9/11 Robert A. Ripps Collection
Robert Ripps’ description: “On the morning of September 11th, I was leaving my building when I saw the first plane fly nearly overhead. As it flashed by, I thought to myself it’s going to crash, as I had never seen a plane that low over Manhattan (although I thought it was just a small plane). A few seconds later, I heard a boom, and a few more seconds later, I reached Hudson Street and saw the airplane-shaped hole in the north tower, and what looked like a million pieces of paper fluttering in the air. Instinctively I pulled out my small point & shoot film camera and started taking pictures as I walked south along Hudson Street. After several minutes, as I was walking across Franklin Street towards the subway to continue my journey, I heard a second boom. As soon as I got to Varick Street, I took some more pictures of both towers. I, like everyone else on the street, assumed somehow the north tower had ignited an explosion in the south tower, but pretty soon I found out it had been hit by a second plane. I ended up returning home and began to document the aftermath that occurred not only in my neighborhood but downtown NYC as well.”
- Rights
Copyright restrictions may apply. Permission to publish or reproduce must be secured from Robert Ripps.
