Oak Park Newspaper

The Ground Zero 360° is a small but moving exhibit containing photos and news of the events on the painful and frightening event that took place on September 11, 2001 in New York, Pennsylvania, and around the country.

It is a solemn and respectful show featuring items from the day in the form of personal memorabilia, photographs, missing person notices, recorded calls to 911 services and the pain of hatred.

The show is not the most easy to find. The people that we met on the day of our visit had seen it on the internet, from stories like these, and others had found it by accident after walking through the exhibit on the South Pacific and then the Maori exhibit. Find the Maori house and you will find the Ground Zero 360° show.

It is well worth seeing.....

The Field Museum presents Ground Zero 360°, a photo exhibition that honors victims and their families and commemorates the valor of New York City policemen, firefighters, ironworkers, and other rescue workers who threw themselves into the recovery effort of September 11, 2001.

Ten years after those tragic events, large-scale, previously unpublished photographs of New York on the day of the terrorist attacks and in the months following will put you in the middle of Ground Zero. See how the dust and debris enveloped the surrounding area and look on as firefighters and police officers worked to save lives and conduct the recovery effort.

The exhibition was created by Nicola McClean, an Irish photojournalist, and Paul McCormack, previously commanding officer of the 41^st precinct of the New York City Police Department. McCormack was among the many brave police officers who helped New York during the attacks and in their aftermath, while McClean took thousands of photographs around the city. The couple, now married, created Ground Zero 360° by weaving McClean’s images with McCormack’s story, conveying the chaos, courage, and emotions of September 11 in a vivid and personal way. Pieces of the World Trade Center buildings, as well as treasured personal items from lost rescue workers, are also included in the presentation.

Visitors will be able to touch fragments of granite and steel I-beam from the World Trade Center, and hear the city’s original emergency response radio calls from that morning. Also featured are small steel cross that ironworkers created on-site at Ground Zero, as well as an American flag that flew over Ground Zero. The families of police officer Brian McDonnell and fire lieutenant Paul Mitchell, who both lost their lives that day, have graciously donated personal objects reflecting the stories of the two brave men. These include uniforms, pictures and Medals of Honor and Valor. There will also be opportunities for visitors to share their own memories and thoughts about the meanings of September 11.

This exhibition is free with paid general admission to The Field Museum, located at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive. For further information, call (312) 922-9410 or visit fieldmuseum.org.

This exhibition is organized by Nicola McClean and Paul McCormack. Ground Zero 360, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the memory of all victims of September 11.