Firefighters raising flag featured in wax at Madame Tussaud's

News Radio 88 ^ | 9/3/02

[areafiftyone]

(New York-AP) -- Three firefighters who raised the American flag over the debris of the World Trade Center joined Governor George Pataki today to unveil a Madame Tussaud wax exhibit celebrating the moment.

The three appeared in person and in wax, amid rubble at Madame Tussaud's New York on West 42nd Street.

The original moment was captured on film by New Jersey photographer Thomas Franklin of The Record newspaper of Hackensack, New Jersey.

The exhibit, titled ``Hope: Humanity and Heroism,'' also includes photography and music featuring images of uniformed servicemen and women and September 11th victims.

The ``Hope'' exhibit will open to the public at noon tomorrow, free of charge through October 4th, and then will be part of the museum's permanent collection.

Proceeds from visitors buying tickets to the exhibit at Madame Tussaud's will be donated to The Bravest Fund, a charitable organization created by the three firefighters in the photograph.

[hole_n_one]

Three New York City firefighters, whose actions
on September 11th were recorded in a now-famous photograph
, are depicted in a sculpture fashioned after the photograph,
at Madame Tussaud's New York wax museum Tuesday,
Sept. 3, 2002, in New York. The picture by Thomas Franklin
shows the firefighters raising a flag over the destruction
of the World Trade Center.
(AP Photo/Louis Lanzano)

[hole_n_one]

[areafiftyone]

Thank you so much. I was looking for the pictures and I couldn't find them. I am not a big fan of Madame Tussaud's especially because it is located in Times Square but this will make me go see it.

[hole_n_one]

You're very welcome.

[Coleus]

The Phtographer Thomas E. Franklin works for THE RECORD OF HACKENSACK, in NJ

http://www.northjersey.com/cgi-bin/page.pl?id=4841868

A reunion of heroes: Firemen in powerful new image

ELIZABETH LLORENTE

On Sept. 11, surrounded by death and devastation, three dust-covered firefighters raised an American flag amid the twisted and charred remains of the World Trade Center.

The spontaneous show of determination and patriotism touched people around the world, and established the image - captured by Record photographer Thomas E. Franklin - as an icon.

Nearly a year later, on Aug. 30, the three firefighters reunited in Battery Park for another photograph by Franklin. They stood in the same order they did while hoisting the flag on Sept. 11 - George Johnson on the left, Dan McWilliams in the middle, Bill Eisengrein on the right.

This time, there is no devastation behind the firefighters.

This time, the background shows the Statue of Liberty.

The photograph is part of a joint project by The Record and Newsweek, both of which are featuring the image today on the front of their publications. Last year, Newsweek published Franklin's Ground Zero photograph on its cover.

"Tom Franklin shot a historic photo," said Newsweek Editor Mark Whitaker, "that became a historic cover for Newsweek."

The magazine chose to put the new picture of the firefighters on the cover of its commemorative issue because, it said, "the new image - of brave men still standing - is, like the first picture, a metaphor for a country that's also unbowed."

Record Editor Frank Scandale said: "These men are American heroes for what they did that day. A big part of why the world knows what they did is because of what Tom also did that day - that captured moment helped steady an entire nation during a crisis. To see the firemen together again, symbols of our nation's toughness, and to have Tom photograph them again, feels pretty good."

Franklin, 36, took the initial picture of the firefighters shortly after 5 p.m. on Sept. 11. The firefighters did not know their gesture had been captured. In a rush to meet the newspaper's deadline, Franklin returned to New Jersey without speaking to the firefighters that day.

"There wasn't enough time to even get their names," Franklin said. "And there was an element of danger to being there."

The picture immediately evoked memories of the famous Associated Press photograph of U.S. servicemen raising the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II.

The Sept. 11 photograph has been reproduced countless times - on magazine and newspaper covers, T-shirts and coffee mugs, and parade floats, as well as in unauthorized forms. The image, which has won several national journalism awards, was memorialized on a stamp released in June by the U.S. Postal Service. It marked one of the rare times that a U.S. postage stamp has featured living people.

The firefighters generally have shunned publicity, rarely reuniting in public. They declined to comment on the commemorative photograph, as well.

The Record and Newsweek asked to photograph the firefighters near Ground Zero, but the men declined, requesting to have Lady Liberty in the background instead, Franklin said.

"We thought the picture would have been most poignant taken in the same location, or somewhere near Ground Zero," Franklin said. "But the firemen did not think it was appropriate, and I totally respect that. They're great guys who are just concerned about being photographed at Ground Zero and the perception about prospering from this."

He said he empathizes with their concerns and uneasiness.

"I'm not looking forward to the [9/11] anniversary," he said. "I'm looking forward to its passing."

Still, Franklin said he felt honored to photograph the now-legendary trio again.

"I deeply respect these firemen. They're excellent representatives of their profession, and how brave firefighters were on Sept. 11," he said. "The Statue of Liberty is a good symbol of New York - and America."

[OldFriend]

Thank you for the good news. It certainly was a picture summing up the heart and soul of America.

[Beach_Babe]

bump

[supercat]

But they're all white! I thought one was supposed to be black, one asian, and one hispanic.

Oh wait... this is a private entity doing the sculpture? Well, then I suppose it's okay to make them all white...

[Clemenza]

I am not a big fan of Madame Tussaud's especially because it is located in Times Square

What? You don't like overpriced fast food and chronically lost Taiwanese and German tourists?

[ELS]

6 posted on 9/3/02 9:11 PM Eastern by Coleus

Hmmm...

[Jeff Head]

Yahoo! An accurate depiction in the Wax Museum. God bless those men and God bless those who commissioned and did this for history's and posterity's sake.

[areafiftyone]

Did you ever try walking in Times Square at lunch time? Its a mad house. The tourists drive you nuts. The worst thing is when they stand in the middle of the sidewalk with a dumb look on their face instead of asking direction. I had to do an errand for work about 3 weeks ago and was trying to get back by lunch hour (FAT CHANCE!). It used to be that the off hours on the subways were a little easier to deal with - now they are just as crowded as rush hour. But I guess I can't complain because I remember when I was little Times Square used to be a very scary place except for the huge Nathans that used to be there on the corner.

[kayak]

I just saw this and was going to ping you and the others from the petition thread. Isn't this great to see it depicted as it happened without consideration for PC???!!!

[Dubya]

Amen.

[areafiftyone]

At least there is something worth seeing now in Times Square for non-tourists.

[Jeff Head]

Yes it is.

... and the petition continues to gather a few signatures every day ... even after all this time, coming up on a year in afew months.

[Dubya]

UPDATE 421899

[Clemenza]

It used to be that the off hours on the subways were a little easier to deal with - now they are just as crowded as rush hour.

Tell me about it. I have to trasfer from the W to the 1 M-F, sometimes during rush hour depending on when classed are scheduled. When I transferred today around 2PM, I had to shove my way through because it seemed that half the crowd was dawdling. It still is nice to see, however, that they are FINALLY proceeding with the renovations for the station.

But I guess I can't complain because I remember when I was little Times Square used to be a very scary place except for the huge Nathans that used to be there on the corner.

I remember going to plays with my parents when I was a kid (back in the 1980s) and my mom rushing us quickly to the theatre so my eyes wouldn't catch a glimpse of the porno and the pimps (both of which can still be found on 8th Avenue in the 40s, if you are really interested). These days, I like to avoid it because there is still little to see there (aside from theme restaurants) if you are not going to the theatre.

I remember Nathan's, although I refuse to eat in any of the inferior chain Nathan's because all pale in comparison to the original (only a short busride from where I live).

[Barnacle]

They got it right!