September 11, 2001 in film
Incredible photography, taken on ground zero on September 11. Photos taken so close to the disaster, that the photgrapher, Bill Biggart, was killed by the fall of the second tower.
Bill Biggart’s Final Exposures – The Digital Journalist
When Chip East was handed the bag containing Biggart’s gear by his widow, Wendy, he was convinced that no pictures had survived. The avalanche of falling debris had blown off the backs of the two film cameras. There were several rolls of film in Biggart’s bag; however, the lids of the film canisters had been peeled back, allowing light to fall into the cassettes. Finally, East turned his attention to the digital camera. It was covered by ash. The lens had been sheared off at the flange. But when he opened the chamber that held the compact flash card, it was pristine.
And then you see the last frame that nobody else will ever have. You see the honeycomb pieces of the first building… and we see half of the hotel that was destroyed as well. After the second building fell, the hotel, the Marriott I think, was gone. You see it cut in half from what fell from the first building and it is time stamped 10:28 and 24 seconds. Basically that time stamp is the end, because at 10:30 is when the second building came down.
The Digital Journalist server appears to be in the process of being overwhelmed by traffic. Try again later if you can’t get through. The photos are worth the wait.



Wow. He kept moving forward even after the first tower collapsed. Did he run when he snapped the second tower coming down, or reach for his number one camera? Hell of a choice. He will be remembered in our Honor Roll.
Comment by 2Hotel9 — August 10, 2006 @ 7:26 pm