28 Snapshots of People Posing With the Original World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City Prior to September 11, 2001

Before September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were among the most photographed landmarks in the world. Millions of tourists, New York residents, office workers, and construction personnel posed against the backdrop of the 110-story complex between its opening in 1973 and September 2001.

Tourists and local families frequently posed for snapshots in front of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan, capturing everyday memories against the iconic backdrop of the soaring steel-and-glass skyscrapers. They stood in the bustling Austin J. Tobin Plaza between the towers, trying to tilt their film cameras upward to capture the full height of the buildings.

Tourists rode the high-speed elevators to the South Tower open-air roof or the North Tower observation area to take pictures posing high above the New York City skyline. People also posed from across the Hudson River in New Jersey, or from nearby parks and ferries, to get both themselves and the full silhouette of the towers into a single frame.