NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document
10/01/2001 15:01 FAX 2123370603 THOMAS PHIFER [ 003/007
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Joel
PS I'm adding the letter in text should you not be able to open a Word doc.
Robert MacDonald
Director
The Museum of the City of New York
Dear Mr. MacDonald,
At this moment we have a disaster which will-and already has-changed
us irrevocably. Its occurrence was broadcast in real time to the far
reaches of the world, but its aftermath is stringently protected from
view. So awesome, complex and disturbing a vision needs to be
described, History demands it. Every generation in photography's 160
years has produced image makers who-sensing the import of the
moment-made work that lasted and ultimately defined that time.
I am ready to do this work. This effort is not for commerce or news-
making. I have no sponsor. I am prepared to produce an archive of the
Aftermath for deposit in the Museum of the City of New York, or the
Municipal Archive, or whatever institution is appropriate. I will work
with an 8x10 inch wooden view camera and color film; the same
instrument with which many of my 13 books and hundreds of
exhibitions were produced.
I would like free and frequent access (day and night) to the Zone
around the periphery of the disaster. I am not asking for access to the
immediate area where search and rescue operations are in progress
as it is clear that unnecessary people would only be in the way. I
would like to make a programmatic survey starting from Morris St.
moving north, from Broadway to the river, photographing the streets,
buildings, and parkland.
Your help is deeply appreciated as time is of the essence.
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NYC-WTC 000137049
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