Twin Towers

I once worked for Deutsche Bank AG in Frankfurt, in the days when the Bank was both respected and revered as one of the world’s great commercial banks. In 1993 I was briefly in Deutsche Bank’s New York office, occupying a small work-station in the dealing room on level 85 of the North Tower of the Twin Towers in the financial District of Lower Manhattan.

The city felt like it was the Centre of the Universe and the Twin Towers, in all their regal arrogance, power and might, were an obvious metaphor to capture this feeling. New York in 1993 didn’t need to explain, apologise or justify its existence. It was like “We are New York. Deal with it.”.

I was an infinitesimal spec in this raging powerhouse. I was mesmerised by every as aspect of New York but most of all I was in awe of the Twin Towers.

I often walked around Lower Manhattan, before work, lunchtime or after work with my trusty Praktica camera taking photos of the life and times of New York City. Despite the richness of the photographic offering, I defaulted to taking photos of things in terms of their relationship to the Twin Towers. I photographed the Brooklyn Bridge, framed by the Twin Towers. I photographed the Hudson River, flanked by the Twin Towers and I photographed the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building or the Woolworth’s Building only to be referenced by a looming Twin Towers.

I left New York City in late 1993. But I never really left. I felt I was still there during the shocking events of September 11, 2001 made more shocking by the photo of Falling Man. It remains one of the most confronting images of my life. He could have been anyone of us, caught up in an event beyond his control. He could be any of our loved ones. He could have been me.

I still use the Twin Towers as a benchmark, I have my pre-9/11 and my post-9/11 lives.

I recently visited the site in New York City. I looked up at the new Freedom Tower, read every name on the memorial, noticed some former colleagues. I watched the new generation of investment bankers come and go. I wondered whether they ever think of the Twin Towers, or of 9/11 or whether, for them, New York is still the Centre of the Universe.