On September 11, 2001, Bill walked the two miles from his home in Manhattan to reach the World Trade Center as soon as he learned of the first plane hitting the North Tower.
Bill was soon shooting straight up at the burning buildings. He was not far from the first tower when it fell. After being overtaken by the dust cloud, he photographed the devastation all around him. Wendy, his wife, reached Bill on his cell phone shortly after the first tower fell. He told her not to worry, he would meet her in 20 minutes at his studio. "I’m safe," he assured her, "I'm with the firemen." It was the last time they ever spoke. About 20 minutes later, the second tower collapsed.
Four days after his death, Bill's remains were discovered along with a bag containing his cameras and the CompactFlash card from which the famous photos were recovered.
Bill's wife, said, "Bill's photos display his independent spirit and his exuberant passion for life and photography. He was a person who loved his work and was working at what he loved right up to the end."
The North Tower burning. (Bill Biggart)
Bill Biggart's last photograph, of the fallen South Tower, taken shortly before the North Tower collapsed.
