IWM to mark 25 years since 9/11 with new displays and programming

Imperial War Museums (IWM) is set to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on the US World Trade Center in 2001 through a programme of activities, including a new photography installation, a reflective public event, expert-led discussion and a new publication.

Programming will invite visitors to reflect on both the immediate impact of the attacks, the deadliest on US soil, and their enduring legacy both in the UK and internationally. From counter terrorism and surveillance measures to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the programme explores how 9/11 changed global politics, daily life and how we understand conflict.

From 4 September, visitors to IWM London will be able to see a new permanent photography installation featuring images of the 11 September 2001 attacks by photographer Bill Biggart, in their first display outside the US.

Biggart was killed by the collapse of the World Trade Center's North Tower, though remarkably his cameras and images were recovered. A selection of these photographs will be displayed around a section of steelwork recovered from Ground Zero, alongside images by Associated Press photojournalist Suzanne Plunkett. The installation shows the events unfolding from these two perspectives, showing moments of extreme contrast, human resilience and unprecedented destruction.

Also from 4 September, visitors to IWM North, Manchester, will see an updated audiovisual display featuring Biggart and Plunkett's photographs from the day. This will be accompanied by a new short film comprising interviews with Plunkett and Wendy Doremus, Biggart's widow. The new installations will be displayed alongside recovered steelwork from the World Trade Center, plus PJ Crook's After the Eleventh, a newly-acquired artwork created in response to the attacks.

The legacy of 9/11 would later be felt in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, where British forces served on operations for more than a decade. On display at IWM London for the first time will be a laptop computer, GPS device and annotated maps used by army officers during Operation Herrick 6 (2007), offering visitors a personal insight into military operations in the field.

Additionally, a new IWM publication featuring previously unseen photographs will document the reality of life at Camp Bastion, the British military base at the heart of operations in Helmand Province from 2006 to 2014. Captured by IWM photographer Richard Ash during research visits to the active war zone, the images offer a behind-the-scenes view of a desert city that once housed nearly 30,000 personnel.

IWM will also run two events to complement the new displays. On 5 September, IWM Reflections: 9/11 will invite visitors to reflect on the human impact and long legacy of a day that changed lives around the world, bringing together first-hand survivor testimony, expert discussion with a panel including Suzanne Plunkett, and a live music performance from the English Chamber Orchestra.

On 10 September, the IWM Institute and the Pilgrims Society will host an evening event, 25 Years On: September 11th and the Remaking of the Modern World, with senior international defence figures, terrorism experts and political analysts from both sides of the Atlantic. Examining how the attacks reshaped global politics, security and society, speakers include Lord George Robertson, former secretary general of NATO; Chatham House's Lina Khatib; and counter-terrorism expert Suzanne Raine.

The displays at IWM London and IWM North, as well as the 5 September event at IWM London, are free to visit and attend. Tickets for the 10 September evening event are limited and booking is advised. IWM's new publication of photos from Camp Bastion will be available to purchase from 31 August.