''Postcards'' is an outdoor sculpture in
St. George,
Staten Island,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, United States. Built in 2004, it is a permanent memorial honoring the 274 Staten Island residents killed in the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
of 2001 and in the
1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The dead include many who worked at the
World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may refer to:
Buildings
* List of World Trade Centers
* World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
, police and firefighters who joined the rescue effort and were killed when the towers collapsed, and one passenger on
United Airlines Flight 93
United Airlines Flight 93 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight that was hijacked by four al-Qaeda attackers aboard the plane on the morning of September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The plane eventually crashed in S ...
, who died in the crash in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Shanksville is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It has a population of 197 as of the 2020 U.S. census. It is part of the Somerset, Pennsylvania Micropolitan Statistical Area and is located southeast of Pittsburgh and west of Philade ...
. One individual who was killed in the
1993 World Trade Center bombing is also represented.
Design
Each Staten Island victim is honored with a granite plaque bearing their name, birthdate, and place of work on September 11, 2001, as well as their profile in silhouette.
The centerline between the two walls (postcards) points directly at Ground Zero, thereby referencing the twin towers of the World Trade Center destroyed on 9/11. The individual silhouettes all look in the same direction, toward Ground Zero. The effect of standing between the walls can be quite powerful—some have experienced a kind of "oneness" with those who were lost represented in silhouettes as all look together toward the site of the missing towers.
The attack on the towers created such massive burning and destruction that few identifiable remains were recovered for burial. According to
James Molinaro
James P. Molinaro (born March 11, 1931) is an American politician who is a former Borough President of Staten Island.
Molinaro first won election as borough president of Staten Island on November 6, 2001, defeating his Democratic opponent Co ...
,
Borough President of Staten Island, "Maybe 60 percent of those of the people whose profile is here, their next of kin, their loved ones, didn't receive any remains. This is their cemetery."
History
The memorial was designed by New York architect
Masayuki Sono, who won the design competition held in early 2003. It was commissioned for this site, along the North Shore Waterfront near
St. George Terminal, and overlooking the
New York Harbor,
Lower Manhattan, and the
Statue of Liberty. Construction began on September 11, 2003 at New England Boatworks. The opening and dedication took place on September 11, 2004.
In 2018, upon the request of borough president
James Oddo
James Steven Oddo (born January 12, 1966) is an American attorney and politician who served as the Borough President of Staten Island from 2014 to 2021. Oddo had previously served as a member of the New York City Council, representing the 50th d ...
, the office of mayor
Bill de Blasio allocated $250,000 from the
New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is a nonprofit corporation whose stated mission is to "leverage the city’s assets to create beneficial jobs that drive growth. This ensures equitable and sustainable development across al ...
to renovate the memorial. Cleanup began in July 2019.
References
External links
*
{{World Trade Center
Monuments and memorials in New York City
Memorials for the September 11 attacks
Buildings and structures in Staten Island
Tourist attractions in Staten Island
2004 establishments in New York City
Marble sculptures in New York City
2004 sculptures
St. George, Staten Island