One death shows true horror of 9/11

The Fall ing Ma n, Richar d Dr ew, 2001

Richard Drew’s image of a man falling from the World Trade Center, after jumping to escape the burning building, is one of the most unforgettable images to emerge from the horrifying events of 11 September, 2001. This image of one unidentified man has come to symbolise the 2,977 victims of the terrorist attacks. Drew, an experienced press photographer, was on assignment for the Associated Press when he heard about the first plane hitting the North Tower. He was photographing events from a nearby street when he saw people falling from the upper floors. It’s estimated that between 100 and 200 people died in this way.

Newspapers that ran the image had complaints from readers, who felt it exploited the man’s death. Drew himself said: “It wasn’t just a building falling down – there were people involved in this. This is how it affected people’s lives at that time, and that is why it’s an important picture. I didn’t capture this person’s death. I captured part of his life.”

Innovations and advances

The Contax N Digital, announced in 2000 but introduced in 2002, was the first digital SLR with an imaging sensor the full size of a 35mm frame. It had a 6MP Philips CCD and used Carl Zeiss optics. Unfortunately, problems including short battery life, poor low-light performance and inadequate image processing software led to the camera being withdrawn by Contax within a year. Drew’s shocking image represents the victims’ stories in the 9/11 attacks