POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Section of girder cut from the World Trade Center by rescue workers

Object No. 2003/19/1

The events in the USA on 11 September 2001 were perhaps the most newsworthy and momentous in recent world history. Over 3000 people perished. The effect on Australia was profound. Ten Australian citizens lost their lives in the attacks. The Australian government pledged support for the President's 'war on terror' and subsequently committed forces to the campaign to remove the Taliban regime from power in Afghanistan. The destruction of New York's World Trade Center was the most shocking and deadly outcome of the 11 September attacks. This object is a piece of a steel girder that was cut by rescue workers from the wreckage during the clean-up of 'ground zero'. Although small and, on first impressions, unremarkable to look at, closer examination shows that it has been blackened by fire and distorted by the immense heat, making it a potent symbol of the destruction that took place. Museums can play an important role in public commemorations. On the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks museums across the USA united with their communities to remember the dead and pay homage to the courage of the rescue workers. For one month the Powerhouse Museum displayed this object, along with a condolence book for visitors to sign and express sympathy for the relatives of the Australian victims. Due to the circumstances of its acquisition, the object also signifies the friendship between the peoples of the USA and NSW.

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Summary

Object Statement

Girder, from World Trade Center, steel, architects: Yamasaki and Associates and Emery Roth & Sons, engineers: Worthington, Skilling, Helle and Jackson, New York, New York, United States of America, built 1968-1973 / destroyed 11 Sept 2001

Physical Description

Girder, small section of a universal beam 610UB cut by rescue workers from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, steel, architects: Yamasaki and Associates and Emery Roth and Sons, engineers: Worthington, Skilling, Helle and Jackson, New York, New York, USA, built 1968-1973 / destroyed 11 Sept 2001. T-shaped section of a large steel girder, cut with a band saw. Band saw marks visible. Curvature in the web (as opposed to the flange) is distortion caused by heat. Blackened by fire.

DIMENSIONS

Height

110 mm

Width

228 mm

Depth

20 mm

PRODUCTION

Notes

The World Trade Center was designed by the Michigan-based architect Minoru Yamasaki. The girder from which this fragment was cut appears to have been a standard universal beam. The steel girder from which this fragment was cut was possibly made at one of the steelworks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

HISTORY

Notes

Designed by the architect Minoru Yamasaki, the World Trade Center was owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Excavation commenced in 1966 and steel construction began in August 1968. The first tenant occupancy was in December 1970, and the ribbon cutting ceremony was held on 4 April 1973. The two main towers were 110 stories, 412 metres tall, with an acre of rentable space on each floor. Their construction required 200,000 tons of steel, 425,000 cubic yards of concrete and 43,600 windows. Each tower weighed 500,000 tons and had 103 elevators. Retrieved by emergency workers at 'ground zero', this object is a fragment that was cut with a bandsaw from a large steel girder that was among the wreckage. The marks of the saw blade are visible. The girder could have come from the facade of one of the twin towers, or from the interior. The curvature in the web (as opposed to the flange) is almost certainly distortion caused by heat. The object was brought to Australia by a group of New York firefighters and police officers who took part in the rescue and clean-up. They visited Sydney in February 2002 as guests of the NSW state government and the tourism industry. In honour of those Australians who died, they donated this object to the Premier, Bob Carr, representing people of NSW.

SOURCE

Credit Line

Gift of representatives of the NYPD and FDNY to the Premier of NSW the Hon Bob Carr MP, presented to the Powerhouse Museum, 2002

Acquisition Date

28 January 2003

Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.

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