QUESTIONS THAT ARE ASKED FREQUENTLY ABOUT THE 9/11 RECOVERY...

Q. You were the Official Photographer of record at Ground Zero. Were there any other photographers shooting down there?

GARY SUSON: "On 9/11 and the weeks that followed, there were many photographers, but that tapered off fast as restrictions were quickly placed on images being taken. So, for the long haul -- other than myself, there was only photographer Joel Meyerowitz, who periodically shot on behalf of the Museum of the City of New York. I was more day-to-day and focused my work on the human side of the Recovery, side-by-side with the FDNY Recovery teams, while Mr. Meyerowitz shot every few weeks on a large view camera and focused his work on the ever-changing scenery of Ground Zero. He has shot some very stunning wide-angle images that capture the magnitude and destruction of the WTC site. It's interesting that we had two completely different photographic agendas, yet between the two of us we captured everything necessary to document this period in New York history."

Q. You have now been on both sides of the camera. Which do you prefer?

GARY SUSON: "Well, I will always hold onto the memories of being behind the lens at Ground Zero. It was a rewarding experience and a privilege to document such an important and unfortunately tragic period in world history. The friendships I forged and the often heart-wrenching images I shot are things that stand out in my mind. I certainly understand the importance that a war time photographer has in recording history for future generations. Many ground zero vets who served in a war have told me that ground zero was worse than a typical war zone. However, my first love is the stage; the theatre is why I moved to New York from a small town in Illinois. I enjoy live theatre and also the process of trying to forge a successful career in the theatre. The events of 9/11 and my eventual role at Ground Zero ate up a lot of my time that I could have spent working on my acting career, but I don't regret it. I'm happy I was able to contribute and I am still young, so there's time now to resume my career. I believe everything happens for a reason. If anything, I am now more mature and able to deal with tough situations, whereas before I was a naive kid. After working in harsh & challenging conditions at WTC for 7 months, everything else seems pretty trivial."

Q. With 9/11 being such a world tragedy, why weren't photographers allowed to gain entry into Ground Zero? Shouldn't the Recovery have been documented by many as opposed to just one?

GARY SUSON: "There are many images from the first few days, shot by some very acclaimed photographers, but this changed around the third week. Cameras were banned by order of Mayor Giuliani out of respect for the victims, their families and those trying to recover them. The Mayor decided, and rightly so, that in this particular case (9/11), there existed the possibility of exploitation and he thus wanted to preserve the sanctity of Ground Zero, which was in essence a burial ground. This obviously didn't make newspaper editors too happy nor the Associated Press. There were some cases where photographers snuck into the WTC site and were caught shooting. They left the site in handcuffs via NYPD."

Q.) You are an Honorary Chief in the F.D.N.Y. What exactly is that?

GARY SUSON: "There have been just over 200 Honorary Chief appointments in the history of the FDNY. In 2004, I received a letter from FDNY Commissioner Scoppetta, informing me that I had been chosen to join the ranks of this special association. Nominations are based on solidarity and contributions to the FDNY, and I was informed that I was nominated for my photographic work at Ground Zero and contributions to the Fire Department of New York's members. After a thorough background check was done, I was honored in a special ceremony at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn, where I was sworn in on the Bible by the Commissioner, with an oath of office taken to uphold the integrity of that appointment in the name of the FDNY. I was issued Official FDNY I.D., along with a gold FDNY Battalion Chief's shield and an NYC Fire Line's card, which authorizes me to cross the fire lines that are set up by NYPD at all fires. To date, I have never been present at a fire, as working at the WTC was enough for me. Nevertheless, it was a huge honor for me to be awarded this title and something I don't take for granted.

Q.) How is it that you become the only one in the world permitted to document, side-by-side, with firefighters and rescue workers?

GARY SUSON: "I really wanted to contribute in any way I could, like so many, yet I never guessed where the road would lead me. I erected SeptemberEleven.net memorial website days after the tragedy to post images so the world could see what was going on here in New York. In October of 2001, I read in the Daily News that doctors were confused as to why many firemen from 9/11 were suffering from fatigue & muscle weakness. I felt I knew the answer. I contacted Dr. Gary Jean-Baptiste & Edward Persaud at Medical Network of Long Island, a medical office that specializes in environmental allergy/illness as well as general medicine, and they agreed to donate their services. They offered to treat some of the sick firemen, so I contacted the Uniformed Firefighters Association and told them of this offer and Rudy Sanfilippo, the Manhattan Trustee arranged for some men to go out to the clinic and get treated. Many of those men began showing improvements and it was right around November of 2001 when Mr. Sanfilippo inquired more in-depth as to who I was, summarily learning of my website. I was called into a meeting and asked, after successive lengthy interviews, if I would like to document on behalf of the fire unions at Ground Zero; if I would like exclusive access to the "hole" at Ground Zero and be their official shooter, providing I follow strict guidelines. Naturally, I quickly said "yes" but didn't realize the responsibility nor the world I was about to enter. I was somewhat naive. I had been shooting Ground Zero from the perimeter since 9/11, but I never had access to the "hole" or other areas where the really significant moments could be captured on film. I chose to stop working in order to take the position, which was unsalaried, but never looked back. I lived off of my savings. It was such an honor to be trusted to capture historical moments that whatever reservations I had quickly faded."

Q.) Of all the images you have taken, which are your favorites?

GARY SUSON: "Now that's a tough one to answer. Each of the images is special in it's own way to me. Each one depicts a different aspect of the Ground Zero Recovery; they are all like pieces to a puzzle that in their entirety portray a whole story. One of my favorites is the image of FDNY firefighter Oscar Garcia digging at sunrise at Ground Zero on a Sunday morning in March of 2002. Another is of the Genesis 11: Bible Page that I found in the WTC rubble. Finding that page inspired me to stay on and finish the task of documenting the Recovery. I didn't realize what the exact verse was until hours later when I looked at the image with a magnifying glass. My mouth fell open when I saw it was the Tower of Babel. Very weird...

Q.) What good things have come from opening the Museum?

GARY SUSON: "Well, I have met many more 9/11 families here at the Museum and their stories help me to understand the magnitude of it all much deeper. My Museum has helped some people come to grips with things; helped them feel closer to what happened, which I feel promotes healing. When a family member enters the Museum, at first I am always honored. I also admire them for their courage to confront such issues head on. If my Museum helps them feel closer to their loved one, then I feel good about that. One man from Wisconsin, who lost his daughter said, "I feel comfortable here. I could sit here for hours. You've created a safe haven." That was a huge acknowledgment because when I designed the Museum, I had at the core the desire to make it "comfy". Lee Ielpi, an FDNY 9-11 family member, visited the Museum many times as it was being built and gave me useful suggestions. He is very keyed into what is acceptable to 9/11 families and also what doesn't work, so his advice was priceless to me. Lee is a guardian of the sanctity of the WTC site and is very vocal, so he was the right one to ask questions to. Another family member who has ALWAYS kept me on the straight and narrow when I had problems is John Vigiano, a retired FDNY Captain who lost both of his sons, Joe and John on 9/11. He's one of the good guys - a class act who lives by a strong set of morals. Granted, this Museum is for everyone and there are many tourists who pass through here, but I wanted to insure that if a 9/11 family member came in, it would be a warm atmosphere and non-threatening. I accomplished this by using lots of white mixed with warm colors and a clean environment to offset the feelings that can emanate from looking at images from the Recovery. I also burn sage every morning in the Museum to kind of "cleanse'' the air of any negative energy. There is only one image from the morning of September 11 in the museum; the rest of the images focus on the Recovery. I had the opportunity to have a larger museum space but chose the smaller one so it would be more intimate. So far, many journalists have called the museum a "room" or "single space", since the word "museum" brings to their minds the MOMA. When they walk in, they often say, "Is this it? Is there another room?" Then, after they begin taking in the images and the presentation, they forget about size. The Anne Frank House is quite small also, but it is judged on its content as opposed to its square footage. Visitors should treat GZMW in the same way. When I decided to erect this Museum, I knew this wasn't just about throwing a few pictures up on the wall and calling it a Museum. The 3-Dimensional photo installations I have often leave viewers in awe. A lot of care and thought went into this whole process. Anne Frank House in Amsterdam is beautifully presented and so I tried to use that as an inspiration for the 9/11 Museum Workshop. The Mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, who is quite fond of my work, in the September, 2005 issue of Italian Vanity Fair magazine stated that the images, "...impact my heart in a very big way." As an artist, it's nice to know that I can affect people on the other side of the world by helping them empathize with what happened over here on September 11. It is rewarding for me. It is driven not by my ego but rather by my desire to make a difference in the world. The subject of September 11, in my opinion, is not a place for egos or adulation. You just make your contribution and hope that it is appreciated. I usually get uncomfortable with compliments on my photographic work from Ground Zero. People mean well but it makes me uneasy."

Q.) Do firefighters visit the Museum?

GARY SUSON: "Sure, all the time. Some are Ground Zero veterans and others are from all over the USA. I recently had a very moving visit at the Museum with a New Jersey fireman. You see, I shot this very well publicized image of a crushed fire truck at Ground Zero with the word, WHY? scrawled in the ash-laden door. It was taken on the first Sunday after the attacks. All the firemen who rode that truck on 9/11 perished in the WTC collapse. I saw a fireman walk up and scrawl WHY? onto the door of the firetruck on Vesey Street, then he leaned onto the truck, resting one hand on the door. He was emotional and so I didn't shoot that. He collected himself, spun around and saw me; he wasn't pleased to see I was holding a camera. I saw his impulse was to beat the hell out of me -- he took a few steps toward me -- but he stopped & walked away. After he left, I walked up to the door and shot the photo, which was later featured on CNN & FOX. I'll never forget that moment. I always wanted him to know that I meant no harm. So, now we cut to 2005 -- This New Jersey firefighter came to the Museum. He was real quiet and was brooding somewhat as he took in every detail of the Museum and the video on large screen (we have this rare Recovery footage shot by Steve Spak). He was about to leave and he looked upset. I figured he was emotional about the exhibit. He said a few words and then said, "You see that photo on your wall? The one of the WHY firetruck?" I nodded my head yes. He said, "You remember me?" I said, "Yeah, I do. You're the guy that scrawled the word onto the truck's door, aren't you?" He said, "Yeah, I'm the guy. And I really wanted to beat the hell out of you that day. I hated you for holding that camera up. I thought you were exploiting Ground Zero." At this point, I thought I was dead.

Q.) What did you do? Was he there for payback?

GARY SUSON: I thought so, yes. But out of nowhere, he just broke down and wept. While he was crying, and it was not easy for him, he said he was sorry. He said he didn't know who I was that Sunday evening in September and that when he later saw the image in my book and on TV, he felt guilty for a long time. Four years to be exact. And he stood there weeping in the middle of my Museum and I must say it's one of the most beautiful and memorable moments of my life. I mean, that this man carried around that guilt for so long just bothers me. He didn't deserve that. More importantly, he had the guts to come to the Museum and face me and tell me his thoughts; 'wow' is all I can say. That's a real man as far as I'm concerned. I was so happy though, because it took away that guilty feeling I had for four years also! He made everything okay and now I knew the man behind an image that moves many people. It was certainly an Oprah moment! I think it was therapeutic for him and me both so what more can be said. I wanted to break down and cry when he did but I couldn't. It was similar to when I shot the "Band of Dads" series, which were portraits of retired firemen who lost their sons & dug together at Ground Zero. Almost all of them wept while we shot. They were each holding a personal item of their fallen sons, so it was a hard situation. I had to be strong for them and not cry, so this was the same situation here in the Museum with the firefighter. After he left, I thanked God for bringing this man to my Museum. It was a gift for both of us. It's cool when life comes full circle."

Q.) Did you shoot photography as a child? How did you learn your craft?

GARY SUSON: "I learned to shoot photography at age 11 on my northwest suburban farm in Illinois. My first camera was a little pinhole camera I got inside an issue of National Geographic for Kids, and the first photo I ever shot was of my 3 dogs. I found the concept of photography interesting; that one could record a moment on film forever. It boggled my mind. I upgraded to this little nothing camera that I stole out of my brother's room periodically, much to his dismay. I spent all my time shooting sunsets and my horses and picturesque things. One day, my mother Sharon picked up a few rolls of film from the lab and opened my roll accidentally. She noticed I had this for photography and called me into her room. I thought I was in trouble but on the contrary, she felt I had this gift for photography, which I laughed at. I told her I had no more talent than anyone else, but she disagreed. She really pushed me to shoot more, which I did, and on my fourteenth birthday she and my father bought me a professional Canon camera. I immersed myself in the craft and by age 17 had won the Kodak Medallion in the National Scholastics Art & Writing Awards. Ironically, my winning images were flown to New York and exhibited at The World Trade Center. I kind of burned out by the time I graduated high school and turned down college scholarship offers for photography. I went into acting, studying on scholarship at the University of Texas. I moved to New York for a theatre & film career and one day, I decided to shoot photography again, just as a hobby, but never imagined where it'd go. My mother Sherry pushed me hard to pick up the camera and shoot. Oddly enough, I wound up documenting the 9/11 Recovery at the very place where my first winning images were displayed. Very bizarre... One Spring morning at Ground Zero in 2002, I sat down in the dirt, exhausted, and watched the sunrise over the Woolworth building. I thought about my Mom and realized had she not pushed me to shoot photography as a boy on my suburban farm, I wouldn't be there at Ground Zero at that moment. Furthermore, there would be literally no record of the Recovery at Ground Zero. So, if anyone really appreciates this historical collection, they shouldn't thank me; they should thank my mom: Sherry Suson."

Q.) Do you remember your first "Official" entry into the "hole" at Ground Zero?

GARY SUSON: "Of course I do. December, 2001. I had a huge lump in my throat. Sitting shotgun in the Honda "Gator" and driving down the Tully Road (see "South Exit Road" on Ground Zero Lingo) into the pit was like being swallowed up by the Grand Canyon. It was mammoth; much bigger than you can imagine by just seeing it on television. The smells were overpowering and I was given a mask. Everyone was very focused on their tasks and it was very "rough" down there. It was like a war zone. I didn't shoot too much on those first few entries, mostly in part because I was too wide-eyed at what I was seeing and also because I was afraid someone would break my fingers if they saw me take out this big Mamiya camera to shoot. Finally, my guide said, "Are you gonna start shooting or what?" Sure enough, when I began shooting, some firemen walked over, very protective-like, and wanted to know who I was and why did I have a camera. It was explained to them that I was shooting on behalf of the Uniformed Firefighters Association and none of the images were being released. Within two weeks they knew me on a first name basis and some ribbed me (in typical firemen fashion), often saying, "Here comes Ansel Adams." It was the bond that I formed with these guys that wound up being the reason my images are shot from just inches or feet away. Each one had really interesting stories and I developed a bond with them. Sometimes they'd tell me about their friends who had died on 9/11. It was tough for them to get through the Recovery. In the end, they trusted me and I never broke that trust."

Q.) So, you made many friends from this experience?

GARY SUSON: "Many, and I still speak with them to this day. Mostly firefighters. It was a tough place to work but I made some special friends at Ground Zero. There was a lot of "bonding" there; it was necessary to keep each other strong. After all, this was a very serious place to be working. It was harsh. I think it's safe to say everyone who worked there confronted their worst fears face-to-face. Some of the Chiefs were instrumental in me securing some very historical images. They looked out for me, so I quickly learned the meaning of the word BROTHERHOOD."

Q.) Did you see victims?

GARY SUSON: "It’s odd, you know; I don't know why people always ask me this question. Maybe people are in denial of some sort, I don’t know. The answer is yes, I did. It was more than just two buildings collapsing. People were inside them. I was trained as a Recovery worker and spent a lot of my time digging when there was nothing to photograph. The FDNY Chiefs taught me how to dig & what to look for.

Q.) Perhaps I meant to say how did you react?

GARY SUSON: "I reacted the same way you would. I was upset; it hit me quite hard. I'm not trained in this sort of thing. Shortly thereafter I shut down emotionally; it was necessary to get through months of this. If I cried, I would do so in private, at home or in the Church (See Ground Zero Lingo). The letters, The kid's letters in St. Paul's somehow seemed to make me cry..they were...very innocent from all over the world..they were the complete polar opposite of 9/11...they were just pure and innocent...those children's letters.."

Q.) Can you describe one letter in particular?

GARY SUSON: "Gosh, I don't know. It's hard, you know? (pause) Hmm, okay, this one letter...from this little girl...she wrote something like, "Dear Rescue Workers, I'm very sorry your beautiful buildings fell down. They were very pretty. I hope you can fix them..." (stop) Sorry, I don't do well with that. You see? This little girl had no clue that 3,000 people died; she was just so innocent. She just thought these pretty buildings fell down (pause) and she's sad. She's the complete antithesis of the scumbags that flew the planes into the World Trade Center. Those letters, most of them with misspelled words, helped give me some faith that there was still good in the world. I saved a lot of those letters."

Q.) What camera and films did you use at Ground Zero?

GARY SUSON: "I shot on Mamiya medium format cameras. Mamiya sponsored me at Ground Zero with equipment. I chose medium format so the images would have more detail for the viewers. I can also enlarge pretty big without losing detail. I shot on Fuji and Kodak color films and on Ilford XP-2 (sepia) and Kodak TCN-400. I like the sepia as it captured both the rich tones of the Ground Zero mud and also gave the images a historic, wartime feel; and it was a war zone. My choices were just instinctual and since I wasn't beholden to some paper or magazine, I went with my gut instincts on what to shoot with. I am pleased with those choices and would do it again if I had the chance. Sometimes, however, I'd load the camera as I got to Ground Zero with say, sepia-toned film and hope that the subject matter called for that film! Usually, I got lucky. The Honor Guard images looked good in both color and sepia, but it was the luck of the draw as to what was in the camera. I didn't have spare rolls pre-loaded as it was pointless; the dirt, dust and mud permeated everything. I usually just changed film behind a fireman's back; his bunker coat blocking the winds and dust. Sometimes, the firemen would help me during the film-changing process. They were all really cool about helping me out. The camera would sometimes freeze up in cold weather so I'd keep it wrapped in a blanket until I was ready to shoot but sometimes I had to walk back up to the Church and let it thaw out before returning to shoot. Other times I'd surround the camera in hand-warmers (see Ground Zero Lingo) and that was helpful. However, if it was a day when hand-warmers were scarce, I'd forego them so the guys would have something to put in their gloves. The giant halogen lights that illuminated the WTC site at night sometimes caused problems with the film. Nighttime shooting was never easy but it was the most serene time to shoot. As the city slept, Ground Zero just kept on going."

Q.) You shot the famous photo of the charred Bible Page from Genesis 11: The Tower of Babylon. When did you find the Bible Page?

GARY SUSON: "That was one night in January of 2002. I was standing near a steep incline that had a cement barrier in front of it. A machine was digging into the incline when I saw some charred papers by the edge. I asked permission from an attending Chief to go shoot the papers. He said "yes" but said I was to make it fast as it was a dangerous place to stand. I walked over and pulled the top paper away, revealing this somewhat legible, wet, charred page from the Bible. The Bible itself was gone. I was very taken by this; to find something so holy in such a harsh environment. Feeling rushed to shoot the photo, I leaned over and was about to push the release (the Bible page was small) but realized I had the wrong lens. I changed lenses and was quickly back focusing the camera about to shoot when my friend zipped up in his Honda "Gator" and yelled "Get in! We need to go to a recovery!" (they had found a victim). I yelled back that he needed to come see this and he just yelled louder to hurry up and snap the "friggin" picture. He didn't understand the monumental find I was hovering over. I shot only two frames and errantly didn't grab the wet page because I was so panicked. Later that night, I got the proof sheets back and took a magnifying glass to read what passage was on the page. I fell over in shock when it turned out to be Genesis 11: The Tower of Babylon. Needless to say, I broke down and wept as I took this as a sign from God; some sign that He was looking over that WTC site even as so much mourning was taking place. I saw this as a positive sign; a positive message that He looked over the victims in their final moments. I called my friend, the one who insisted I snap the photo so "friggin" fast and we met up with two other people to search for this page in the mud. We never found it, which is sad, but at least I have the photo. In the Museum I am building to open September 7th, 2005 in Manhattan, I have painstakingly re-created in 3-D the image I shot that day. It is even resting in faux Ground Zero dirt, so viewers will be able to experience in 3-D what I saw that cold day in January. It's as close as I can get to the real thing. I will also, after four years of never releasing it, be marketing posters and mini-prints of the Bible Page at the museum to help us with our overhead."

Q.) What was one of the most memorable images or moments you shot at Ground Zero?

GARY SUSON: "Probably the day that FDNY Chief Ron Spadafora grabbed me by the shoulder as the Honor Guard began its procession up the exit ramp. He yanked me into the procession, enabling me to shoot an amazing image that puts viewers as close as possible to experiencing what it was like to be in the Honor Guard. Problem was I had the wrong lens on the camera (zoom) for where I was standing, so I had to lean back while I was walking in order to even shoot the image. In addition, I had to rock my body side to side in the same type of swaying motion that the firemen carrying the body in front of me were doing. If I didn't sway, then I had no gap in front of me to see the flag-draped body before me. It wasn't easy, but it gets even better: I had only one frame left in the camera so I either nailed it or I didn't. I'm glad Ron grabbed me by the shoulder that day as I'll never forget that moment; it sure wasn't something they teach you in photo class."

Q.) What’s it like opening a Museum concerning this subject? Are you concerned about what the reaction will be like?

GARY SUSON: "Naturally, it's a weird feeling. I often wake up and say, Wow, am I really opening a Museum? I am so tied to it all that I often forget the impact it has on others. For visitors, it's the first time they are viewing my images and remnants. As far as a reaction goes. Listen, I cannot control what people will think. I cannot for the life of me think of anything in the Museum that would rub anyone wrong. It's all done tastefully. I am sensitive to all those that pass through these doors, especially family members, but the truth is that my real allegiance is to those who died. They are the heroes and no one else. They are my #1 concern; to honor their memory. When I wasn't shooting photos, I was digging, and yes I picked up human remains of all sizes and bagged them on many occasions. That weighs heavily on my conscience in that I would never do anything to disrespect them in this Museum. When building the Museum I would take breaks at night and Rollerblade down the West Side Highway bike path and stop in front of Ground Zero and meditate. I would outright ask them to guide me in the process. I would even say out loud the charities I was going to give the money to. I wanted to be very clear with them what I was doing. That may sound hokey, but if you had seen the things myself and others have seen, you'd understand the sanctity of all this. Fact is, I am happy with what I have created. I couldn't have done any better. I know in my heart that the exhibit is going to touch thousands of people. GZMW is a mixture of history and artistic interpretation, so everyone will see it in their own unique manner. So far, those who have walked in have been very emotionally moved, so that's a success for me. One day, while I was in the middle of construction, the entire FDNY Squad-18 Company pulled up outside and asked to come in. Squad-18 lost their entire company on 9/11. Someone had told them what I was building and they wanted to see it. So, I opened the door to the Museum and there they were, dressed in full regalia. They walked around, very quiet, taking in the images and artifacts, then turned toward me to say they liked it; they thought it was very tasteful and respectful. I couldn't have asked for a stronger affirmation of what I was doing. I don't think things happen on accident; they were meant to pop by that day for whatever reason. It certainly motivated me even more to finish. I did get some gray hairs erecting this Museum and certainly learned a lot, so, like all things, it had its positives and negatives. At the end of the day, all I can say is I did the best with what talents GOD gave me. This is undoubtedly the most important thing I've even done in my life."

Q.) Did you have help putting this together?

GARY SUSON: "Yes, I did. I had all the ideas, conceived the designs & I own the Recovery Collection, but by no means did I do this on my own. I had over forty-five thousand dollars in cash, product and service donations. People really stepped up to help me, and just wasn't a part of the vocabulary when I sought out people's help. I thought maybe since it was four years after September 11 that no one would donate anything. Wow, was I wrong. From lighting to construction to printing to signs to business cards, everyone pitched in. Firemen loaned me remnants and digging tools, one guy built me this incredible steel-beamed display table and an individual whom I had only met briefly was so taken by the project that they donated substantial funds necessary to finish the Museum Workshop. I am very overwhelmed by the generosity shown to me on GZMW; I am taken back by it. I feel blessed to have been surrounded by talented people who also care. I have no choice but to believe that GZMW was meant to be." Q.) Did you invite former Mayor Giuliani or Mayor Bloomberg to the Museum? A.) " Yes, I did, but they were unable to attend due to prior commitments."

Q.) Did that bother you in any way?

GARY SUSON: "Well, naturally, I would have been honored to host them at the museum, but they are busy men, so I just have to understand that."

Q.) What is the significance of the artifacts in your Museum Workshop?

GARY SUSON: "The public is so used to seeing images of the Towers collapsing that I fear they don't fully get that there were people inside. People have trouble connecting to the tragedy because their image of 9/11 is collapsing steel. The remnants that I happily salvaged from being tossed out in 2002 will help people connect; bring them closer by humanizing it all. The first time I held a 3/4 inch thick piece of World Trade Center window glass in my hand, I stood there in awe staring at it. It humbled me; I wondered who looked through that glass on the morning of 9/11. Many other thoughts ran through my head, so it was a good thing for me to see, as it will be for visitors. My images stand on their own and do a good job of showing the courage of the Recovery workers, but the artifacts/remnants also serve their own special purpose."

Q.) Is there a difference between a remnant & a victim's identifiable personal belonging?

GARY SUSON: "Oh, yes, a HUGE difference. A remnant is a "small part of something that remains after the rest has gone." That means items like steel, glass, calculators, screwdrivers, muddy teddy bears from Windows on the World gift shop, stairwell signs, a golf ball, a computer keypad, a pay phone receiver and other things that remained in the rubble after the Towers themselves had vanished. These items and many like them remind us that people were in those buildings. A VICTIM'S IDENTIFIABLE PERSONAL BELONGING is something entirely different. I was trained by chiefs who educated me as to what to look for. Those items, which included engagement/wedding rings, purses, wallets with ID in them, credit cards, drivers licenses, clothes with names on them, glasses with initials on them or wrist watches were always turned over to fire chiefs or Port Authority Police personnel on the scene."

Q.) So, shoes and glasses were thrown away?

GARY SUSON: "Yes, shoes were discarded as it was not possible to tell if they came from a victim or from a shoe store in the WTC concourse, unless of course they contained a remain. Shoes were not shown to victim's families. If a WTC shoe is displayed in a museum, there is no way to know if it was a victim's shoe or from a shoe store. What is most important is what the shoe represents. In many Holocaust museums, shoes are on display so as to help visitors connect deeper to what really happened."

Q.) With so many images in your collection, how did you narrow it down regarding what to display at the Museum Workshop?

GARY SUSON: "I just chose my strongest images and also those that helped tell as a whole the story of the Recovery at Ground Zero. I am emotionally tied to all the images; they each are special and have their own unique story behind them. I am most proud of the 3-Dimensional image installations. They were quite a chore to make and will certainly place viewers in Ground Zero.I made the installations and I shot the photos in 2001-2002, yet I can stand in front of them for many minutes on end without getting bored and actually be in awe. Viewers will see exactly what I saw from only a few feet away. If people walk out of 9/11 Museum Workshop feeling the way I felt when I walked out of Ground Zero in those first few trips, then I have achieved my goal."

Q.) What happened when you first released the images to the press?

GARY SUSON: "Well, it was interesting. Unlike nothing I have ever experienced. I was given permission in the last 2 weeks of Ground Zero to release the images. I was sitting on this historical treasure trove of images and wondered, Hmm, who do I call first? I phoned the New York Times photo desk and said, Hi, this is Marlon Suson and I am the official photographer at Ground Zero. I have some amazing images for you to see. They thought I was some goof ball and said, There is no official photographer at Ground Zero, but thanks for calling. I then became slightly stronger in my attitude and said, I don't think you understand, I am the official photographer and I have images I really think you are going to want to see. I know the world will want to see them. They told me to email a few samples, which I did, and they had me over to their offices hours later. They wanted to do a half-page, feature story on my images & experiences at Ground Zero. They confirmed my official status with the fire unions, then paired me with an amazing writer, Susan Sachs. On May 28, 2002, the story ran. It was entitled, 'From a Camera at Ground Zero, Rare Photos of an Agonizing Dig. The press frenzy, and it was a frenzy, that followed was something I wasn't fully prepared for. Heather Nauert of FOX News Channel pretty much showed up on my front door and almost every station followed, including CNN and overseas media. I was very conflicted, and actually phoned my mother, saying, I don't think I should be the one to talk about Ground Zero. Who am I to be talking about Ground Zero? I was in an emotional and somewhat fragile state, both from being fresh out of Ground Zero and also at the thought of going before national press to represent the Recovery workers and the FDNY. I felt some guilt regarding the fact that I was to receive any type of attention regarding a tragedy. Hiding behind the lens was cool, as was shooting, but I didn't plan on taking it beyond that. As an actor or writer, getting recognition for your art is something to strive for, but this was an altogether different scenario. Soon after one of my national interviews aired, I received a call from an FDNY firefighter. A group of firemen were watching CNN in a Manhattan firehouse and viewed a five-minute segment that aired about my work on the final day of the cleanup of Ground Zero. He told me that an old, retired firefighter, known as a tough, stoic guy, was at the house and was choking back tears when he heard me talk on TV of the bonding I experienced with the firemen at Ground Zero. He told me everyone liked how I expressed my gratitude towards the men and how I described the care in which they handled the victims. It was that phone call that kind of got me on my feet and gave me confidence with respect to the fact that I could handle conveying my experiences in a national spotlight. I didn't have to feel guilty about any of this. It was okay to do this. UFA Manhattan Trustee Rudy Sanfilippo said to me, "You shot the photos and only you know the stories behind them. They are inspirational, so go share them with the world. It's okay.."

Q.)How long did it take you to build the Museum? Any snags along the way?

GARY SUSON: "It took three months of full-time work. It should have been a six-month project but I didn't sleep much; I wanted it done for September. I had many snags, the biggest one being the injury to my left eye while building one of the 3-dimensional photo installations. The irony is that I worked at Ground Zero for so long and was so careful, yet four years later I had an injury."

Q.) You shot so many images of the PATH train station and seem to have spent a lot of time down there. Did you have some fascination with that area below Ground Zero?”

GARY SUSON: " I sure did. It was a scary, yet fascinating place, below Ground Zero. For me, it represented the last real area that was left intact from the morning of September 11. It was full of mysterious passages, dark holes, collapsed structure and was a reminder of another time period. When I was down there I felt as if I were in a time capsule. I would often say to myself, I am in the pre-9/11 world down here and up there is the post-9/11 world. I guess in some weird way I was happy down there. I would often take a small Bible and read passages for the victims who died since I figured nobody else was doing it on a regular basis. Sometimes I would sit on the last subway train from that morning and wonder what it was like that terrible day. I couldn't believe I was sitting under Ground Zero on the last subway car while most my friends were either sleeping in their warm beds or at nightclubs dancing. I realized how bizarre my world was and also how unique the job I had was. I knew one day I'd speak of all this. When I was down there, I must admit it was spooky. There were definitely some very strong and strange energies down there in the dark passages. It was also dangerous and technically a stupid place for me to be. The remaining subway train was comprised of about six to eight cars or so. One night I sat on this one subway car in particular and did my whole deep-thinking thing. I even picked up an ash-caked New York Post paper from the morning of September 11. It said it was to be mostly sunny with a high of 87 degrees. Little did any of us know how dark that day would turn out. So, I left the tunnels and came back the next day and almost fell over. That very subway car I had been sitting on was now crushed like a tin can. The parking garage overhead had collapsed and crushed the car, which was marked #160. I am very lucky as you can see, but this was a wake-up call that I needed to exercise more caution. Enclosed places were not safe to be in. I lowered myself down onto the tracks that day, waded into this toxic green water and shot that crushed subway car, the photo of which is displayed at GZMW. I added the numbers of the car together, #160, and it totaled 7. So, I decided to open the Museum on September 7, which is now my lucky number. I was definitely flirting with death on that day and I firmly believe that timing is everything. The really bizarre twist to this is that there was only one victim found in the PATH tunnels after all those months. She must have run down into the tunnels on 9/11 when the Towers collapsed and the smoke was flying down the streets. She apparently lowered herself onto the tracks and hid under a subway car, thinking it would protect her from the smoke and ash, but she became stuck and asphyxiated. She was found under car #160 in March of 2002. It was on my day off, a Sunday, when a Recovery worker phoned to tell me of this bizarre find. I stopped going into the PATH tunnels after this. That was enough for me."

Q.) Is your 200-page Barnes & Noble photography book, Requiem: Images of Ground Zero going to be re-issued anytime soon?

GARY SUSON: "Yes, it was reprinted in 2010. Our Museum now controls the rights to Requiem. It sells for $49.00 per copy and includes an autograph on the inside cover. We have used it to raise tens of thousands of dollars for many charities, including the FDNY Foundation for the Children of Fallen Firefighters and the FDNY Firefighter Ralph Geidel Fund. It feels good to give back."