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Postcards

Postcards, also known as the Staten Island September 11 Memorial, is a memorial sculpture on Staten Island in New York City. It was created to honor the 274 Staten Island residents among the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. The 30-foot-tall work consists of two large postcard forms, with the line between them pointing toward the former site of the Twin Towers. Construction began on September 11, 2003, and the memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2004. Each victim is commemorated with a granite plaque engraved with the person’s name, birthday, workplace on September 11, 2001, and a silhouette.

The Staten Island 9/11 Memorial postcard-shaped white monument stands on a waterfront boardwalk beside metal railings and water.
The postcard-shaped Staten Island 9/11 Memorial on the St. George waterfront.
© · CC BY-SA 2.0
Postcards 9/11 Memorial with two white curved structures on a waterfront promenade, with a ferry and city skyline in the background.
The Postcards 9/11 Memorial on Staten Island, shown with its white curved forms beside the water.
May 2006 © · CC BY 2.0
The Postcards memorial shows rows of engraved name plaques on a light stone wall, each with a carved human silhouette along the edge.
A close-up of the Postcards memorial in Staten Island, with engraved name plaques and silhouette carvings.
© Shannon McGee · CC BY-SA 2.0
Stone monument engraved with Stephen Gerard Siller’s name and firefighter details beside a sculpted human face profile.
Close-up of the Stephen Gerard Siller stone monument, showing engraved firefighter text and a sculpted face profile.
© · CC BY-SA 2.0
Directional signs for Ballpark Station and the Staten Island September 11 Memorial on a street pole near the waterfront.
Wayfinding signs near Richmond County Bank Ballpark point to Ballpark Station and the Staten Island September 11 Memorial, known as Postcards.
August 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitlePostcards
Alternative nameStaten Island September 11 Memorial; Cartes postales
TypeOutdoor memorial sculpture

Historical context

Date built2004
Design competitionWon a design competition held in early 2003

Creator

DesignerMasayuki Sono, New York-based architect

Discovery and provenance

BuilderNew England Boatworks
Construction startedSeptember 11, 2003
Opened / unveiledSeptember 11, 2004

Location and ownership

LocationSt. George, Staten Island, New York City, United States
SettingA park on the North Shore Waterfront near St. George Terminal, overlooking New York Harbor, Lower Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty

Physical characteristics

OrientationThe centerline between the two walls points directly toward Ground Zero, the former location of the Twin Towers
Plaque size9 × 11 inches (about 23 × 28 cm) each
Number of elementsTwo
FormTwo large postcards / walls
DimensionsTwo 30-foot (about 9 m) walls

Materials

MaterialGranite

Appearance

Silhouette orientationAll individual silhouettes face toward Ground Zero
Individual memorial elementsEach plaque is engraved with the victim's name, date of birth, workplace on September 11, 2001, and a silhouette profile

Iconography and meaning

PurposeMemorial to the victims and a special place of remembrance for their relatives
Dedicated to274 Staten Island residents among the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing
Commemorated eventsThe September 11, 2001 attacks; the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Commemorated peopleWorld Trade Center workers, police officers, firefighters, a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93, and one person killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing

History and restoration

Burial contextFew identifiable remains were recovered for burial; James Molinaro said about 60% of the people commemorated here did not have remains returned to next of kin
RestorationRenovation requested in 2018 by borough president James Oddo; cleanup began in July 2019 with $250,000 allocated by the New York City Economic Development Corporation through the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio

Significance

InterpretationJames Molinaro described it as 'their cemetery'; some visitors experience a sense of oneness with those who were lost