Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Photos: The Manhattan Skyline On 9/11, Before & After The Attacks On The Twin Towers
By
Raphael Pope-Sussman
Published Sep 7, 2016
Modified Sep 7, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
David Monderer
View all 5
By
Raphael Pope-Sussman
Published Sep 7, 2016
Modified Sep 7, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Warning: Some readers may find these photographs disturbing.
In the early morning of September 11, 2001, photographer David Monderer stood on the pedestrian walkway of the Manhattan Bridge and peered through the viewfinder of his camera. For weeks, Monderer had been waiting for the perfect morning to photograph the skyline. He'd arisen that morning and, seeing that the weather forecast was sunny, decided this was the day. One of his first pictures, taken at approximately 8:30 a.m., captures the skyline just as Monderer had hoped: fully illuminated by the sun behind him, no shadows cast across it. He kept taking pictures and, soon after 1 World Trade Center was struck by a plane at 8:46 a.m., he took more.
This slideshow begins with Monderer's first photograph from that morning. The series also includes later photographs of the Manhattan skyline.
You can see more photos from Monderer's series here.
Tagged
9/11
twin towers
world trade center
Raphael Pope-Sussman
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .