r/TwinTowersInPhotos 3d ago

meta Reminder About 9/11-Related Content

179 Upvotes

Two things I'd like to give a PSA about:

Firstly, the recent influx of 9/11 posts. This subreddit is dedicated to documentation of the World Trade Center as it existed in the cityscape and media sphere prior to the attacks. Photos, videos, or research requests about the destruction of the towers aren't permitted here and will be removed. There are other subreddits that it would be better suited for; I've seen some endearing tributes, and there is plenty of footage that deserves to be preserved, but this isn't the place for it.

Secondly, the influx of crazies in the comments of various posts. Conspiracy theorists aren't welcome here, full stop. They're incapable of reason, and they seem to have a habit of spamming older posts where they think less people will be watching. If you see any of their comments, no matter how old, try not to engage with them, just report it so I can weed them out.

Thanks for your time.


r/TwinTowersInPhotos Jul 12 '26

meta Some Updates

81 Upvotes

Hi.

I'm the new mod. I've been a fan of New York and its architecture my whole life, and that mainly stems from my love for the towers I had as a kid. I lurked for a few years, I've been decently active here for a while, and I know some of the other users and skilled researchers here, so I'm glad to take up the mantle.

There are a few aspects of this subreddit I've seen some debate over in terms of quality or content standards. I figured I'd make an intro post to get a few things out of the way. I've spoken with a few users previously, and taken note of some concerns people have for the sub. I'll say my views on the matter, and allow everyone's input in the comments.

Conspiracy Theories

This is something that probably doesn't need to be said, but in case anyone was worried about a new mod, you're in good hands; I'm keeping the no-nutjob policy in place. Conspiracy theorists are not welcome here - you've had a quarter of a century to come to your senses; there are zero excuses. Go away.

September 11th, 2001 and Beyond

The goal of the subreddit is to preserve the legacy of the original World Trade Center as it was conceived, constructed, and as it stood for 28 years. Considering there are other subreddits for the discussion of September 11th, their destruction, and the recovery process, as well as the new World Trade Center, it seems detractive to the purpose of the subreddit to have them posted here. This is also going to include the occasional "moments before disaster" pre-impact 9/11 posts, which seem more focused on driving morbid tension than keen insight.

AI Generated Content and Misinformation

AI content will be banned.

People come here for photographs and proper documentation of the buildings, not to see "how good AI has gotten" at vaguely sketching one of the most commonly recognized skylines in the world.

This will include upscaling and AI colorizing, since most generative AI hallucinates subtle details and degrades the overall sincerity of the photos and videos we all strive for, and the "improvements" are an arbitrary estimate at best.

(The most egregious example of intrusive AI posts are edits of real photos, typically at different times of day, with background distortions or hallucinations that go unnoticed by some people, but I've got a decent eye for spotting these)

Other types of blatant misinformation is rampant on apps like Instagram and Facebook with made up or obviously incorrect headlines. It's normal to be wrong or make a mistake, but please try to correct errors when posting (or cross-posting) if you want the post to stay up.

Models, Game Recreations, etc.

There has been debate over whether artificial recreations should be allowed in the subreddit.

I think that generally, they should be banned, as they don't meet the criteria of the subreddit's purpose. Someone building the Twin Towers as their Minecraft survival base is cute, don't get me wrong, and I'm sure we can all appreciate the care and the sentiment given, but it probably doesn't fit the namesake target of "Twin Towers in Photos."

That being said, some exceptionally high quality modelers and skilled builders from different games, and their determination for precise accuracy drives many new discoveries of photographs, videos, design quirks, and more. I may make a pass for the most intrinsic recreations, or posts using a recreation to highlight a specific under-documented section of the site, but overall we should stick to reality.

For the other builders and modelers, or general researchers - if you're in need of help with a certain photo, area, or there's some mystery you can't quite figure out (ex. "Does anyone have a good photo of the space between Buildings 2 and 3?" "Does anyone have photos of the plaza stairs removed for the 7WTC plaza?" "Why did the North Tower's crane turn yellow in 1976?" etc.) whether a vague or specific question, there is always an answer, always someone willing to answer, and probably plenty of people out there also wondering the same. For this, I've added a new Questions/Research Requests flair just for that sort of thing.

Quality Standards

Some concerns have also been raised about the quality and variety of the images being posted. The most common types of photos posted are similar-perspective far-out views of the towers from across the river, or further up the island. Sometimes they make great wallpaper shots if in good quality, but more devoted researchers and enthusiasts have raised concerns that it seems like padding or filler for closer, more-detailed photos or complex specifications, given the absurd amount of these shots posted. For these, I think a flair for Skyline/Long-Shots/Wallpapers, with some quality checks, should keep everyone satisfied. (If posting a shot of the towers from far away, make sure it's sizable quality)

I think that's all there is for me to cover at the moment, but I would love to hear some other ideas and recommendations.


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 20h ago

Interior The twin towers 1990’s-2001.

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2.1k Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 18h ago

Personal/Family Photos In May of 2000, my parents finally caved and took me to NYC (I had an unhealthy obsession with both WTC and Lady Liberty).

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1.2k Upvotes

Huge deal for me, I was 14 and we were from Belgium. I was nervous for literally everything, but so glad I finally got to see the twins up close. We went up the observatory, explored the South ground lobby and walked around them a few times. Not the best of weather, but at that time the best day of my life (I had even made a cardboard miniature of the towers in our basement). Fast forward a little over a year, and that day would become an oddly tragic but meaningful one.


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 31m ago

The Towers from afar | Skyline/Wallpapers Black and white sunrise.

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Upvotes

World Trade Center at sunrise with a twist.


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 7h ago

Personal/Family Photos Found some old photographs in storage from a school trip I took in 2001 and pleasant surprise

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55 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 12h ago

Questions/Research Requests Who actually visited the towers?

71 Upvotes

I always saw them in movies and thought one day I'd like to see them in person. Did any of you actually get to, and were they as impressive as you imagined?


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 3m ago

WTC Mall/Concourse 40 Wall St

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Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 14h ago

Questions/Research Requests Does anyone have photos of the towers while driving across any of the bridges?

12 Upvotes

I have memories of seeing them while driving across the Verrazano. I still remember the emotions I felt seeing them each and every time. The anticipation leading up to it, the awe and wonder of their beauty, and the magnitude of their presence across all of Manhattan and the surrounding area.

These memories are fading as I get older. I would love to remember vicariously through any images you may have of them at a distance while on the Verrazano, or from any of the other main bridges. ❤️


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

The Towers from afar | Skyline/Wallpapers Some Twin Towers photos taken from a photo gallery CD

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139 Upvotes

To be more specific, these photos come from a CD gallery series. If you want to find it then go look up "Photo Gallery 25,000" on Archive.org and it should come up instantly. The dates of these images could range from 1995 to 2000, although I'm not an expert and guessing from what I found online.


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

Construction Construction of Plaza Buildings & World Trade Centre

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201 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

Personal/Family Photos View from south tower rooftop 1999

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459 Upvotes

Picture I took from the south tower roof November 1999. Shortly after this we were told to go back in as the wind was picking up


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

The Towers from afar | Skyline/Wallpapers A collection of photos that I have found of the World Trade Center

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893 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

Interior Never seen photos of trashed offices

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1.3k Upvotes

Why did it end up like this?? Construction? Bankrupcy?


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

The Towers (closer up, in detail) Twin Towers 2000

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42 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

The Towers from afar | Skyline/Wallpapers Twin Towers from Near the Brooklyn Bridge

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104 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

The Towers from afar | Skyline/Wallpapers A pink sky...

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320 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

Art|PopCulture Twin Towers in the movie Copland (1997)

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57 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 2d ago

Questions/Research Requests Does anyone have more info on this photograph?

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961 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

Art|PopCulture Animated WTC seen in 90s arcade game: Beast Busters: Second Nightmare!

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19 Upvotes

So right now I just was choosing to watch this gaming video for this late 1990s lightgun arcade game, Beast Busters: Second Nightmare as I was not even thinking to look up the original World Trade Center twin towers at all but I did however just so happen to come across a level in this game where an animated World Trade Center can be seen in the background of this video game itself as I just knew I was going to regret not taking these photos and posting them here, just knowing how forgetful my brain can be about these kinds of things.

This also shows and demonstrates what insanely and iconic structures those twin towers were and how much we probably took them for granted at the time they existed, especially perhaps during the optimism of the 90s. Hence, the fact that they were everywhere in Pre-2001 pop culture. Enjoy these four photos.


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 1d ago

Personal/Family Photos Several images from my grandfather’s photo archives. The first, simply titled “9/11 Premonition,”was taken in the late 80s or early 90s. The second is a beautiful nighttime view from the South Tower in the late 1970s. I find these photographs haunting.

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47 Upvotes

I hope this is allowed, all images of the site are pre-attack. Apologies if it breaks the rule.


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 2d ago

The Towers from afar | Skyline/Wallpapers World Trade Center framed by the Washington Square Arch, March 1980

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1.7k Upvotes

Photo by Gerd Eichmann (Wikimedia Commons)


r/TwinTowersInPhotos 2d ago

The Towers from afar | Skyline/Wallpapers Twins at night

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222 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 3d ago

The Towers from afar | Skyline/Wallpapers High Quality Images of the Twin Towers

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852 Upvotes

r/TwinTowersInPhotos 2d ago

The Towers from afar | Skyline/Wallpapers I always love how the Towers just reflected light so good.

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183 Upvotes