Byline: Kari Craig, Rocky Mountain News
A damaged American flag, a firefighter's oxygen tank, a fragment of an airplane - those are among items recovered from the World Trade Center that will go on display in Aurora on July 3.
Curators at the Aurora History Museum Friday began unpacking crates of World Trade Center wreckage in preparation for an exhibit documenting the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.
"I'm really excited that we're getting to host something so unique," museum curator Matt Chasansky said Friday.
"We're, for the first time, doing something that has an immediate impact on people's lives," he said. "We're telling a story that is continuing to evolve."
The wreckage was recovered by the New York State Museum. Also on display will be a fragment of the World Trade Center facade and a 21-foot replica of the Sept. 11 timeline that was displayed at ground zero.
Friday afternoon, the gloved hands of curators unwrapped crates containing relics of the tragedy: keys to doors that no longer exist, magnets once meant for WTC tourists.
And then there's the flag. It was recovered from atop one of the towers, its once-white stripes turned gray with dirt and soot, its red-and-blue hues running together.
Because they haven't finished unpacking all the crates, staffers were not sure how much will go on display.
Fort Collins resident and Poudre High School teacher Craig Woodall lost his brother, Brent Woodall, when the south tower collapsed. The exhibit sounds like something he would like to see.
"I think it's good that they are reminding people of this event," he said. "It's easy to get caught up in your everyday life and forget about what happened that day."
It was an accident that brought the exhibit to Aurora, Chasansky said. He came across a New York State Museum exhibit about Sept. 11 while doing Internet research more than a year ago.
A call to the New York State Museum prompted the idea of a traveling 9/11 exhibit, which contains many items that have not been publicly displayed.
"September 11, 2001: The First 24 Hours" also includes a musical composition commissioned by the Aurora Museum Foundation.
A photo of recovered metal inspired Ken Clinton's The Recovery Suite. Hand bells and French horns are mixed with personal interviews from people who were at the WTC on Sept. 11.
The instruments mimic collapsing buildings.
"There's a section where you hear in slow motion the ... buildings that went down. It's like they're all going down at the same time," he said.
"You can hear the dust, and you can hear clanging of metal."
The movement ends with a lone G pitch - G for ground zero.
INFOBOX
Sept. 11, 2001: The First 24 Hours
* Where: Aurora History Museum, 51051 E. Alameda Parkway.
* When: July 3-Sept. 30, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
* Admission: Free.
For more information, call the museum at 303-739-6666 or visit its Web site at auroramuseum.org.
CAPTION(S):
Photo
Matt Chasansky, right, and Michael Thompson unpack artifacts Friday for the upcoming 9/11 exhibit at the Aurora History Museum. The items documenting the tragic events of Sept. 11 , 2001, are on loan from the New York State Museum. PHOTOS BY CHRIS SCHNEIDER / ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
No comments:
Post a Comment