Twin Tower Images

It's been almost several years now since the Twin Towers fell, and in that time they've been making regular appearences in my dreams, perhaps to compensate for their absence in the skyline. Despite the fact that they were actually very plain and simple buildings, none of the elaborate suggestions architects have put forward for rebuilding has been able to satisfy the general New York populace, and that's hardly surprising. It's not just about architecture, it's about the hole in our collective psyche that's more bottomless than the 16 acre, 8 story pit known as Ground Zero would appear at first glance.
During the time since 9/11 I've become fascinated with images of the World Trade Center, not the post 9/11 "commemorative" stuff, but images from before they ever happened. Like the Empire State, Statue of Liberty, and Chrysler Building, they were embedded in the consciousness of our city. So many movies and TV shows set in NYC use them in establishing shots. All around the city local businesses had them somehow incorporated into their awnings and logos. Some of them have changed, like the Manhattan Storage Center on Spring Street, but many have left these things as they stand, reluctant to remove them as one might be to take down a photo of a dead relative from the wall.
These are some of the pre-9/11 images I have found. I'll add more as I come across them.

Thanks to the miracle of MAME, here's a screen capture from an old arcade game called Ninja Gaiden. Is that supposed to be Mr. T???

Keyfood Soda Can

This is a cover from Abby's late 90's comic, Nightclub. Twin Towers are courtesy of a Photoshop tweaked postcard, but this pretty much was the view from her Aunt's terrace. The first weekend after 9/11, she and I watched the pillar of smoke, now somewhat dissipated by rain, weave its way slowly south. We'd come from the SPX-iles thing in Williamsburg, and even there the air would alternate between a burnt and a chemically sweet smell each time a new breeze started up.

Business card for my page from a coffee shop.

"Martini Baton" by Peter Bagge and Dan Carino This came out shortly after the first attack on the World Trade Center, in 1993, thus the explosions near the base.

Northside cab in Williamsburg has had these cards since before the neighborhood got all trendy, and certainly before 9/11.

Popinjays CD back cover The Popinjays were a British pop band in the early 90's. Suddenly those low cirling Fisher Price Planes seem so ominous...

Not only are these napkins a great image, this place is highly recommended.

Salkt & pepper shakers circa 1995


some other places I've spotted the World Trade Center:

  • Blondie "Heart of Glass" video - opening and closing shots of the Towers from an aerial view.
  • Ramones "Spider Man" video. Shot of Joey Ramone singing with Towers behind him. The whole thing should be called "Wish you were here!"
  • Home Alone 2 - They actually played this on a flight OUT of New York City at the holidays. There's an early scene in the film which really sentimentalizes the Towers--Macaulay Culkin gazing up at them in awe, the camera panning up and down as majestic music swells in the background.
    WBDD