Bellevue Hospital Wall Of Prayer

Yesterday I went to the Museum of the City of New York for a very special exhibit called "The Bellevue Hospital Wall of Prayer." Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, a temporary construction fence at Bellevue Hospital became an icon of the city’s response to the tragedy. Covered with posters of the missing, it also included statements of support from New Yorkers and people around the country. This unique memorial has become part of the Museum’s permanent collection and is being conserved by the Northeast Document Conservation Center.

Over 80 feet of the wall are on display, along with images of Ground Zero from the Museum’s Joel Meyerowitz 9/11 Archive. The New York Times “Portraits of Grief” archive is also presented in the gallery. The Wall is in two sections on the second floor of the museum. When I got there, I was alone on the floor, and one of the first pictures I saw up there was of my friend Joyce. It is an extremely emotional and moving exhibit, as there are numerous posters created by desperate people searching for any word about their missing loved ones. The Wall has been carefully preserved by clear plastic.

The exhibit will be up through September 17, and I encourage you to go see it, especially as we remember the 5th anniversary of the attacks. The Museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day except Sunday. A donation to the museum is asked for, usually $9. It is well worth the money. The Museum is located at E. 103rd Street and 5th Avenue, along "Museum Mile" across from Central Park. The museum's web site is: www.mcny.org.

Yesterday was also the formal dedication of the Tribute Center on Liberty Street, across from Ground Zero. I was not present for it. The Tribute Center will tell the stories of those lost on September 11 through pictures, poems and other mementoes dedicated to the center by their loved ones. They will be shown in the Tribute Center on a rotating basis. Myself and a friend dedicated photos and poems of our lost friend, and I will be there to see the Tribute Center in a special viewing on Monday afternoon. The Tribute Center will open to the public on September 18.

For more information on the Tribute Center, please go to: www.tributenyc.org.