This unique film documents two decades of the rescue, recovery and rebuilding at the World Trade Center site in New York City. It is the longest running time-lapse project in the company’s history, including never-before-seen EarthCam footage spanning 20 years.

EarthCam has been on site since 2001 when EarthCam CEO & Founder, Brian Cury, installed a webcam just days after the attacks to webcast the rescue mission to the families of the missing. As rescue became recovery and eventually rebuilding, EarthCam set to work to develop new robotic DSLR camera technology necessary to document this revered 16 acre site in the highest resolution possible.

Every few minutes for 20 years, panoramic images captured the transformation of downtown Manhattan from over 100 viewing angles, totaling 13.3 million individual photos.

“We appreciate EarthCam’s unprecedented contribution of 20 years of historic images, which have meticulously recorded the rebuilding that transformed this sacred space,” said 9/11 Memorial President and CEO Alice M. Greenwald, “This creative time-lapse both honors the legacy of those who were killed and embodies hope for the future, as we see these remarkable new structures that surround the Memorial as evidence of lower Manhattan’s resilience and renewal.”

All two decades of content, in addition to the original EarthCam camera have been donated to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

“This is an emotional milestone for EarthCam, as the history of the company has been so intertwined with this site.” said Brian Cury, CEO and Founder of EarthCam, “We’re grateful to many partners, friends, and to the extraordinary team at EarthCam whose dedication and passion supported this effort over the past 20 years, so that we may share this historic archive and honor the lives lost due to the September 11th attacks.”

Produced & Directed by Brian Cury

Archival Producers: Lana Moskalyova & Juan Navas

Webcam Technology: Bill Sharp, Colin Sheehan, Dylan Stark, Michael Winfield

Editors: Travis Cooper & Brian Cury

Special Thanks:
Riese Restaurants, Millenium Hilton New York Downtown, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, Empire State Realty Trust, Hyatt Regency Jersey City On The Hudson, The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., National Park Service, Kaitlyn Leubling, Daniel Ortiz, Madison Housel, Joseph Alon, Kyle Storm, Taylor Smith, Joseph Nizza, Amanda Valentin, Lisa Kelly, Jason Brossa, Todd Maloof