The Vital Role Of Photography In The 9/11 Attack

Photography plays a vital role in framing trauma, such as in the events of the September 11 attacks; the many images produced in the wake of the tragedy shaped its transformation from a national trauma to history. For one, photography is a strategy for coping. A number of people have noted the desire to inexplicably record anything and everything for themselves during disaster, as if maybe capturing those moments would make them more real to their shocked selves or illustrate some hidden explanation for how and why. The search for meaning and emphasis on perceived objectivity in photography presents multiple issues particular to it and the way traumatic events are transformed into history.

For one, photography can be manipulated (say through