N. spotted a story from the BBC on the discovery of dozens of CDs storing pictures of the aftermath of 9/11 and work on the pile taken by what archivists think was a construction worker. The images are so disturbing to look at, yet it is impossible to turn away. There are 2,400 photos in all hosted on Flickr here; I was compelled to look through at least 500 in one sitting and more later. The scene is so familiar, yet still so distant.

From the BBC: “Archivists who bought a stash of CDs at a house clearance sale found 2,400 photos of Ground Zero in New York taken following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. They appear to have been taken by an as yet unidentified construction worker who helped to clear up the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers and surrounding area. The CDs were in poor condition but the data was ultimately retrievable.”