September 11 Digital Archive

The Sonic Memorial Project

Title

The Sonic Memorial Project

Description

SonicMemorial.org is an open archive and an online audio installation of the history of The World Trade Center. It collected stories, ambient sounds, voicemails, and archival recordings to tell the rich history of the twin towers, the neighborhood and the events of 9/11. Led by NPR's Lost & Found Sound, The Sonic Memorial Project is a cross-media collaboration of more than 50 independent radio and new media producers, artists, historians, and people from around the world who have contributed personal and archival recordings. To date, we have gathered more than 1,000 contributions, many of which have been woven into feature stories by Lost & Found Sound and broadcast on NPR. SonicMemorial.org is produced by Picture Projects and dotsperinch in collaboration with Lost & Found Sound.

Items in the The Sonic Memorial Project Collection

Susannah Kelly lives in California now, but she grew up in Manhattan at Westbeth, the artists' community on West Street looking south. On a visit home a month after 9/11, she taped an audio journal with conversations with her mother, brother, and…

Susannah Kelly lives in California now, but she grew up in Manhattan at Westbeth, the artists' community on West Street looking south. On a visit home a month after 9/11, she taped an audio journal. A year later she listened to the tape and talks…

Susannah Kelly lives in California now, but she grew up in Manhattan at Westbeth, the artists' community on West Street looking south. On a visit home a month after 9/11, she taped an audio journal with conversations with her mother, brother, and…

Susannah Kelly lives in California now, but she grew up in Manhattan at Westbeth, the artists' community on West Street looking south. On a visit home a month after 9/11, she taped an audio journal with conversations with her mother, brother, and…

Bob Weiblan remembers his days working on Liberty Street near Radio Row and businesses he used to go to in that area.

Patti Pelican describes a musical group that she has formed with two other women called MotherLode Trio. The group has taken Shakespeare's Sonnet 64 and put it to Scarborough Fair. After September 11th, the Sonnett has taken on new meaning for…

Sonny Sonnenstein was in New York for business on the 81st floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11th. He remembers getting out of the building and watching the first tower fall. He would like to submit a…

Elizabeth English reminisces about her summer job as a World Trade Center tour guide. As one of the original six hired by the Port Authority, she shares her memories of the job and the impact it has had on her.

Jennifer Altman is a photojournalist in New York City. On September 11th she was on her way to a photo shoot in Brooklyn when she saw the towers on fire. She turned around and headed toward the towers with her camera. She shares the details of…

The Department of Sanitation and Police Department Pipe and Drum Band played a medley of traditional Irish tunes at the Fresh Kills Closing Ceremony. The Staten Island landfill had already been scheduled to close when 9/11 happened. The workers of…

Father Jack Ryan gave the invocation at the Fresh Kills Landfill Closing Ceremony. The Staten Island landfill had already been scheduled to close when 9/11 happened. The workers of Fresh Kills rose to the challenge of hosting the largest police…

Lt. Luongo of the NYPD spoke at the Fresh Kills Closing Ceremony. The Staten Island landfill had already been scheduled to close when 9/11 happened. The workers of Fresh Kills rose to the challenge of hosting the largest police crime scene in…

Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke at the Fresh Kills Closing Ceremony. The Staten Island landfill had already been scheduled to close when 9/11 happened. The workers of Fresh Kills rose to the challenge of hosting the largest police crime scene in…

Governor George Pataki spoke at the Fresh Kills Landfill Closing Ceremony. The Staten Island landfill had already been scheduled to close when 9/11 happened. The workers of Fresh Kills rose to the challenge of hosting the largest police crime scene…

Senator Chuck Schumer spoke at the Fresh Kills Landfill Closing Ceremony. The Staten Island landfill had already been scheduled to close when 9/11 happened. The workers of Fresh Kills rose to the challenge of hosting the largest police crime scene…

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly spoke at the Fresh Kills Landfill Closing Ceremony. The Staten Island landfill had already been scheduled to close when 9/11 happened. The workers of Fresh Kills rose to the challenge of hosting the largest police…

Police Department Chaplain Reverend Robert J. Romano gave the bendiction at the Fresh Kills Landfill Closing Ceremony. The Staten Island landfill had already been scheduled to close when 9/11 happened. The workers of Fresh Kills rose to the…

Brian Adams' father was an ironworker who worked on every floor of the WTC. Brian shares memories of visiting the towers during his childhood. He would like to submit picture slides his father took of the WTC.

Kermit Simon describes his visits to the WTC over the last two decades. He would like to submit tapes of recordings he has been making of each visit he has made to Ground Zero since 9/11.

Kristin Shout remembers how she was impacted by the events of 9/11. She talks about a song she wrote three weeks after called "What the Demons Did".

Collection Tree

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    • The Sonic Memorial Project