Summary
- More than 60 photographs document September 11 and its aftermath.
- Todd Maisel and David Handschuh were New York Daily News photographers at the time.
- The exhibition includes Maisel’s camera and objects from the World Trade Center.
- On view in Albany from September 5, 2026, to May 2, 2027, with free admission.
Event Details
The New York State Museum is presenting “Witness to 9/11”, an exhibition of more than 60 photographs by Todd Maisel and David Handschuh documenting the September 11, 2001 attacks and their aftermath in Lower Manhattan.
The two New York Daily News photojournalists arrived at the World Trade Center that morning to cover the news. Soon afterwards, one would help rescue the other. Twenty-five years later, their images are displayed alongside personal and historical objects, including the Nikon camera Maisel used that day.
From photographing events to rescuing others
Handschuh photographed civilians leaving the area, firefighters and other first responders entering the buildings. At 9:59 a.m., he was caught in the collapse of the South Tower. Pulled critically injured from the rubble, he was taken to a nearby deli for shelter before being evacuated by boat to New Jersey.
Maisel helped rescue him and also assisted a firefighter he found in the debris. The National Press Photographers Association and the Uniformed Firefighters Association honoured his photography and rescue efforts. A professional photographer for more than 40 years, he worked at the Daily News from 1999 to 2018.
In the exhibition announcement, Maisel describes the painful contradiction of surviving while friends in the fire and police services died. For him, survival became inseparable from the responsibility to tell the story. Handschuh also draws attention to the present: photojournalists who ran towards danger are now facing life-threatening illnesses, like many first responders.
Four themes within one tragedy
The display is organised around Evacuation, Aftermath, Rescue and Recovery, and Grief. The photographic narrative therefore extends beyond the moments of destruction to follow people leaving the area, work among the ruins and public expressions of loss.
Large photographic panels at the centre of the gallery sit alongside smaller prints on the walls. Handschuh’s photograph of “Tribute in Light” shifts the focus to remembrance: two beams of light above Manhattan evoke the Twin Towers. The installation was first presented six months after the attacks and is illuminated annually on the evening of September 11.
The camera and the objects that survived
Alongside the photographs are Maisel’s camera, a damaged cast-iron lamppost that stood at the western boundary of the complex, and a Boeing 767 fuselage fragment recovered by staff at the Intrepid Air and Space Museum. These objects are drawn from the museum’s September 11 collection.
The new exhibition complements the permanent installation “World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response”, which opened on September 5, 2002. That gallery is adding a windbreaker worn by Brian Gestring, a forensic specialist with the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Gestring was in front of the Marriott Hotel when the South Tower began to collapse and was also evacuated by boat to New Jersey. His jacket was recovered separately after being misplaced in the aftermath.
In the museum’s video, historian and collection curator Aaron Noble guides viewers through the permanent World Trade Center exhibition.
Meeting the photojournalists and planning a visit
On September 9, 2026, at 6 p.m., Maisel and Handschuh will discuss their experiences at the museum’s Huxley Theater. Aaron Noble will moderate the conversation, followed by audience questions. The anniversary programme also includes tours of the permanent collection on September 11 at 1 p.m. and September 13 at 12:30 p.m. On September 13 at 2 p.m., Huxley Theater will screen “9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero”, a documentary about the decisions that shaped the site’s future.
“Witness to 9/11” is on view in the Photography Gallery from September 5, 2026, to May 2, 2027. The New York State Museum is at the Cultural Education Center, 222 Madison Avenue, Albany, New York. Admission is free. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., excluding state-observed holidays. Further details are available on the official exhibition page.
What we think
Placing Maisel’s camera alongside the photographs highlights the photojournalist’s position within the event. He was not simply the person behind the lens: he had to stop photographing to help others. This movement between witnessing and taking action gives the exhibition its most personal dimension.
Frequently asked questions
Where and when is “Witness to 9/11” on view?
The exhibition runs in the Photography Gallery at the New York State Museum in Albany from September 5, 2026, to May 2, 2027. The museum is located in the Cultural Education Center at 222 Madison Avenue.
What does the exhibition include?
It features more than 60 photographs by Todd Maisel and David Handschuh documenting September 11, 2001, and its aftermath, alongside historical objects. These include the camera Maisel used that day.
What are the opening hours and admission cost?
Admission is free. The New York State Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., except on official state holidays.
When will the two photojournalists speak at the museum?
Todd Maisel and David Handschuh will join curator Aaron Noble at the Huxley Theater on September 9, 2026, at 6 p.m. local time. The event will conclude with audience questions.
