Christmas on Top of the World
Christmas 1986 Windows on the World menu. Gift of Robyn Jackson.
Perspective is always a part of major milestones and holidays - we can't help but look around in different directions - behind us and in front of us.
From the North Tower's 107th floor, the legendary Windows on the World restaurant had the same effect, offering astounding perspective and breathtaking views no matter which way a diner looked. It opened in April 1976, a glimmer of hope shining above a gritty New York City. Twenty-five years later on September 11, 2001, approximately 170 guests and employees lost their lives there.
Christmas 1997 Windows on the World menu. Gift of the Rosas Family, Lima, Peru.
Historically, Windows on the World played a key role in the World Trade Center's holiday traditions, hosting the children of Port Authority employees at a Toys for Tots Christmas party. Each year, Santa would put in a cameo from aboard a window washer's hoist.
The Museum's collection houses a number of Windows on the World relics like matchboxes, dishes and silverware, and souvenirs, all capturing a little bit of the glamorous restaurant's essence. These Christmas menus - from 1986 and 1997 - are themselves "windows" into the past. May they serve this holiday season as a nostalgic reminder of those we lost - while also inspiring us to look hopefully in all directions, including forward.
By 9/11 Memorial Staff
We kick off a series of guest posts by collector Michael Ragsdale, who focuses on New York City event-specific ephemera from the period following September 11. In our first installment, Ragsdale highlights a videotape autographed by David Halberstam.
We continue our series of guest posts by collector Michael Ragsdale, who focuses on New York City event-specific ephemera from the period following September 11. In this second installment, Ragsdale shares the story behind an autographed flyer for a talk given by Carl Hammerschlag, MD.