Ten years ago, most passers-by froze in shock and horror as the smoke plumes started to rise in central New York. Dutch photographer Guy van Grinsven was standing with his camera at the ready when the terrorist attacks occurred. His pictures were seen all over the world. Yet he would rather not have experienced that fateful day.

Guy van Grinsven finds it difficult to talk about 9/11. He prefers not to look again at the pictures he took that day.

"It's here in my head. I have a hard enough time with it. It was fantastic that I was there as a journalist, but in retrospect I have mixed feelings." 

Guy van Grinsven was in New York to record a new television programme. The first recordings were scheduled for half past nine in the morning at the well-known restaurant Windows Of The World, on top of one of the Twin Towers. Just in time he received a call from the Netherlands to tell him that one of the towers was on fire.

"We immediately drove there and saw a burning tower. Nobody realized at that moment what was going on. Normal life in New York was continuing. But all that changed when the first tower collapsed. That sound. That groan of the collapsing towers. As if it was the spirit of the people who died. It was
horrible."

Stoicism
Mr Van Grinsven grabbed his camera immediately to capture the emotions of the onlookers. These images would later be published around the world. He recorded how a man stood for several minutes with his mouth wide open in disbelief, watching the spot where the Twin Towers once stood. Strangers tried to comfort each other. But there was also a man who displayed stoicism. He felt his pocket to check that his keys were still there.

"I also came across an artist. She was drawing a picture of the towers even as they were collapsing. She looked up, and calmly continued to draw something that was suddenly not there anymore. I wanted to buy that picture from her, but I couldn't. Later that day I was still looking for her and eventually I found her and bought the picture."

Burning smell
Mr Van Grinsven also picked up bits of paper from the street 'in a fit of madness'. He keeps them in a large envelope. Burnt leases, memos, sheets of paper.

"You can still smell the dust, the smoke and a burning smell. The same smell that hung around in New York for weeks. It brings those memories right back."

Strangely enough, the disaster has changed the city in a positive way. According to Mr Van Grinsven, New York was once rather impersonal.

"It was every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost. They are now much more friendly and happy to have you back. They're optimistic people. They will never forget their loved ones, but they've moved on."

(as/imm)