World Trade Center August 2001

World Trade Center Clip Art, Carol M. Highsmith's photographs are in the public domain. Photographer Carol Highsmith unexpectedly donated to the Library of Congress a stunning panoramic photograph she took of lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center from a helicopter on a clear day in early August 2001. Highsmith also put the Prints and Photographs Division in touch with company officials in charge of recycling the steel from ground zero.

For the Library's exhibition, they specially saved the last burned and crushed fragments of structural steel and metal cladding from the World Trade Center. A strong supporter of the Library, the energetic photographer also helped to arrange for another gift--a piece of limestone torn from the Pentagon. On display in the exhibition, these artifacts are tangible records of the physical devastation suffered on September 11, 2001.

The Calm, World Trade Center August, 2001. More about this image and story at Public Domain Clip Art - http://publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com/2007/09/world-trade-center-august-2001.html

This photograph is from the Carol M. Highsmith Archive at the Library of Congress. Highsmith has released her photographs in the collection into the public domain.

This file has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its author, Carol M. Highsmith. This applies worldwide. In case this is not legally possible:
Carol M. Highsmith grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

World Trade Center From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The World Trade Center in New York City (sometimes informally referred to as the WTC or the Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan, mostly designed by American architect Minoru Yamasaki and engineer Leslie Robertson and developed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It was initiated in 1960 by a Lower Manhattan Association created and chaired by David Rockefeller, who had the original idea of building the Center, with strong backing from the then-New York governor, his brother Nelson Rockefeller.

The World Trade Center, New York, like most all World Trade Centers located around the globe, belonged to the family of World Trade Centers Association. Larry Silverstein held the most recent lease to the complex, the Port Authority having leased it to him in July 2001. The complex, located in the heart of New York City's downtown financial district, contained 13.4 million square feet (1.24 million m²) of office space, almost four percent of Manhattan's entire office inventory at that time.

Best known for its iconic 110-story twin towers, the World Trade Center was beset by a fire on February 13, 1975 and a bombing on February 26, 1993. Despite the first two disasters, the World Trade Center was a part of New York City's identity and was recognized all over the world as an icon for the United States of America.

All of the original buildings in the complex were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. One World Trade Center (1 WTC) and Two World Trade Center (2 WTC)—the North Tower and South Tower, respectively, collapsed, as did 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC).

The Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC) was crushed by the collapses of 1 WTC and 2 WTC. 4 World Trade Center (4 WTC), 5 World Trade Center (5 WTC), and 6 World Trade Center (6 WTC) were damaged beyond repair and later demolished. In addition, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (not part of the complex) was destroyed by the collapse of 2 WTC; the Deutsche Bank Building was damaged beyond repair and is currently being deconstructed.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article, World Trade Center

Technorati tags: Public Domain Clip Art and clip art or public domain and World Trade Center or New York City and WTC or A force for democracy -- or information chaos? expert forum spotlights blogging and Golden Gate Bridge and New cancer weapon: nuclear nanocapsules

The Pentagon

The Pentagon, headquarters of the Department of Defense. DoD photo by Master Sgt. Ken Hammond, U.S. Air Force. DF-ST-87-06962_screen.jpg
High Resolution Image

Information presented on DefenseLINK is considered public information and may be distributed or copied unless otherwise specified. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested.

Headquarters of the Department of Defense, the Pentagon is one of the world's largest office buildings. It is twice the size of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, and has three times the floor space of the Empire State Building in New York. The National Capitol could fit into any one of the five wedge-shaped sections. There are very few people throughout the United States who do not have some knowledge of the Pentagon. Many have followed news stories emanating from the defense establishment housed in this building. However, relatively few people have had the opportunity to visit with us.

The Pentagon is virtually a city in itself. Approximately 23,000 employees, both military and civilian, contribute to the planning and execution of the defense of our country. These people arrive daily from Washington, D.C. and its suburbs over approximately 30 miles of access highways, including express bus lanes and one of the newest subway systems in our country. They ride past 200 acres of lawn to park approximately 8,770 cars in 16 parking lots; climb 131 stairways or ride 19 escalators to reach offices that occupy 3,705,793 square feet. While in the building, they tell time by 4,200 clocks, drink from 691 water fountains, utilize 284 rest rooms, consume 4,500 cups of coffee, 1,700 pints of milk and 6,800 soft drinks prepared or served by a restaurant staff of 230 persons and dispensed in 1 dining room, 2 cafeterias, 6 snack bars, and an outdoor snack bar. The restaurant service is a privately run civilian operation under contract to the Pentagon.

Over 200,000 telephone calls are made daily through phones connected by 100,000 miles of telephone cable. The Defense Post Office handles about 1,200,000 pieces of mail monthly. Various libraries support our personnel in research and completion of their work. The Army Library alone provides 300,000 publications and 1,700 periodicals in various languages.

Stripped of its occupants, furniture and various decorations, the building alone is an extraordinary structure. Built during the early years of World War II, it is still thought of as one of the most efficient office buildings in the world. Despite 17.5 miles of corridors it takes only seven minutes to walk between any two points in the building.

The original site was nothing more than wasteland, swamps and dumps. 5.5 million cubic yards of earth, and 41,492 concrete piles contributed to the foundation of the building. Additionally, 680,000 tons of sand and gravel, dredged from the nearby Potomac River, were processed into 435,000 cubic yards of concrete and molded into the Pentagon form. The building was constructed in the remarkably short time of 16 months and completed on January 15, 1943 at an approximate cost of $83 million. It consolidated 17 buildings of the War Department and returned its investment within seven years.

We hope this information will serve to eliminate some of the myths surrounding the Pentagon and give an appreciation of the size of the building. The Pentagon - Washington DC

Technorati tags: Public Domain Clip Art and clip art or public domain and Arc de Triomphe or Paris France and Library of Congress or A force for democracy -- or information chaos? expert forum spotlights blogging and Golden Gate Bridge and New cancer weapon: nuclear nanocapsules