Iconic Image 8

 Welcome back viewers

This month's Iconic Image is...

The Falling Man

Intro

This photograph was taken on September 11, 2001. As it's name suggests, it depicts a young man falling to his death from the World Trade Center. This photograph sparked outrage and horror across the United States and was condemned for being printed. But for many survivors and relatives of victims, this photograph would be recognized as one of the greatest symbols of what happened on 9/11.

Part I

September 11, 2001, was a day that began like any other for the people of New York City. Thousands of people got up and went to their jobs like normal. Among them, were nearly twenty thousand who headed to the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Everything changed at 8:46 in the morning, when American Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. The impact instantly killed and wounded thousands of people inside the building. Because the plane had struck the North Tower dead center, it was fatally divided. Nobody who was located above the 91st floor would survive.

Within minutes of the crash, thousands of firemen, police officers, journalists, and reporters quickly descended on the scene. One of them was a photographer named, Richard Drew. When he arrived at the scene, he noticed something horrifying. The crashed plane's fuel ignited a huge inferno that engulfed the whole tower with thick black smoke. Those who could get out, did. But for those at or above the impact zone, there was no exit. They were trapped. For many, the inferno was too much to bear. They decided to take matters into their own hands.

When United Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower, another 600 people who had not yet evacuated also became trapped. Drew continued to photograph the unfolding disaster for the next fifty minutes until both of the towers had collapsed. By then, he had taken dozens of photographs. One of them, would become a haunting symbol of the horror that day.

Part II

In the aftermath of the images publication, there were a couple attempts to identify the Falling Man. A reporter named, Peter Cheney, deduced that man was most likely an employee of Windows on the World. Windows on the World was a restaurant located at the very top of the North Tower. When the first plane hit, 72 kitchen staff and 76 guests became trapped inside the restaurant. None of them survived.

After reviewing the photographs of the victims, Cheney deduced that the Falling Man was most likely, Norberto Hernandez, a pastry chef from Puerto Rico. The late Hernandez's sister initially identified him in the photograph. However, Hernandez's widow and three daughters vehemently denied that he was one of the jumpers on September 11. 

When the Hernandez's asked Richard Drew to review his pictures of the Falling Man, he noticed that he had taken a burst of eight photographs in sequence. In reviewing the other seven, he saw that the man was not falling straight down, but had actually spun during his descent. As he fell, his white dinner jacket was ripped off by the wind revealing an orange t-shirt before he disappeared from view. When this was shown to the Hernandez family, they said that Norberto did not own any orange t-shirt. With this revelation, it becomes clear that Norberto Hernandez was most likely not the Falling Man.

Part III

Still determined to determine the identity of the Falling Man, Drew asked surviving employees of Windows on the World to look at the image. Chef Michael Lomonaco (who narrowly missed being at the World Trade Center) agreed to view it. He deduced that the Falling Man looked very much like his close friend, Jonathan Eric Briley, a 43-year-old sound engineer.

Jonathan Briley was described by his friends and family as a man who loved life. According to Lomonaco, Briley had a great sense of humor that knew how to make everyone laugh (even if they had had a bad day). He identified Briley as the Falling Man due to the orange t-shirt that was revealed when the man's jacket came off. 

Jonathan's family and co-workers confirmed that he did often wear an orange t-shirt (one of his favorites) to work under his white jacket. They also noted that his body had been found on the street outside of the North Tower. When Jonathan's older sister (Gwendolyn) viewed the image, she responded that Falling Man could very likely be her brother. Due to these factors, most people now believe that Jonathan Briley was indeed the Falling Man.

Epilogue

The Falling Man was initially printed on September 12, on newspapers around the world. It appeared on the page 7 of The New York Times. It's caption read, "A person falls headfirst after jumping the north tower of the World Trade Center. It was a horrific sight that was repeated in the moments after the planes struck the towers." However, the reception by most readers was very hostile. Most people hated the image of a jumper being in one of the most read newspapers in the country. As a direct result, the photograph was quickly pulled from The New York Times. 

The image did not reappear until May 27, 2007, on page 1 of The New York Times Book Review. In time, the public's attitude softened, and the Falling Man soon became one of the most powerful symbols of September 11, 2001. In many ways, it captured the full horror and terrible loss that was felt by America. It remains a solemn reminder of one of the darkest days in American history.

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a48031/the-falling-man-tom-junod/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/richard-drew-on-photographing-the-falling-man-on-911/

https://gen.medium.com/the-restaurant-that-died-on-9-11-906ac340ee1f

https://www.nationalworld.com/news/world/the-falling-man-who-was-the-person-in-the-911-photo-who-was-jonathan-briley-and-who-took-the-picture-3378687