New York After September 11 | September 11

A high-angle photo of a woman in red gloves kneeling to light a candle at a sidewalk 9/11 memorial filled with flowers, candles, and victim flyers in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a woman kneels to light a candle at a sidewalk memorial shrine near the perimeter of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. Surrounding her are lit votive candles, fresh and dried bouquets, teddy bears, small American flags, and handwritten notes honoring those lost on September 11. Behind the shrine, a chain-link fence bears victim memorial flyers—including a portrait flyer for James Matthew Patrick—and posters offering prayers for peace, capturing intimate moments of grief and remembrance ten weeks after the tragedy. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide panoramic photograph taken from a 20th-floor WTC Family Room window at One Liberty Plaza, looking down into the Ground Zero site toward the Hudson River in October 2008.

Photographed on October 25, 2008, from an elevated window inside the World Trade Center Family Room on the 20th floor of One Liberty Plaza, an expansive panoramic view overlooks the entirety of Ground Zero during early foundation work. Established as a private, quiet sanctuary exclusively for the families of 9/11 victims to mourn, reflect, and view the site, the room offered a direct vantage point over the reconstruction. Looking west toward the Hudson River, the image captures the vast cleared pit framed by the Deutsche Bank Building (under deconstruction on the left), the World Financial Center complex across West Street, and the newly completed 7 World Trade Center tower rising on the right. Below, construction footings, access ramps, and subterranean infrastructure mark the groundwork taking place seven years after September 11 prior to vertical construction of One World Trade Center and the National 9/11 Memorial. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide harbor view showing the Statue of Liberty on the left with the completed One World Trade Center and the Lower Manhattan skyline in the background.

Photographed from New York Harbor on August 11, 2023, this wide profile captures the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island set against the modern skyline of Lower Manhattan. Soaring in the center of the frame, the fully completed 1,776-foot One World Trade Center with its iconic spire stands as a symbol of renewal and resilience, contrasting with the earlier 2012 construction views. The image brings the gallery full circle, showcasing the rebuilt financial district, including the World Financial Center complex, 30 Park Place, and 4 World Trade Center, under a bright blue summer sky. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide view across Ground Zero showing rubble piles, cranes, and the heavily damaged Deutsche Bank Building bearing a large American flag in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a wide street-level view across the World Trade Center site captures the heavily damaged, soot-blackened facade of the Deutsche Bank Building (130 Liberty Street) draped with a large American flag. To the left, historic Lower Manhattan architecture—including 90 West Street and 1 Wall Street—rises behind ongoing clearing operations at Ground Zero, where debris piles, rescue vehicles, and high-reach cranes fill the foreground ten weeks after the attacks of September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A close-up vertical photograph showing the massive structural damage and exposed interior floors of the Deutsche Bank Building shrouded in black netting at Ground Zero in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a stark, detailed telephoto perspective reveals the heavily damaged northern exterior of the Deutsche Bank Building (130 Liberty Street) standing directly adjacent to the Ground Zero recovery zone. The severe structural gash sliced open by the collapse of the South Tower exposes interior floors and framing, partially covered in black protective netting and safety rigging. In the foreground along the World Trade Center perimeter, emergency vehicles, heavy cranes, and construction equipment operate as part of the ongoing clearing and stabilization efforts ten weeks after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide panoramic photograph showing the waterfall cascade inside the North 9/11 Memorial pool with bronze name inscriptions in the foreground and One World Trade Center under construction rising in the background.

Captured on August 18, 2012, a sweeping wide panorama showcases the North National September 11 Memorial pool surrounded by bronze parapet panels inscribed with victims' names. Water cascades down the thirty-foot granite walls into the central void occupying the footprint of the original North Tower. Beyond the memorial plaza, the Brookfield Place office complex (formerly World Financial Center) lines the background, while One World Trade Center soars above the site alongside 7 World Trade Center and the developing 9/11 Memorial Museum Pavilion under a bright summer sky. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A low-angle vertical panorama showing One World Trade Center under construction rising above the dark granite wall of the 9/11 Memorial pool into a clear blue sky.

Captured in a vertical panorama on August 18, 2012, One World Trade Center soars into a clear blue sky above Lower Manhattan. Photographed from the edge of the North National September 11 Memorial pool, the image highlights the immense scale of the tower as it neared roof level completion, having already surpassed the height of the Empire State Building earlier that year. The glass curtain wall reaches upward over the heavily reinforced concrete base, while construction steel at the top marks the final stages before its structural topping-out later that month. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A man in a magenta jacket holding a framed photo of loved ones against the Lower Manhattan skyline from a Jersey City waterfront promenade in October 2001.

Photographed from Liberty State Park in Jersey City on October 6, 2001, a deeply personal moment captures a man standing at the waterfront railing, holding a framed photograph of loved ones up against the altered Lower Manhattan skyline. Set up on a tripod to the left, a camera lines up the framed image with the distant background where the Twin Towers once stood. Less than one month after September 11, the view across the Hudson River displays the altered financial district profile alongside the red-shrouded Deutsche Bank Building, capturing an intimate act of tribute and remembrance. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide panoramic waterfront view of the completed Lower Manhattan skyline featuring One World Trade Center and surrounding skyscrapers under a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Captured on August 11, 2023, an expansive panoramic view looking across New York Harbor showcases the fully transformed Lower Manhattan skyline. Rising prominently in the center is the completed 1,776-foot One World Trade Center, anchored alongside the rebuilt World Trade Center complex, Brookfield Place, 3 World Trade Center, and 4 World Trade Center. Stretching across the horizon beneath a vibrant blue sky dotted with summer clouds, Midtown Manhattan towers appear in the distance to the left, highlighting over two decades of architectural recovery and rebirth following the events of September 11, 2001. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A chain-link fence filled with American flags, flowers, handwritten notes, and badges as visitors walk past near Ground Zero in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, visitors walk past a chain-link security fence adorned with thousands of spontaneous tributes along the perimeter of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The makeshift memorial features American and international flags (including Canada), dried flower wreaths, handwritten notes, caps, service badges, and children's drawings left by people from around the world. Positioned outside surrounding office buildings, these fence memorials served as public spaces for mourning and reflection during the initial recovery operations ten weeks after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A dark broken heart sculpture sitting on a window sill inside the WTC Family Room, with the World Financial Center towers visible out the glass in October 2008.

Photographed on October 25, 2008, a poignant close-up captures a dark, broken heart sculpture resting on a window sill inside the World Trade Center Family Room on the 20th floor of One Liberty Plaza. Established as a private, quiet sanctuary exclusively for the families of 9/11 victims to mourn, reflect, and look out over the site, the space offered a direct vantage point above Ground Zero. In the background through the glass, the soft-focused towers of the World Financial Center and the cleared excavation site below frame the sculpture, creating a powerful visual symbol of grief, love, and remembrance seven years after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A heavy recovery site at Ground Zero featuring piles of steel rubble, construction vehicles, and severely damaged high-rise building facades in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a stark look into the active recovery site at Ground Zero reveals piles of twisted structural steel, concrete rubble, and heavy machinery operating across the World Trade Center footprint. On the right, the heavily scorched and structurally compromised facade of 90 West Street (or Deutsche Bank Building) looms over the site, while background historic architecture like the Barclay-Vesey Building stands behind rows of boarded windows. Utility vehicles, construction trucks, and rescue personnel fill the foreground during the intensive clearing operations ten weeks after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A detailed harbor view of Lower Manhattan featuring One World Trade Center, Brookfield Place, 3 WTC, 4 WTC, and sailboats on the water under a bright summer sky.

Photographed from the waters of New York Harbor on August 11, 2023, a crisp telephoto view captures the fully rebuilt skyline of Lower Manhattan bathed in late afternoon sun. Dominating the left frame, the completed 1,776-foot One World Trade Center stands alongside its modern World Trade Center site neighbors, including 3 World Trade Center and 4 World Trade Center. In the foreground, the distinctive glass Winter Garden and green-roofed towers of Brookfield Place line the Battery Park City waterfront as sailboats cross the Hudson River under a clear sky. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A telephoto view of mangled steel rubble at Ground Zero with red cranes and a dark netting-covered skyscraper in the background in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a telephoto perspective across Ground Zero captures mangled steel girders from the Twin Towers and debris resting on concrete foundations within the World Trade Center site. In the background, tall red construction cranes stand alongside the heavily shrouded facade of the damaged Deutsche Bank Building, wrapped in dark protective netting. Residential and commercial towers in Battery Park City frame the skyline behind the recovery zone, highlighting the scale of clearance operations ten weeks after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A high-angle photograph looking into the cleared excavation pit of Ground Zero showing the concrete slurry wall, temporary access ramps, and construction trailers in late 2004.

Photographed from an elevated vantage point on November 25, 2004, a high-angle view looks into the cleared World Trade Center site pit in Lower Manhattan. The image prominent highlights the exposed concrete slurry wall along the right perimeter, anchored with tiebacks that kept out Hudson River groundwater following the collapse of the Twin Towers. An angled access ramp spans the pit toward temporary pedestrian walkways and construction trailers below, capturing the cleared foundation pit prior to the start of vertical reconstruction for the Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center) and National September 11 Memorial. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

An ultra-wide fisheye panoramic view of the North 9/11 Memorial pool surrounded by visitors, swamp white oak trees, and the rising skyscrapers of the World Trade Center site.

Photographed fisheye lens style on August 18, 2012, an expansive panoramic view captures the North National September 11 Memorial pool, where water cascades thirty feet into the central square footprint of the original North Tower. Surrounding the plaza, the changing skyline of Lower Manhattan is on display, featuring the World Financial Center on the left, One World Trade Center near roof topping-out on the left-center, the completed 7 World Trade Center, the developing National September 11 Memorial & Museum Pavilion in the center, and the steel superstructure of 4 World Trade Center under active construction on the far right. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

An engraved stone memorial plaque in honor of 9/11 victims and first responders standing in front of a wall covered in police patches and American flags in October 2008.

Photographed on October 25, 2008, a close-up perspective captures an engraved stone memorial plaque positioned in front of the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) memorial display near the World Trade Center site. The plaque inscription reads: "In loving memory of all those who perished on 9/11/01 as a result of the attack on the United States, and in commemoration of the fire, police, rescue personnel, and other persons who died helping others. Let us now rebuild on the founding principles of our homeland, 'One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All'." Behind the marker, American flags, floral arrangements, police agency patches, and first-responder portraits frame the tribute site seven years after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A group of people standing outside on a waterfront promenade in October 2001, with one man pointing toward the distance as others look on.

Photographed on October 6, 2001, along the Jersey City waterfront promenade, a medium shot captures a group of onlookers gathered outdoors less than a month after September 11. Several individuals stand in conversation while a man in the background points across the water toward the Lower Manhattan skyline, guiding the group's gaze toward the site of the World Trade Center. The candid image captures the visible emotion, quiet observation, and shared human response of bystanders reflecting on the tragedy from across the Hudson River. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

An ultra-wide panorama across the Hudson River showing both the Midtown Manhattan skyline with the Empire State Building and the Lower Manhattan skyline under a half-cloudy sky in October 2001.

hotographed from across the Hudson River on October 6, 2001, an expansive panoramic landscape captures both Midtown and Lower Manhattan under a dramatic, split cloud sky. On the far left, the Empire State Building anchors the Midtown skyline under open blue skies, while the cloud cover shifts over Lower Manhattan on the right, where the World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) and the red-shrouded Deutsche Bank Building frame the post-9/11 financial district skyline less than a month after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide view showing One World Trade Center under construction next to the glass facade of 7 World Trade Center, rising above the 9/11 Memorial Museum pavilion and oak trees in Lower Manhattan.

Photographed on August 18, 2012, this wide perspective captures the soaring profile of One World Trade Center alongside neighboring 7 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. In the foreground, swamp white oak trees line the plaza above the North National September 11 Memorial pool, while the striped metallic facade of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Pavilion stands under active development. In the distance, the completed 52-story 7 World Trade Center reflects the summer sun, contrasting with the active construction and upper floor framing of One World Trade Center. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A low-angle upward perspective of One World Trade Center under construction showing the reflective glass facade, external construction elevator, and a partly cloudy sky.

Photographed from ground level on August 18, 2012, a dramatic low-angle perspective looks straight up the chamfered glass facade of One World Trade Center against a partly cloudy summer sky. The image highlights the external construction hoist running up the side of the tower, along with the protective black netting enshrouding the reinforced concrete base. In the lower-left background, the distinctive dome of 225 Liberty Street (World Financial Center) stands nearby, while the glass facade of 7 World Trade Center frames the right side of the shot. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A low-angle upward photograph showing the vaulted glass dome of the World Financial Center Winter Garden framed between two tall glass and granite office towers in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a dramatic upward perspective looks past the vaulted glass dome of the Winter Garden Pavilion toward the surrounding office towers of the World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) in Lower Manhattan. Situated directly across West Street from the World Trade Center site, the complex suffered extensive window and structural damage during the collapse of the Twin Towers on September 11. Ten weeks later, repair efforts were underway to restore the shattered glass atrium and surrounding commercial space, capturing a key moment of structural recovery along the Ground Zero perimeter. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A low-angle view looking straight up the glass facade of One World Trade Center under construction on a clear summer day in New York City.

Photographed from ground level on August 18, 2012, a low-angle perspective shows the glass curtain wall reflective panels soaring up the chamfered facade of One World Trade Center. Taken just twelve days before the tower's steel structure reached its final topping-out height at roof level on August 30, 2012, the image captures the rapid progress of Lower Manhattan's iconic skyscraper. Construction workers were finalizing upper floor framing and glass installation on the top stories, while temporary construction hoists ran along the side of the building. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A street-level perspective of red structural steel beams and large construction cranes building the lower base of One World Trade Center in late 2009.

Photographed from street level on November 28, 2009, this shot captures the early structural steel framing of One World Trade Center rising above street level in Lower Manhattan. Massive red steel beams mark the foundation and lower floors of the blast-resistant concrete and steel podium base. Multiple heavy tower cranes operate above the steel framework, while the existing office towers of World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) and 7 World Trade Center frame the background beneath a crisp autumn sky. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A large 'God Bless America' memorial sign showing the Twin Towers inside a pentagon outline, set up near Ground Zero with damaged skyscrapers and scaffolding in the background.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a poignant street-level view looking toward Ground Zero displays a large wooden memorial sign reading "God Bless America," depicting the Twin Towers inside the pentagonal outline of the Pentagon. Candles, flowers, and American flags rest on a makeshift memorial table in front of the board. In the background, damaged office buildings lined with scaffolding, protective netting, and boarded-up windows frame the skyline near the World Financial Center, capturing the heavy impact and early recovery efforts along the perimeter of the World Trade Center site just ten weeks after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

An ultra-wide panorama of the Lower Manhattan skyline across the Hudson River in late afternoon light in October 2001, showing the gap where the World Trade Center towers stood.

Photographed from across the Hudson River on October 6, 2001, an ultra-wide panoramic landscape captures the Lower Manhattan skyline glowing in late-afternoon sunlight less than one month after September 11. Stretching from Battery Park on the far right to the World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) on the left, the composition highlights the dramatic void left in the skyline where the Twin Towers once stood. The red protective shroud wrapping the damaged Deutsche Bank Building stands out along the skyline, preserving a historic wide-angle view of the financial district during the initial weeks of post-9/11 recovery. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide horizontal panorama of the Lower Manhattan skyline viewed across the Hudson River, featuring the World Financial Center and 7 World Trade Center under construction in late 2004.

Photographed from across the Hudson River on November 25, 2004, a wide panorama shows the Lower Manhattan skyline during the initial phase of post-9/11 site reconstruction. Prominently featured on the left are the towers of the World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place), while behind them, the red-netted construction frame of the new 7 World Trade Center tower rises into the clear blue sky. Extending across the waterfront to the right, the financial district skyline displays key historic landmarks, capturing the evolving urban landscape three years after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A vertical view looking out a high-floor window at the WTC Family Room, showing the Ground Zero excavation pit below and the World Financial Center towers in October 2008.

Photographed on October 25, 2008, from an elevated window inside the World Trade Center Family Room on the 20th floor of One Liberty Plaza, a vertical framing looks directly over West Street into the Ground Zero excavation site. The WTC Family Room served as a quiet, private sanctuary for 9/11 victims' families to reflect and remember. In the background, the prominent towers of 2 World Financial Center (left, dome top) and 3 World Financial Center (right, pyramid top)—now Brookfield Place—rise above the Hudson River waterfront, framing the subterranean slurry wall and slurry-pit infrastructure taking shape seven years after September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A close-up view of the name TODD M. BEAMER stencil-cut into a dark bronze railing panel at the National 9/11 Memorial pool.

Photographed on August 18, 2012, a detailed close-up captures the bronze-incised name of Todd M. Beamer on Panel S-68 of the National September 11 Memorial South Pool in Lower Manhattan. Beamer, a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93, became widely remembered for his rallying phrase "Let's roll!" as he and fellow passengers fought back against hijackers on September 11, 2001. His name is memorialized alongside his 39 fellow passengers and crew members along the edge of the waterfall pool reflecting the site of the original South Tower. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A crowd of people looking at a wrought-iron fence covered in memorial t-shirts, handwritten banners, flags, and flowers outside St. Paul's Chapel in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, just over two months after September 11, mourners and visitors stand along the iron fence of historic St. Paul's Chapel on Broadway in Lower Manhattan. The chapel’s perimeter became one of the most prominent spontaneous memorial sites in New York City, covered with handwritten banners, police and fire department shirts, prayer cards, American flags, and personal tributes sent from around the world. Serving as a crucial relief hub where volunteers provided meals, medical care, and sanctuary to Ground Zero rescue and recovery workers, St. Paul's Chapel stood as a beacon of comfort and resilience in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A lit Christmas tree and an inflatable waving Santa Claus set up near Ground Zero, with World Financial Center towers and a crane in the background in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a lit holiday Christmas tree and an inflatable waving Santa Claus stand along the viewing perimeter of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. Set up ahead of the holiday season ten weeks after September 11, the festive display offers a poignant touch of hope amidst ongoing recovery efforts. In the background, heavy construction cranes, a red "Season's Greetings" sign, and the domed towers of the World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) frame the winter skyline beneath overcast skies. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A low-angle view looking up at the pediment and cross of St. Paul's Chapel framed between two surrounding tall buildings in Lower Manhattan.

Photographed on November 26, 2004, a low-angle perspective looks up at the pediment, roofline, and golden cross of historic St. Paul's Chapel on Broadway in Lower Manhattan. Framing the historic 1766 chapel are surrounding office buildings, including the landmark AT&T Building (195 Broadway) on the right. This specific vantage point echoes iconic photographs taken on September 11, 2001 by James Nachtwey, which captured giant clouds of dust and debris rising directly behind the chapel's cross as the World Trade Center towers collapsed. Remarkably, St. Paul's Chapel survived the collapse of both towers without a single broken window, earning its nickname "The Little Chapel That Stood" and serving as a crucial relief site for rescue and recovery workers. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A large 'Thank You America' banner from the Port Authority Police hung above a memorial wall covered in flowers, photos, and hundreds of police patches in October 2008.

Photographed on October 25, 2008, a high-detail view captures the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) memorial wall located near the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The display features a prominent banner reading "Thank You America For Your Prayers and Support For All Those Lost And Their Families From The Port Authority NY & NJ Police." Surrounding the banner are vibrant floral arrangements, American flags, memorial photos of fallen first responders—including FDNY Firefighter Michael Kiefer—and hundreds of law enforcement and emergency response patches left by visitors and departments from across the nation in tribute to the 37 PAPD officers and all victims lost on September 11. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A low-angle close-up showing the windowless concrete base of One World Trade Center covered in red steel beams and dark netting behind swamp white oak trees and the edge of the 9/11 Memorial pool.

Photographed from the edge of the North National September 11 Memorial pool on August 18, 2012, a close-up perspective captures the heavily reinforced concrete podium base of One World Trade Center under construction. Standing 185 feet tall, the windowless, blast-resistant concrete base was designed by architect David Childs to withstand ground-level threats, with red steel framing and protective black netting marking ongoing progress before its exterior glass fin cladding was installed. In the foreground, water cascades over the dark granite rim of the memorial pool, while young swamp white oak trees line the surrounding memorial plaza. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A close-up view of bronze memorial parapet panels inscribed with FDNY firefighter names, including Richard T. Muldowney, Jr., with visitors standing around the reflecting waterfall pool in the background.

Photographed on August 18, 2012, visitors gather along the bronze parapets of the National September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan as water cascades into one of the giant reflecting pools. In the foreground, stencil-cut inscriptions on Panel S-14 honor fallen members of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), including Richard T. Muldowney, Jr., Frank Anthony Palombo, and Thomas Richard Kelly of Engine 4. The photo captures public tributes and quiet moments of reflection during the memorial's first summer of open public visitation following its 2011 dedication. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A side view of a red flatbed semi-truck trailer loaded with bent structural steel beams from Ground Zero parked on a New York City street in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a red flatbed trailer parked along a Lower Manhattan street carries heavy, bent structural steel girders recovered from the World Trade Center site. Secured with chains and wooden blocks, these massive pieces of iron and steel debris were transported away from Ground Zero during the intensive clearing operations ten weeks after September 11. Surrounding commercial office buildings line the background, capturing a stark moment in the logistics and debris removal efforts that defined the immediate post-9/11 recovery period. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide harbor view of the World Financial Center towers across the Hudson River, with the red construction frame of 7 WTC rising in the background in late 2004.

Photographed from across the Hudson River on November 25, 2004, a clear waterfront view shows the World Financial Center complex (now Brookfield Place) framing the early skyline reconstruction of Lower Manhattan. Behind 2 World Financial Center, the orange safety netting of the newly rising 7 World Trade Center tower marks one of the earliest vertical construction milestones at the World Trade Center site following September 11. The restored glass dome of the Winter Garden Pavilion sits prominently at the center waterfront under a bright, clear blue late-autumn sky. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A telephoto shot showing twisted steel wreckage of the World Trade Center piled behind the vaulted glass Winter Garden Pavilion in October 2001.

Photographed from across the Hudson River on October 6, 2001, a tight telephoto perspective focuses on the World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) complex in Lower Manhattan less than a month after September 11. Through the gap behind the glass dome of the damaged Winter Garden Pavilion, structural wreckage and twisted steel debris from the collapsed World Trade Center towers remain piled high at Ground Zero. Visible surrounding structural damage, broken windows, and the red-netted facade of the Deutsche Bank Building on the far right underscore the severe impact on the immediate neighborhood during the earliest recovery phase. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide harbor view of the Lower Manhattan skyline across the water in late 2001, showing the prominent absence of the World Financial Center and Twin Towers.

Photographed from across the Hudson River on November 24, 2001, an expansive waterfront view captures the dramatically altered skyline of Lower Manhattan just ten weeks after September 11. The absence of the Twin Towers leaves a notable void in the skyline between the World Financial Center complex on the left and the surrounding downtown financial district on the right. Beneath a bright autumn sky with wispy clouds, the calm harbor waters contrast with the altered profile of the city during the early months of recovery. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A crowd of visitors waiting in line on the sidewalk in front of the black glass storefront of the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site in New York City.

Photographed on August 18, 2012, visitors line up along the sidewalk outside the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site at 20 Vesey Street in Lower Manhattan. Opened during the construction of the permanent memorial and museum complex, the preview space provided the public with educational exhibits, architectural models, visitor pass reservations, and official keepsakes supporting the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Reflected in the large storefront glass across the street is the steel framework of the World Trade Center redevelopment site. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A telephoto view of the World Financial Center and Woolworth Building from the Hudson River, with the red netting-shrouded Deutsche Bank Building visible on the right in October 2001.

Photographed from across the Hudson River on October 6, 2001, a telephoto architectural view highlights the Lower Manhattan skyline less than one month after September 11. The towers of the World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) and the glass dome of the Winter Garden Pavilion dominate the foreground, with the historic Woolworth Building rising in the center gap where the Twin Towers once stood. On the right, the heavily damaged Deutsche Bank Building is completely shrouded in red protective netting, providing a powerful visual record of the surrounding architectural impact during the earliest phase of recovery. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A wide elevated photograph looking across the cleared Ground Zero construction site toward high-rise buildings in Lower Manhattan in late 2004.

Photographed from an elevated view looking east on November 25, 2004, a wide shot captures the cleared World Trade Center site framed by surrounding Lower Manhattan skyscrapers. The temporary PATH station structure, construction fencing, and foundation footings sit in the foreground pit where the Twin Towers once stood. Rising in the background are major landmark buildings, including the Millennium Hilton, 1 Wall Street, One Liberty Plaza, and 40 Wall Street, showing the site fully cleared of debris three years after September 11 as early infrastructure rebuilding gets underway. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A vertical photo of a memorial Christmas tree topped with an American flag and covered in handmade angel ornaments near Ground Zero in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, a poignant street-level view shows a memorial Christmas Tree erected near the perimeter of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. Set up ahead of the holiday season ten weeks after September 11, the tree is topped with a small American flag and adorned with dozens of handmade angel ornaments, patriotic ribbons, and handwritten notes of comfort sent by people across the country. In the background, green construction screening and damaged office building windows mark the perimeter of the ongoing recovery operations at Ground Zero. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A large crowd of people gathering behind blue 'Police Line Do Not Cross' wooden barricades on a street near Ground Zero in late 2001.

Photographed on November 24, 2001, crowds of visitors and mourners gather behind blue wooden NYPD barricades along the perimeter of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. Security personnel, National Guard members, and police officers guide the public along the viewing lines just ten weeks after September 11. In the background, damaged office buildings lined with protective netting and wooden staging walls surround the site, marking the ongoing recovery, cleanup, and security efforts at Ground Zero. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A group of people viewed from behind standing along a waterfront promenade railing, gazing across the water at the Lower Manhattan skyline in October 2001."

Photographed from Liberty State Park in Jersey City on October 6, 2001, a group of visitors stands silently at the promenade railing looking across the Hudson River toward Lower Manhattan. Taken less than four weeks after September 11, the crowd gazes at the dramatically altered skyline, where the absence of the Twin Towers leaves a prominent void framed by the World Financial Center towers and the red protective netting of the damaged Deutsche Bank Building. The scene captures a moment of collective mourning and reflection along the New Jersey waterfront during the early aftermath of the tragedy. © Mike Lynaugh Photography

A street-level view of One World Trade Center under construction surrounded by 225 Liberty Street and 7 World Trade Center with construction cranes and street fixtures in the foreground.

Photographed from ground level on August 18, 2012, this street-level view captures One World Trade Center rising amidst the neighboring modern office towers of Lower Manhattan. To the left, the distinctive domed top of 225 Liberty Street (formerly Two World Financial Center) stands against the sky, while the completed facade of 7 World Trade Center frames the right. In the foreground, active construction machinery, temporary fencing, and a subway entrance globe reflect the intense redevelopment work underway across the entire World Trade Center site as the main tower neared its final structural height. © Mike Lynaugh Photography