Javelina's Full Review: Above Hallowed Ground: A Photographic Record of Se...
I was browsing through some books at my library when Above Hallowed Ground: A Photographic Record of September 11, 2001 caught my eye with it’s amazing photography.
This is a large, hardcover book. It consists of color photographs, accompanied by captions. The copyright date is August 2002. None of the photographs in the book were ever published previously; only with the release of this book.
This book is listed as US $29.95, and is 192 pages. Above Hallowed Ground is a little larger in size than an average size piece of paper. Each page is glossy, with at least one color photograph.
Why This Book is So Unique
”Not one of these photographs has been published before. On top of that, these images offer a vantage point no ordinary photographers could obtain: They were taken by members of the New York City Police Department…”
I think this idea is absolutely wonderful, because the pictures convey the story of September 11 through the NYPD. As I looked through the book, this was very apparent. Many of the pictures truly capture things that weren’t normally seen.
The reason I picked out this book was because as I quickly flipped through the pages, I noticed some very striking photographs. I was very interested by the many aerial pictures, which offer an interesting perspective on the 9/11 crisis.
I was also extremely pleased to read: “All royalties earned by this publication go to the New York City Police Foundation, Inc.” It would be a drawback to this book if it were any other way.
The Introduction
The Introduction is a very short section at the beginning of the book. It gives an overview of the crisis but also incorporates the tragedy as related to the NYPD.
”The images collected here pay tribute to their valiant efforts, and it is to them and their families that this book is dedicated”.
Photography & Captions
Above Hallowed Ground: A Photographic Record of September 11, 2001 begins with aerial views of the towers after being hit. The photographs are taken from so many different places, both in terms of height and closeness. It was really interesting to see the overall picture from above, because it gave a good perspective of the incident (as well as it’s relation to the rest of the city).
Some of these aerial photographs were taken from Brooklyn, others from upper Manhattan, some close enough to the World Trade Center to tell that there were no people on the roofs of the buildings. I was glad that the captions explained certain landmarks in some of the pictures, such as a certain building or the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
When I first read the cover of the book, I was wondering about the quality of the photographs, since they were taken by the police department. However, all of the photographs seemed professional and nicely done. Not only were they of good quality, the people who took the photographs often captured an image just right, or were able to capture an image artistically.
As I got further into the book, I knew for sure I hadn’t seen these pictures, and it was apparent that many of them weren’t anything even similar to pictures I had seen. For example, there are some pictures of parts of the airplanes littering the scene. One caption reads, “A wheel from one of the airliners, just off Church Street”, and another reads “Part of an engine turbine”. These were the kinds of things that I had not seen before, hadn’t even thought of; and it brought more realism to the events. Anyone looking through this book is given a glimpse of things like these, which could only be provided by someone who was there. For this reason, I felt that Above Hallowed Ground truly provided added insight to 9/11.
There were some photographs taken that are probably available only from the viewpoints of those involved in the rescue effort. One example is the image of the interior of a deli. The refrigerator section has been transformed to a first aid supply, so instead of foods stocked on the shelves, there are all medical items. There were probably only a limited amount of people who saw things such as these, and here, it is shared with the reader.
I also appreciated the insight of the photographs that were provided of the damaged surrounding areas (not just the twin towers). There is a picture of the Millenium Hilton, showing how much destruction there was. There is “The yacht basin”, which shows boats lined up at the pier, covered in debris. The book shows the interior of an Amish Market (on Cedar Street), destroyed and covered in a layer of white powder. There are photographs of people’s offices in the surrounding buildings, which are amazing to see.
It was very valuable to me to see attention given to the surrounding area and its devastation. It was amazing to see how impacted things were, and it made me feel as though I didn’t have quite an idea of what it was like until I saw these photographs. It shows the breadth and severity of devastation, not just limited to the twin towers.
The captions not only label the pictures, but provide information. “The windows blew out of buildings all around the World Trade Center”, while showing many examples. Many of the captions provided a learning experience in one way or another. The pictures themselves spoke a thousand words, but the captions explained things one might not know.
In addition, the photography goes beyond the World Trade Center area, but also shows images of other related subjects. For example, there’s the Fresh Kills Staten Island landfill, which was used to collect the debris from 9/11. There are pictures of patriotism and tributes.
Of course, there are plenty of pictures of people, ranging from bystanders to those involved in rescue efforts, to events that were held after 9/11.
There is a section on the rescue dogs, which I found touching. First, I found it thoughtful of the editors to include such a wide variety of photographs that they would include the canines involved. To have pictures like these gives importance to so many aspects of the crisis and its aftermath. I was especially touched when I read, “After September 12, no one was found alive, and the dogs were distressed not to locate survivors. It became necessary to stage situations where ‘survivors’ were found by the dogs to keep up their morale”. I had never heard about this, and was glad that little things like these had been used in the book. These kinds of things, no matter how small, makes Above Hallowed Ground the special book that it is.
The photographs go chronologically, capturing the event in the order it occurred. The book ends symbolically, with a photograph taken at night, showing the memorial twin beams of lights that were displayed in spring 2002.
Overall
I have looked through many books which offer photographs of September 11. They have all been touching, and have all provided images of a time and place that I did not see firsthand. I feel as though I am fairly well-informed about the events concerning 9/11, especially because of my proximity to New York City.
Above Hallowed Ground: A Photographic Record of September 11, 2001 felt unique and special for several reasons. The first is that this book is compiled by photographs taken by the NYPD as they were experiencing 9/11 firsthand. Many times, these people were places that everyday people were not.
Secondly, I learned a lot. I learned about the surrounding areas that were damaged, the cleanup efforts, the rescue dogs, and so much more.
I have to say, this book was very saddening and moving. There have been so many other images I have seen regarding the events of 9/11, but these were truly different. I was surprised to find myself as moved as I was by these photographs.
Above Hallowed Ground: A Photographic Record of September 11, 2001 is not just about seeing these events, but being there and being a part of it all. This book was put together very carefully and thoughtfully, bringing a reality to 9/11. I felt as though my eyes were opened to much more than I had been exposed to.
Even with all the images that I have seen, this book showed me a new perspective that I have not seen before. This is an exceptional book, and I highly recommend it.
If you are interested in this book, I suggest going to Amazon.com for a sneak peek at some of the contents of the book, both text and photographs. The publisher’s website also provides information, at:
http://www.penguinputnam.com/Book/BookFrame/0,1007,,00.html?0CS^0670031712
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.