Photo credit: 9/11 Memorial staff
Accession Number: C.2011.1020.13
Dimensions: 0.25 in X 2.75 in
Dimensions (Metric): 0.635 cm X 6.985 cm
Credit Line: Collection 9/11 Memorial Museum
Description
Souvenir Christmas ornament in its original packaging. The ornament is in the shape of a wreath, colored green, with the Twin Towers in the center and a red bow below with printed text: "World Trade Center | New York." The back of the ornament has printed text in red: "Season's Greetings from | Top of the World."
Historical Notes
Soon after it was built, the World Trade Center, and specifically the Twin Towers, took on iconic status. Although initially criticized for their architecture of "gigantism," the two soaring towers soon became a landmark, looming large in the public imagination as an icon of New York City’s audacity and vitality. They were seen as a symbol of America itself—a place of possibilities and dreams that defied limitation.
The Twin Towers, one of New York City’s most photographed landmarks, were used in marketing, featured on postcards and souvenirs, and appeared in movies and television.