9/11 MUSEUM TO SHOW EXHIBITS OF VIGILS AND MEMORIALS

THE SHRINES OF CANDLES AND FLOWERS AND THE BROKEN PIECES OF STEEL STANDING AT GROUND ZERO BECAME ICONIC IMAGES OF POST-SEPT 11 NEW YORK IN THE WEEKS AFTER THE TERRORIST ATTACK. VISITORS TO THE PLANNED MEMORIAL MUSEUM WILL SEE RE-CREATIONS OF THE VIGILS AND MAKESHIFT MEMORIALS THAT SPRANG UP AROUND THE CITY AND THE EIGHT-MONTH CLEANUP OF THE DESTROYED WORLD TRADE CENTER IN EXHIBITS FOCUSING ON NEW YORKERS' POST-9/11 EXPERIENCE. NEW RENDERINGS OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RECENTLY SHOW A WOMAN PAYING RESPECTS OVER DOZENS OF CANDLES, FLOWERS, TEDDY BEARS AND A CONSTRUCTION WORKER'S HELMET. THE HOMEMADE SHRINES COVERED THE CITY IN THE WEEKS AFTER THE TRAGIC INDECENT, PARTICULARLY AT MANHATTAN'S UNION SQUARE, WHERE RELATIVES CAME WITH PICTURES OF THEIR MISSING LOVED ONES. AN EXHIBIT FOCUSING ON THE CLEANUP OF THE TRADE CENTER SITE BY THOUSANDS OF GROUND ZERO WORKERS WILL PROJECT IMAGES OF WORKERS AT THE SITE ONTO HUGE REMNANTS OF STEEL FROM THE DESTROYED TWIN TOWERS. VISITORS WILL PASS THROUGH A 'WHERE WERE YOU ON 9/11?' GALLERY, HEARING RECORDED RECOLLECTIONS OF WHAT PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD WERE DOING AND HOW THEY LEARNED OF THE 2001 TERRORIST ATTACK. MUSEUM OFFICIALS PRESENTED THE LATEST EXHIBITS FOR THE MUSEUM, SLATED TO OPEN IN 2012, AT A RECENT MEETING OF THE LOWER MANHATTAN DEVELOPMENT CORP. THE DOWNTOWN REBUILDING AGENCY GAVE $2.2 MILLION TO HELP FUND THE EXHIBITS.