EarthCam marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 with World Trade Center time-lapse, documentary
NEW YORK — EarthCam has released two commemorative films using 25 years of imagery documenting the recovery and rebuilding of the World Trade Center site following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The company unveiled a time-lapse showing the evolution of Ground Zero and Lower Manhattan from the aftermath of the attacks through 2026, along with “We Never Left,” a short documentary about EarthCam’s involvement at the site.
EarthCam began documenting Ground Zero days after Sept. 11, when founder and CEO Brian Cury installed a camera overlooking the site to support rescue and recovery efforts. The company continued documenting the area as recovery transitioned to rebuilding, creating an archive of more than 14.7 million images and surpassing one photo every minute over the past 25 years.
“We arrived at Ground Zero because we believed our technology could help, and we stayed because we understood how important it was to preserve this history,” said Brian Cury, Founder and CEO of EarthCam. “For a quarter of a century, our cameras have borne witness to an extraordinary story of recovery, renewal and rebuilding. Visually documenting the most important 16 acres in America is one of the greatest responsibilities and privileges in EarthCam’s 30-year history.”
The new time-lapse begins with some of EarthCam’s earliest imagery from Sept. 11, 2001, and follows the transformation of the World Trade Center site through 2026.
The film documents the construction of several landmarks at the site, including:
- 4 World Trade Center, completed in 2013
- One World Trade Center, completed in 2014
- The Oculus, completed in 2016
- 3 World Trade Center, completed in 2018
- St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, completed in 2022
- Perelman Performing Arts Center, completed in 2023
- 2 World Trade Center, scheduled for completion in 2031
EarthCam said its cameras captured the changing Lower Manhattan landscape through successive phases of redevelopment and generations of camera technology, including the construction of new towers, transportation infrastructure, cultural institutions and memorial spaces.
The company donated its archive of millions of images to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, providing a visual record of the World Trade Center campus and surrounding skyline over the past 25 years.
EarthCam will also premiere “We Never Left,” featuring Cury’s personal account of the company’s involvement at Ground Zero and its decision to continue documenting the site for decades.
The time-lapse and documentary are dedicated to those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, and honor the first responders, recovery workers, construction professionals and others who contributed to the recovery and rebuilding of the World Trade Center site.
