The views from the Top of the World Observatories were unrivaled. On a clear day, visitors could see for miles and soak in 360-degree views of New Jersey, Brooklyn, Long Island and beyond. Attendants of the observation deck wore official uniforms that included brown silk neckties with a pattern of the twin towers emerging from a swirl of clouds.

Two of those ties have been donated to the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s collection. One, which belonged to Port Authority Police Officer Alfonse Niedermeyer, is now on view in the museum’s historical exhibition.

In the summer between his graduation from high school in Queens and college at the University of Dayton in Ohio, Niedermeyer worked at the World Trade Center as an observation deck attendant. Almost two decades later, he responded to the Sept. 11, 2001 attack. After his death, his widow Nancy donated his uniform tie in his memory.

The second tie evokes memories of the World Trade Center as a tourist destination. When D.C. resident Margaret Benner visited the observation deck in the late 1970s, she spotted an attendant wearing one. At the time, Diane Keaton’s character in Woody Allen’s 1977 film “Annie Hall” had started a trend of women wearing neckties and Benner wanted one for herself. The tie wasn’t sold in the gift shop, but a sympathetic attendant offered her one from the employee uniform surplus.

Years later, the 9/11 Memorial Museum would accept Benner’s tie into its collection to serve as an alternate to Niedermeyer’s tie. It is common practice for museums to collect duplicate objects – in the case of textiles and other light sensitive items, artifacts only remain on view for a limited time for conservation reasons.

Together, the ties serve both as a memorial to Niedermeyer’s memory and service on 9/11, and as a nostalgic symbol of a time in the city’s history.

By Jenny Pachucki, 9/11 Memorial Content Strategist

The Lens: Capturing Life and Events at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is a photography series devoted to documenting moments big and small that unfold at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

The View: The Twin Towers under construction from the vantage point of the Staten Island Ferry. Construction on both the 110-story buildings began in 1966. They were officially dedicated in 1973. The more than 1,300-feet-tall towers were the tallest buildings in New York City, and for a brief period, they were the tallest buildings in the world. 

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

During the early morning hours of August 7, 1974, French high-wire artist Philippe Petit took his position at 1,350 feet above ground in the South Tower. High above the streets of New York, Petit began the 131 feet walk between the Twin Towers with no net.

At the age of 18, Petit started planning "le coup," what he called the unauthorized performance in the sky. He spent the next six years learning everything he could about the buildings and their construction. He said, "If I see two towers, I have to walk." Petit didn’t just walk, he performed for the crowd that gathered for one hour walking back and forth, laying down, saluting the sky and said hello to the birds. Called the "artistic crime of the century," Petit was arrested but chargers were dropped in exchange of a free kids show in Central Park. The 9/11 Memorial Museum tells the story of Philippe Petit’s walk in the historical exhibition. Located within the original footprint of the North Tower, the exhibition space tells the story of 9/11 using artifacts, images, first-person testimony and archival audio and video recordings.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

John L. Tishman, the real estate developer whose Tishman Realty and Construction Company transformed the skylines of major cities, died at the age of 90 at his Bedford, N.Y. home, according to The New York Times. Tishman supervised the construction of some of the world’s earliest skyscrapers, including Chicago’s John Hancock Center in 1970 and New York City’s World Trade Center in 1973. The Times noted that the Tishman company’s experience in Chicago "stood the firm in good stead with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey," as Tishman was chosen over two competitors in 1967 to construct the Twin Towers.Tishman's son, Daniel R. Tishman, is the chairman of the board of Tishman Construction. The younger Tishman also sits on the board of directors of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. 

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

This week, 99 international flags were installed in the 9/11 Memorial Museum pavilion to commemorate the victims of 9/11. Visible from the 9/11 Memorial plaza, these flags help to signify the victims’ countries and epitomize the global impact of 9/11.

The installation of these flags recall those hanging in the mezzanine level of the original Twin Towers. Some of the flags, which were not on display on 9/11, are part of the museum’s collection.

Original South Tower lobby. Photograph by Tom Wallace.

The museum is proud to display the flags of these countries in memory of the 2,977 victims of 9/11.

By Christine Murphy, 9/11 Memorial Administration/Researcher

The New York Daily News has republished on its website the original April 5, 1973 article that covered the formal dedication of the World Trade Center the previous day.

The article details the WTC complex's history and significance, as well as the controversies it faced upon its construction. The article also makes clear that the building of the WTC was an immense undertaking that would have major effects on New York City life.

“For those who thrive on such statistics, the World Trade Center is a larger-than-life present,” the article reads. “It has 9 million feet of space, almost twice as much as the nearest entry – the Pentagon – and nearly five times that of the Empire State Building. It has 50,000 workers and 80,000 visitors a day – a total that is equivalent of the entire city of Albany.”

In addition, according to the article, President Richard Nixon praised the WTC as “a major factor for the expansion of the nation’s international trade.”

Read the full article.

By Jordan Friedman, 9/11 Memorial Research and Digital Projects Associate

In honor of the 42nd anniversary of the opening of the original World Trade Center on April 4, 1973, we asked our Facebook, Google+ and Tumblr followers what they remember about their visits to the WTC before the attacks of September 11, 2001. Here is what some of them said:

James R., on Facebook: “I always remember the stunning views of the Twin Towers from the concourses of the Newark International Airport. I would feel the excitement of being back in New York City. When I returned after September 11, I stood, looking out the airport concourse windows, mourning a heartfelt personal loss.”

Paul W., on Facebook: “I loved those buildings. It's almost like they were alive. I’ve watched hours and hours of archival footage on their construction and their demise. Always wanted to go see them. Never got the chance...”

User haligan757, on Tumblr: “I remember looking down on helicopters and being amazed.”

Heather A., on Facebook: “I live about five hours out of the city. Every year we would make a trip. As soon as I saw those towers in the foggy distance I knew I was in my favorite place.”

Charlotte N., on Facebook: “The top of World Trade Center was where my future husband took me on my first visit to New York City around New Year’s, 1981. Love him, loved the World Trade Center! We will never forget.”

User muc-mhara, on Tumblr: “I remember the plants in the mall/lobby, the smell of the elevators, and standing in front of the towers outside, unable to see the tops of them, for how tall they were. I remember the gratefulness of air conditioning on hot summer days and the constant bustle of people coming to and fro.”

Paul S., on Google+: “Yes, as a kid, waiting to go up to the roof, I would press up against the windows and look down and getting a dizzy feeling, then go out on the roof and get hit with the wind.”

Patty A., on Facebook: “My dad drove a truck and he was delivering a load to New York City. When we got to the delivery site, I got to see them from about a block or two away. I was awestruck! The day the towers fell he called me and we talked about all the times I went to NYC with him. It has left me with wonderful yet bittersweet memories. I will never forget.”

Compiled by Jordan Friedman, 9/11 Memorial Research and Digital Projects Associate 

During a ceremony in France, a 9/11 Memorial board member accepted a donation of 22 photographic studies of the World Trade Center towers. Board member Craig Stapleton, a former U.S. Ambassador to France, received the gift yesterday on behalf of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in a ceremony at the French Senate building.

The photographic studies were made by the late Paris Opera director Bernard Lefort.  “The photos were made in the early 1980s and are geometric, abstract studies of the buildings,” said Clifford Chanin, director of education at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

French Sen. Roland du Luart hosted the ceremony.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Developer Larry Silverstein recently told a real estate crowd that reconstruction of the World Trade Center site is a beacon of hope and the future of lower Manhattan is bright. 

Despite the slumped economy, he recalled making a prudent decision to rebuild 7 World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. At first, he said, "we were the only tenant and it was lonely," according to The Real Deal. Now, he pointed out, it is fully leased.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff