According to Steven Rosenbaum, co-founder of the media company Broadcast News Network, his perspective on the September 11 terrorist attacks shifted immediately after seeing United Airlines Flight 175 strike the south tower of the World Trade Center from his Fifth Avenue office. Rosenbaum and his documentary crews were originally preparing to start recording a series for Animal Planet when the second plane hit, prompting them to abandon the project and instead capture 700 hours of footage documenting how the disaster affected New York City over a seven-day period.
Did You Know? Steven Rosenbaum placed an ad in the Village Voice asking anyone with footage from 9/11 or the immediate aftermath to contact him, which caused their phone to go bananas with incoming tapes for a month and a half.
Building the World’s Largest Archive of 9/11 Video
When the second plane struck the World Trade Center tower, Rosenbaum and his documentary teams were gathered in a conference room watching a large TV, according to his account. As one crew member leaving the office asked what they should shoot, Rosenbaum instructed them to look at where the news crews were pointing and film in the opposite direction to see how the day was affecting the city at large.
Some camera crews worked through the night, returning the next morning to ask what was next. Rosenbaum told them the Animal Planet project was not going to happen and that they would keep shooting for seven days, compiling daily lists of potential stories across lower Manhattan, the Javits Center, and an Upper East Side mosque.
Transitioning 700 Hours of Footage to the New York Public Library
The extensive documentation effort resulted in the film “7 Days in September” and an accumulated collection of 700 hours of 9/11 video footage. Rosenbaum stated that things that aren’t cataloged and archived become invisible to history, leading him and his wife to initiate conversations with the New York Public Library to ensure the material was stored with public access.
Last year, the library announced that Rosenbaum was donating the entire collection. Rosenbaum noted that historians consider everything after 25 years to be history rather than current events, marking the collection’s transition into the historical record for future scholars.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Steven Rosenbaum originally preparing to film on September 11?
Rosenbaum and his documentary crews were preparing to start recording a series for Animal Planet in their Fifth Avenue office when the second plane hit.
How much 9/11 footage did Rosenbaum and his wife collect?
Their collection of 9/11 footage totals 700 hours, spanning the first week of the disaster and materials sent in response to a Village Voice ad.
Where is the 9/11 video archive stored now?
Last year, the New York Public Library announced that Rosenbaum was donating the entire collection for public access and long-term historical preservation.
How might future scholars utilize hundreds of hours of community-level video footage to reshape our understanding of September 11?
Worth a look