December 2001                                                                        Back to PHOTOS

My pilgrimage to New York, November 23 - 30, 2001

Although the local memorials and candlelite vigils helped, I still had to go to New York after September 11.  Five years previous Iíd taken a week long Holiday vacation in New York, arriving the day after Thanksgiving.  This year it was more of a pilgrimage.

It was before the viewing platform was installed at Ground Zero, and we, the collective mass of humanity that had traveled here, quietly shuffled around the perimeter of the secured area, walking to the end of each closed street, stopping at the large, spontaneous memorials on the west side of the area.  We were cleared from the area when a group of survivors touring the place their loved ones perished emerged from the gates to visit the memorials on the west side, within view of the Statue of Liberty.   To be just hundreds of yards from Ground Zero and have the Statue visible was unnerving yet comforting.

I also spent time exploring the city and it's reactions and responses to The Attack. Enough time had passed that the people of the city had [sic] 'stopped holding their breath' and were getting back to normal, as described to me on two different occasions. There were still plenty of flags displayed, but during the week I was there, one of the prominent flags I'd see on my block was removed. To me it seemed that the owner felt that the emotional support they received from displaying it was no longer needed and it was time to move on.  Fortunately I shot it before itís removal. It was one of my favorite flag images - a large flag draped on the side of a building in Chelsea;  is in one of the galleries accessible from the links

I was in the city during the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, and shot it for  my 2001 Christmas card, duplicating the position of a previous yearís card. I didnít even try to go to the actual ceremony as I had another year, visiting it a few times during the week.

Upon returning home I found it cathartic to create a short photo essay of what I saw, following is my web version of that booklet, and links to other galleries with many more images from my trip.

In March I returned to New York to see the Memorials installed at the six month mark of the attack.  This trip differed as I traveled with John and my brother's family and a boyfriend of one of my nieces.  There are photos of this trip in the public gallery.
 
Scott Dewees                                                                                      Back to PHOTOS
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