Less than a year after the 911 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Lee Ielpi called my employer, a renowned photographer and brand consultant, and asked if he would document a number of artifacts recovered from the WTC site by the FBI, before they were put into the museum exhibits at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center. My boss asked me if I would like to help and I said, "Anything for Lee".
The sight of these artifacts was an emotional and overwhelming experience. One of the artifacts was the turnout coat and fire helmet of Mr. Ielpi's son which my boss decided only he could photograph out of respect to his friend Lee. Totally overcome by the emotion of this experience my boss asked if I could do the rest of the documentation. The objects included police revolvers that were melted from the extreme heat, twisted pieces of the building, and fragments of the aircraft and personal effects of the victims. Then I was handed an American flag folded in the customary Marine manner. The flag was tattered around the edges and the colors of the fabric were distorted due to the extreme heat of the burning buildings. I was told that this was the flag, rescued from the rubble, and was found at the World Trade Center site by people working on the recovery. I decided to gingerly unfold the flag, as I touched the fabric it was as if the souls of thousands of people were crying out, "Always remember us and what happened so we will not have died in vain". I looked through my camera and adjusted the angle slightly; all I could think of at that moment was "our flag was still there" words that resonated from our national anthem. That is what I named the picture that later became an iconic image for the Tribute WTC Visitor Center because the flag itself is on display in its galleries.
The sight of these artifacts was an emotional and overwhelming experience. One of the artifacts was the turnout coat and fire helmet of Mr. Ielpi's son which my boss decided only he could photograph out of respect to his friend Lee. Totally overcome by the emotion of this experience my boss asked if I could do the rest of the documentation. The objects included police revolvers that were melted from the extreme heat, twisted pieces of the building, and fragments of the aircraft and personal effects of the victims. Then I was handed an American flag folded in the customary Marine manner. The flag was tattered around the edges and the colors of the fabric were distorted due to the extreme heat of the burning buildings. I was told that this was the flag, rescued from the rubble, and was found at the World Trade Center site by people working on the recovery. I decided to gingerly unfold the flag, as I touched the fabric it was as if the souls of thousands of people were crying out, "Always remember us and what happened so we will not have died in vain". I looked through my camera and adjusted the angle slightly; all I could think of at that moment was "our flag was still there" words that resonated from our national anthem. That is what I named the picture that later became an iconic image for the Tribute WTC Visitor Center because the flag itself is on display in its galleries.
Seeing the effect this picture has on so many people has inspired me to create the finest quality giclee canvases to be sold to help raise funds for the September 11th Families Association/Tribute WTC Visitor Center. It is my belief that this image should be in every American home as a constant reminder that we should never become complacent about our freedom and as a tribute to those lost on September 11th."
The flag is available at Uniquely Natalie 176 Second Street St. James and at Etsy.com Special orders are available by request.