Objects And Stories From September 11 Tragedies Presented In Smithsonian Memorial Exhibition On View At The Japanese American National Museum July 1 - August 15, 2004

In its only California presentation, the acclaimed exhibition September 11: Bearing Witness to History opens at the Japanese American National Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, on July 1, 2004. Originally organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the traveling exhibition evokes the memories and experiences of September 11 through images, 45 carefully selected objects, and poignant stories from the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa. The interactive, commemorative exhibition encourages visitors not only to reflect on the specific events of that horrific day, but also to contemplate the significance of experiencing a historic event as it unfolds.

“We are honored to be able to help bring this important exhibition to Los Angeles,” says Irene Hirano, President and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum. "Two of the airplanes were supposed to fly to Los Angeles. By presenting September 11: Bearing Witness to History, our Museum provides an important opportunity for audiences to reflect on how that fateful day forever changed American lives. There is a place in the exhibition that enables people to record their own personal stories, formally adding to a collective American narrative. This will be an important addition by people from California to the Smithsonian Institution’s archives.”

In December 2001, Congress named the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History the nation’s official repository for artifacts pertaining to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The museum brought samples of these artifacts together in a temporary exhibition that opened on September 11, 2002. In the spring of 2003, Congress allotted funding to the Smithsonian to circulate this exhibition to audiences across the nation. The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles is the exhibition’s third venue and only California site. After closing in Los Angeles on August 15, 2004, the exhibition will continue its national tour at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center beginning on September 11, 2004.

The traveling version of September 11: Bearing Witness to History closely follows the original exhibition by bringing together objects, images, and personal stories that help recall this historic day and its impact on our nation. Besides objects from the three sites, the exhibition depicts the nationwide response and recovery efforts. Among the objects on view representing the impact in New York are a piece of twisted steel from the South Tower, airplane fragments, and a door from a crushed fire truck. Objects from the Pentagon include a piece of the building’s limestone facade, damaged and charred; a soot stained panel from a rescue and firefighting vehicle parked near the point of impact; and items recovered from the damaged offices. On loan from Somerset County, Pa. are objects left at a temporary memorial in honor of the victims of Flight 93.

In a section called “My Witness” visitors encounter four touch-screen multimedia stations each with five different personal stories. They include accounts of eyewitnesses, survivors, rescue workers, and victims’ family members, as well as stories from people across the nation.

The final section of the exhibition invites the public to reflect on the September 11 tragedies and share their own experiences. Two questions are posed: “How did you witness history on September 11?” and “Has your life changed since September 11?” The responses will be collected and archived by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

The Web site for September 11: Bearing Witness to History is available to the public at americanhistory.si.edu/september11. The Web site provides access to the entire September 11 collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History—currently more than 140 objects—as well as interviews with curators. Visitors to the site may respond to the questions posed in the exhibition. After the exhibition closes, the database will remain online as a permanent Web feature, expanding as the September 11 collection grows and providing the public with virtual access to the entire collection.

September 11: Bearing Witness to History is organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Behring Center, and is circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The national tour of this exhibition was made possible by the support of the Congress of the United States.

The Los Angeles presentation of the exhibition is co-sponsored by the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, a new educational institution affiliated with the Japanese American National Museum, whose goal is to promote the principles of democracy, diversity, and civic involvement.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History traces American heritage through exhibitions of social, cultural, scientific and technological history. Collections are displayed in exhibitions that interpret the American experience from the Colonial times to the present.

The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown wherever people live, work, and play, including museums, libraries, science centers, historical societies, community centers, botanical gardens, schools and shopping malls. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at www.sites.si.edu.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

The Japanese American National Museum is dedicated to fostering greater understanding and appreciation for America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by preserving and telling the stories of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Since its incorporation in 1985, the National Museum has grown into an internationally recognized institution, presenting award-winning exhibitions, groundbreaking traveling exhibits, educational public programs, innovative video documentaries and cutting-edge curriculum guides. The National Museum raised close to $60 million to renovate an historic building in 1992 and open a state-of-the-art Pavilion in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo Historic District in 1999. There are now over 50,000 members and donors representing all 50 states and 16 different countries.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Japanese American National Museum is located at 369 East First Street in the historic Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles. For more information, call (213) 625-0414 or visit www.janm.org. Museum hours are Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Museum admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for students and children (ages 6–17). Admission is free for Museum members and children under age six. Admission is free to everyone on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations are required for public programs. Public programs are free for Museum members or with paid admission. Metered street parking and public parking lots are conveniently located near the Museum for a nominal fee.

Guided group tours are available for this exhibition. For reservations, call (213) 830-5601 or e-mail groupvisits@janm.org.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF DEMOCRACY

The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy is an innovative educational institution that engages individuals in the examination of the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of American democracy in the 21st Century. Developed through the Japanese American National Museum, the National Center will work collaboratively with educators, youth, community organizations, and public and private institutions to promote the principles of democracy, diversity, and civic engagement by young people. Set to open in the spring of 2005, the National Center will be headquartered in the National Museum’s renovated Historic Building and will include a gallery space, a Democracy Lab and a new 200-seat Forum.