Collection Depicts Compassion, Solidarity After 9/11
The 9/11 Memorial Museum holds a collection of more than 3,000 letters, drawings and other items expressing gratitude that were sent to rescue and recovery workers in the weeks and months following that tragic day.
The collection of items embodies the spirit of the memorial and museum’s #Tribute2983 campaign late last year, which encouraged acts of service and kindness. It also depicts the sense of solidarity that first responders have felt after 9/11 and other tragedies. Just this week, a group of police officers honored their fallen brothers at the memorial following the death of NYPD officer Wenjian Liu.
The “Dear Hero” collection was established through the work of Tanya Hoggard, a flight attendant based in Cincinnati who volunteered with the Salvation Army in lower Manhattan. Noticing the impact of heartfelt correspondence on rescue and recovery workers, she decided to collect and archive the items.
After eight years – and correspondence weighing a total of approximately three tons – Hoggard donated the collection to the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
Read more about the collection here.
By Jordan Friedman, 9/11 Memorial Research and Digital Projects Associate
The 9/11 Memorial arranged the names of victims in part by “meaningful adjacencies” – where they were at the time of their death and what personal relationships they shared with other victims.
Several news and travel outlets have recently identified the memorial and museum as a top destination in the United States.