The aftermath of 9/11 brought an estimated 400,000 first responders – the largest number of mobilized rescue workers in American history. But one New York-based artist photographed 9/11’s heroes, families, and survivors with a camera so large, the photographs feel almost like meeting them in person.
Joe McNally’s life-sized Polaroid series, The Faces of Ground Zero, went on to capture 272 faces of 9/11 with the world’s largest Polaroid, a camera about the size of a single-car garage that created massive life-sized 9x7-foot prints. Taken in the days following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the series went on to become a permanent part of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
Nearly 25 years later, the photographer is speaking on how The Faces of Ground Zero unfolded in a special event on September 10 at 5 PM ET. Presented by Adorama, McNally will speak live in person at 42 West 18th Street, New York, NY, while the event will also be live-streamed on YouTube.
Many photographers and photojournalists have told the story of 9/11, but McNally, a portrait and assignment photographer, wanted to photograph the people of 9/11 in a way that was both distinctive and respectful.
At the time, the world’s largest Polaroid camera, built by Dr. Edwin Land, happened to be in a studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. “It was the size of a one-car garage, with two technicians inside of it working the machinery of this unique picture instrument,” McNally said of the unusual camera.
But, McNally, after first using the camera in 2000, knew what the mix of modern and vintage camera tech could do – freeze a moment, life-sized.
“For the viewer, standing in front of one of these life-sized Polaroids is akin to meeting the person in the picture,” McNally once wrote. “It’s an emotional encounter. They gaze back at you. And, given the fact that these portraits were all shot within a month of 9/11, those faces spoke a powerful, emotional truth. You cannot look away from the hurt, the stress, the exhaustion, the bravery, and the pride.”
But Faces of Ground Zero didn’t just record life-sized portraits. The series not only went on to become a permanent part of the 9/11 Museum, but the subsequent book ended up raising nearly two million dollars for the post-9/11 relief fund.
Each frame taken by the giant Polaroid camera, at the time, cost $300.
“The subject must stand very still for their portrait, while the camera is prepped and focused," McNally said. "The studio lights need to be doused. The cap is pulled off the massive lens that serves as the portal to the interior chamber. With a single pop of a powerful flash system, the subject is recorded, life-size.”
McNally, as a New York-based photographer, had photographed the World Trade Center many times in his career before 9/11, including climbing to the top of the Twin Towers in 1977 to photograph maintenance workers.
The Adorama event will feature not only a special appearance by McNally but will also display a selection of some of the Polaroids from the series. The Faces of Ground Zero: 25 Years Later event is free to attend, with reservations now open. The event will also be livestreamed on Adorama’s YouTube channel.
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For more of the inspiring stories behind the photographers of 9/11, read about the Projections NYC six-day series interviewing more than 30 photographers.
