Rare photos taken by John Labriola of office workers escaping from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Firefighters can be seen ascending the stairs. Labriola worked on the 71st floor of World Trade Center Tower One as an independent contractor with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He got out safely.
On the morning of 9/11, Labriola had a business meeting scheduled at the World Trade Center. He was in the North Tower when the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the building. As chaos erupted, he began to document what he was seeing with his camera.
His photographs are particularly notable because they are among the very few, if not the only, photos taken from inside the World Trade Center after the attacks began. The images capture the surreal and terrifying scene in the lobby and mezzanine levels of the tower. They show the aftermath of the plane’s impact, with debris, smoke, and destruction filling the once-pristine building.
His collection includes a haunting image of a firefighter, Mike Kehoe, making his way up the stairs of the North Tower. This specific photograph has become one of the iconic images of that day, representing the immense bravery and sacrifice of the first responders who rushed into the burning buildings.
Labriola’s photographs and his personal story of survival were later published in his book, Walking Forward, Looking Back: Lessons from the World Trade Center: A Survivor’s Story. The book presents all 110 of the photographs he took on 9/11 and offers a powerful and unique perspective on the tragedy.
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