunday day trip we enjoyed last fall, when a half dozen “top ten” days were painting the NYC skyline day after day with breathtaking clarity and brilliance… 

(For best un-cropped results and full resolution,  click on the images.)

Arriving at the “Battery” from the Staten Island FerryImage

Buildings of the World Financial Center

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From the Governor’s Island Ferry, a surreal High “HDR” landscape view of Lower Manhattan

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On Governor’s Island

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Of Governor’s Island (left) with the sun playing on three major East River suspension bridges beyond. Can you name them, and the large building to the left?

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And finally, cruising south by ferry, looking back at the iconic old and new skyscrapers, followed smartly by none other than the stately RMS Queen Mary 2

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Likes and Comments are always welcomed

“Empty Sky,” a Perspective in time

On By mvschulzeIn Art, Mystery, Photo, Technology7 Comments

Yesterday, (5/14/13) we visited the New Jersey 9/11 memorial in Liberty State Park for the first time. It is a stunning, architectural and symbolic masterpiece designed by Jessica Jamroz and Frederic Schwartz, indelibly memorializing the victims and events that shattered the senses 11 ½ years ago.

When viewed from the west end, the two stainless steel jacketed 30’ high walls, 208’ 10” long, emblazed with the names of New Jersey’s innocents, leads the eye to the exact location of the original towers –  today empty, except for the “Empty Sky” and …the Woolworth Building, tallest skyscraper in the world until 1930. The walls, their length each the exact width of the original towers, block the new 1776’ (541m) ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER from view, offset from the original tower footprints for their respectful preservation. That awesome icon of the future, had it’s top spire placed just last week, seen here still with cranes working the job.

What intrigued me, was the coincidental nature of the old (Woolworth,) and new (Twin Towers,)  lying in the same line of sight. How remarkable! Thinking on this, I recalled pictures I took from this very same spot, 16 years ago, (Nov. 11, 1997) seen below verifying and  completing this interesting perspective.

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…and yet again – Boston

On By mvschulzeIn Photo, Uncategorized2 Comments

We, all of us, are the young couple to the left in this image. Once again, bewildered spectators of the unspeakable. And the resolve is strengthened: No matter how horrific the events may be, we will always stand up for our country, our flag, and our humanityImage9/18/01, Jersey City, NJ     After a week…after 11 1/2 years…and Forever

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