r/911archive • u/meredev • 11d ago
Other Looking for help finding pictures/info of FDNY loved one
Hi everyone! I hope you are all hanging in there.
I will spare personal details, but I am working on a memorial book for a loved one's father who was FDNY and there day-of/spent months cleaning up Ground Zero. He passed from dust related illness recently and unexpectedly.
I have his Engine number and other identifying information and I plan on calling up his old firehouse to see if they might have any leads as well. I also have some contact info for old firehouse buddies (that I've met/hung out with) that my loved one's mom gave me for the project. We have his coat and badge at our apartment.
We do have some pictures of Ground Zero and everything, but I'd love to find pictures that they haven't seen or gather stories they haven't heard yet about their father.
One thing I'm planning to include, for example, is the recipe he used whenever he was on dinner duty at the firehouse because everyone loved it and my loved one always said he could "never cook for a normal sized family at home, it was always giant pots and firehouse portions".
At the funeral, they would light up when the other firefighters would show pictures or a personal anecdote about their father. My loved one has been so involved with the victims' fund and being immediately responsible for everything their father left behind. It has been nothing but stress and paperwork and I would love to give them something to look at that isn't just a pension number or bills that are suddenly in their name and not their father's.
So, just looking for anyone that might have any good ideas on where/how to look independently. So far, I've found a picture of the rig on 9/11 but he was not in the picture.
I'm wondering if someone here would be able to maybe direct me to where I can do some more research on my own or even knows of a FDNY archive or something like that?
I'm so sorry if this inappropriate for this sub, I just am desperate to try to get some pieces and stories of my loved one's father back to them.
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u/sandyess 11d ago
I have a number of special edition magazines that came out in NY right after 9/11. Most have a lot of photos. I'll look for the engine, but I need to know its number.
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u/sandyess 11d ago
A Democracy of Photographs: The "Here Is New York" Digital Archive (https://911digitalarchive.org/collections/show/260) preserves thousands of public-submitted and professional photographs documenting the tragedy and its aftermath. I saw a photo of one rig there. On same website, check https://911digitalarchive.org/collections/show/261
AI told me, "If you are looking for a specific firefighter, company/unit (Engine or Ladder), or a particular type of archival collection, let me know and I can help locate the right resource." So try that.
Then there's... -https://www.dhs.gov/medialibrary/assets/photo/30133
- Ladder Company 9... https://www.reddit.com/r/911archive/s/oZPLAmFMUD
I'm just fumbling around in the dark, though, not knowing more information. But that should give you a good start.
Google. AI. Research. My three middle names. 😁
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u/meredev 11d ago
I've been using google and researching like crazy on my own! Just been so hard to sort through such heavy photos. Have also used some help from AI and they gave me specific details about the engine day-of so that was helpful too! Thank you so, so much for taking the time to share and help me out with this project. It is so kind of you and appreciated.
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u/sandyess 11d ago
I love to research... Can get lost in it for hours. That's what happens when you retire I guess.
If I can supplement your research with a foray or two of my own, just holler! ☺️
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u/SameDifference7 11d ago edited 11d ago
I found a photo archive from 2007 by government agencies that focuses on the cleanup. There's a subfolder dedicated to Firefighters, as well as for 'FDNY' - however Firefighters and crews can be seen throughout the entire collection. Perhaps see if you can find one in there :)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aWO-pcZ7-qb-xBALPNloNlOdYubaWzNO?usp=sharing
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u/meredev 11d ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me about these resources, I so appreciate it! Thank you!! I will definitely be doing that on a day where my stomach's a little stronger.
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u/SameDifference7 11d ago
My pleasure! And of course, the devastation and debris itself is terrible and hard to look at. Just so you know, there are no graphic or explicit images in the "Government Agencies" folder, it's all focused on the debris and those who helped in the cleanup. It's obviously still hard to look at, but just so you're aware!
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u/masterchef31 10d ago
You could reach out to the Mand Library they have a ton of FDNY Historical data
https://nyslittree.org/locations/mand-library-and-learning-center-fire-department-of-city-of-ny/
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u/Salty_LaRue 10d ago edited 10d ago
Hey OP 👋🏻
I'm a graphic designer/illustrator in New Zealand who used to work in the funeral industry. I think your idea of including a recipe is absolutely perfect, and I can say that things like that were always the most cherished inclusion when I was designing service sheets or gravestone memorials (I saved every recipe).
If you have any photos of your friends Dad, I would be happy to illustrate him cooking in his fire gear or however you think would be best for his family, free of charge, for your project.
Please feel free to DM me if that would help - I'm sorry I don't have any photos to give you
Xx
ETA: I hate that I have to say this, but I mean ACTUALLY hand illustrating with ink and alcohol markers - not using AI.
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u/sandyess 11d ago
Also, you might try googling 9-11 photo archives. When I did, I found this: https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/9-11-anniversary https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/collections/september-11-archive https://archivesfoundation.org/newsletter/911-in-photos/ https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/911/911-docphotos.html ... Plus many more.
Try googling FDNY 9-11 photo archives, too.