Bob Gruen, Rock and Roll Photographer - Tribute to the World Trade Center

Many of my friends have asked me to share my experience of the tragedy that happened on Sept. 11, 2001, so here it is. -- I would see the Twin Towers when I walked out of my home and often took pictures of them reflecting the light and looking different every day. I've put some of my favorite photos of the World Trade Center on the left side and my pictures from 9/11 on the right.

I was going to get my car tuned in New Jersey and saw one of the World Trade Center's towers on fire. I pulled off the road into Liberty State Park, sat on a bench there and then saw a plane fly low over the harbor and crash into the other tower. It was the worst thing I have ever seen. It broke the fabric of reality and has changed the way we live. Since then I've been thinking of the words of Winston Churchill, "If you're going through hell, keep going" I think we must go forward and not let them stop us. We must tell our leaders to work for peace on Earth.

Photo 1975 on the Turnpike on the way home from a rock show in New Jersey

Photo from the same highway on Sept 11, 2001

Sunset reflects on the Twin Towers

The south tower explodes after the plane flew into it. A few minutes later a policeman closed the park and I headed home.

The view at dawn from my apartment house

When I reached Jersey City, the tunnel to NY was closed so I parked and walked to the waterfront. By the time I got there, the south tower had fallen. A cop told me to move to the next street over.

New York City from the Staten Island ferry	By the time I had gone around the block, the north tower had fallen.
A late afternoon shot from my roof	Ferry boats started arriving bringing victims from the city.
The towers had an amazing ability to reflect the light	Many people came to help
Dawn on West Street in the '70's	These men had their silk ties wrapped around their injured feet
Another afternoon shot from my roof	Our local firehouse in the Village lost many members
The NY skyline from the Lower East Side.	It was heartbreaking for weeks afterwards to see the homemade missing persons signs all over the city.
This 2001 picture of the Trade Center is from a boat on the Hudson River. You can see the full moon between the towers	The day after the attack, I saw this man marching down Fifth Avenue with his flag. I realized many people would want to go to war and it made me very sad.