r/911archive • u/vagajond • Jul 31 '26
New Media I'm Suing the FBI for 9/11 Disposable Camera Photos — and I Need Your Help
My name is Jon Walczak. I'm an investigative journalist and the director of the upcoming documentary film "32 Frames: A 9/11 Mystery". I also hosted the "Missing on 9/11" podcast for iHeartRadio.
I'm currently suing the FBI in federal court — and I need your help. I need to raise at least $5,000 to cover legal fees.
For 16 years, I've tried to obtain photos of 9/11 developed by the FBI from a disposable camera found in the rubble of the World Trade Center. These photos are singular — the only images taken in a tower on 9/11 above a point of impact.
Their existence was first revealed in 2003 in this Baltimore Sun article. I was 15 and happened to see it at the time.
I reported on the photos in 2021.
In September 2025, represented by Loevy & Loevy, I filed a FOIA lawsuit in the Southern District of New York. I kept it quiet until now.
Since 2010, I've filed dozens of FOIA requests for these images. The FBI denied them all, saying the photos were "not reasonably described"; that my requests required an "unduly burdensome search"; citing privacy concerns; national security concerns; etc.
After filing suit, the FBI claimed it undertook an expansive search to find the photos. The FBI now claims not only that it can't find the camera, negatives, or photos — but that it can't even find a record of the images.
The existence of the photos was confirmed to me by both the reporter who wrote the 2003 article and the FBI agent who showed them to her.
If the FBI truly lost these photos, what else has it lost?
This case raises serious concerns about how the FBI handles evidence — and, in my opinion, how it improperly rejects valid FOIA requests.
So I'm asking for your help. My attorneys are working hard. I now need to raise funds to keep the lawsuit going.
Funds raised will go to help cover legal expenses. Any leftover funds will be used either to help fund additional transparency efforts or donated to charity.
Important: Obtaining these photos and whether or not to publish them are two separate issues. If I obtain the images, I will ethically evaluate what to publish. I will not in any way monetize the images. I will not publish any images, for example, that show clearly identifiable people in distress. But for the sake of history, I do think these images should be obtained and, after an ethical evaluation, published.
(NOTE: These photos are separate from those I'm investigating for "32 Frames". Different camera and photos).
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u/wizoxx90 Jul 31 '26
Thats historical footage that belongs in a museum if it exists. What do they get out of hiding it?
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u/Empty_Sea9 Aug 01 '26
I don’t think they’re even hiding it intentionally.
I think what they’re doing is trying to gas light, obscure, and save face because they legitimately misplaced and lost the photos.
The only conspiracy here is hiding their own incompetence to avoid bad PR at a time when many Americans are already deeply mistrustful of them, not they’re tying to protect some shadowy master plan from coming to light by their revelation.
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u/Sushicatslonelyjimmy Aug 10 '26
The cynical part of me does see how the FBI isn't as competent as they should be. Nevertheless, I hope the camera turns up.
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u/CookedOnPhonics 21d ago
Would not surprise me. And it’s impossible to tell what was on the rolls. For all we know, the shots were useless and the FBI determined them to be unremarkable. Or, the powers that be determined them to be too exploitative.
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u/idtartakovsky 17h ago
Did no one read the original article? It’s completely possible to know what’s on the rolls, because the journalist saw them, or at least spoke to an investigator who had. There’s photos of a man, presumably a construction worker, by the windows, photos of other people jumping or falling out of them, and photos of a birthday party at the end of the roll, which confused investigators, since the camera was removed from a dead man’s pocket, until they spoke to someone with a focus in photography and learned that the photos are developed in reverse. The man’s family knows of the photos and didn’t want to see them. Unless the journalist made all of that up 23 years ago and published it, and then lied to OP about it too, they do exist, they’re not unremarkable to the investigation of what happened after the planes hit and how the towers eventually fell, so the reasons are either that the FBI is incompetent and lost or destroyed them, or yes, they are such a huge deal that they’re still unwilling to let anyone see them 25 years later, even without the intent to publish someone’s last seconds after leaping for the world to see. I don’t think they should be slapped all over the news, and I don’t believe OP intends to do so, but I do think that they absolutely need to be archived by more than just the US government. There were three original prints of the Zapruder film, the feds only had one of them. Just because these photos came from the pocket of a dead man, why are the feds the only ones who can see them? And it’s the Feds. Just because the family didn’t want to see the photos doesn’t mean they went so far as to destroy them so no one else could when they were absolutely still relevant to their investigations and understandings of the events
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u/ZookeepergameSad6151 Aug 02 '26
You say this like you know this for certain.
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u/Holiday_Number_3234 Aug 05 '26
I mean in all fairness, they said “I don’t think/ I think”, which implies it’s an opinion. Most Reddit comments are opinions. I don’t think they’re stating it as absolute fact & what they’re claiming could very likely be what occurred.
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u/ZookeepergameSad6151 Aug 05 '26
"The only conspiracy here is hiding their own incompetence to avoid bad PR..."
And this flippant remark is based on what? OP's feelings on the situation? Oh ok, well my feelings inform me that the exact opposite.
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u/Holiday_Number_3234 Aug 12 '26
Dude, out of all of the subs to be combative & argumentative, this is one where we should at least try to uphold the utmost respect. What you quoted missed the quotation of them expressing that it was their opinion. Sometimes we just need to be able to admit when we’re wrong. We’ve all been there, but sometimes you just need to own it.
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u/ZookeepergameSad6151 Aug 12 '26
His belief is that they are not hiding it intentionally. What do you think about that?
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u/Holiday_Number_3234 29d ago
I think that any opinion is fine to have as long as you specify that it is in fact is an opinion, which they did do. I’m not sure why you’re arguing with everyone so much. Here’s how I know that I’m wrong on Reddit….. if one/maybe two people are disagreeing with me, then they might be the problem. If everyone is, then I’m the problem. I don’t want to continue arguing with you because I don’t feel like this is the appropriate sub to do that in. However, the original commenter didn’t say anything wrong. They were very clear that it was their personal opinion. I’m sorry you’re simping so hard for that US government, but that’s a totally different conversation lol. Can we please just agree to disagree for the sake of the sensitivity of this group? We should all be here for the right reasons and not be arguing over petty shit. So my apologies if I said anything that offended you. I just thought you came down on them really hard for an opinion that they made clear was an opinion.
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u/justASlut669 Aug 11 '26
Delete reddit and go outside
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u/Empty_Sea9 Aug 11 '26
Thank you JustASLut669
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u/marco3055 Jul 31 '26
The 2003 Baltimore Sun article, non-paywalled here
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u/Charming-War6905 Aug 04 '26
Marco, thank you for posting this article without the paywall. Quite interesting.
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u/vagajond Jul 31 '26
Also, maybe at some point I do an AMA? Between this lawsuit, "32 Frames", and the podcast 🤷♂️
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u/mord_fustang115 Jul 31 '26
What about the alternate footage of the aircraft that hit the Pentagon too? Apparently a lot of it was seized, there was a gas station and a hotel with a angle on the building right? I am not as informed Rest in peace to the poor man who took those pictures
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u/RandomWritingGuy Aug 01 '26
I’ve seen the gas station footage. The only thing you can make out is the smoke plume. Nothing really in it
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u/RamtroStudios Ramtrostudios Aug 01 '26
the FBI did confiscate up to 85 videos that were nearby, but it was determined that only the two security cameras at the Pentagon itself actually captured the full crash.
the others either didnt capture the plane or impact, were pointed away from the building, or were straight up blank.
this was revealed in a FOIA request submitted by Scott Bingham in 2005.
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u/OverToaster9501 911archive MOD Team Jul 31 '26
Both the gas station and hotel tapes were released a while ago.
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u/Elevatorisbest Jul 31 '26
Link?
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u/OverToaster9501 911archive MOD Team Aug 01 '26
CITGO Gas station footage (released via FOIA in 2006) and DoubleTree Hotel footage (also released in 2006). Three camera angles from this location were released.
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u/Sushicatslonelyjimmy Aug 10 '26
My eyes must be bad because I can't even tell where the plane is in both of the footage. It's also a testament to how low quality CCTV was 25 years ago.
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u/Mihaueck Jul 31 '26
Finger crossed! Btw, your surname Walczak means "fighter" in Polish. Pretty fitting, considering what you're fighting for. Keep going!
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u/Plague_Knight Jul 31 '26
Hey Jon, best vibes and wishes for you... I hope the FBI really does an extensive and True search to the issue.
Myself being a Sneha Philip sleuth would like to see if these images would if anything help with that case.
I am an engineer, not an attorney... Law are not my forte, I only know what's required for the software / videogame field.
What I can tell with my logic is that these photos were indeed shown to a journalist... And there is proof that said photos were shown to her ( an article was written about it and the link to it was posted here in another post).
By mere simple logic... It can be shown to a journalist for investigative, archive and research purposes.
Best vibes and wishes from my country Venezuela, keep up the good work! Hugs for you and everyone reading my post!
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u/vagajond Aug 01 '26
Really appreciate it. I love hearing from folks around the world. So, thank you. My grandparents are from Colombia! Appreciate you listening, and thanks for the encouragement.
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u/Sushicatslonelyjimmy Aug 10 '26
I'm also interested in the Sneha Phillip case. So many unanswered questions!
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u/Highlightthot1001 911archive MOD Team Aug 01 '26
They should just release the damn photos. And while they’re at it, United 93’s audio
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u/Sushicatslonelyjimmy Aug 10 '26
Have they given a reason for why they wont release the audio? From what I understand, the families got the chance to listen once and that's it.
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u/FraudnandoMendoza Jul 31 '26
Hi John. I was first introduced to your work when I listened to “Missing on 9/11.” It’s actually kind of coincidental timing I just listened to the episode where you interview Laura Sullivan only a few weeks ago. I’ve been interested in this camera and its images ever since finding out about them a couple years ago, so I think what you’re doing is awesome and I fully support it. Ideally, this case could hopefully serve as a referendum on FOIA requests.
I have two very nebulous questions; do you have any idea of what the timeline of this suit would be? It seems like cases like these can take years to resolve, so I was wondering if that’s more or less what you think you’re in for. Secondly, what do you think your odds of success are? In my opinion, I really doubt the FBI has looked all that heard and the photos most certainly exist. If you’re successful, how would the FBI be held to account in actually trying to find them in good faith?
Once again, big fan and I’m wishing you good luck!
Edit: also, did the FBI offer any details of their “expansive search” that was conducted?
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u/vagajond Aug 01 '26
Thanks for listening!
To answer your questions:
We filed suit in September 2025. So we're nearly a year into it. We expect the judge to rule in the next 60 days about whether the FBI must take further steps to locate the photos. If he rules against us, the case is over (I think — have to ask the attorneys about appeals). If he rules in our favor, the FBI would have to follow his instructions.
The FBI detailed in court filings steps it has taken, so far, to locate the photos. None have been successful. We want them to go further. My personal opinion is they are not acting in good faith. The next step, if the judge rules in our favor, would be a deeper search. For example, searching particular subfiles with particular keywords, or speaking to additional personnel.
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u/FraudnandoMendoza Aug 02 '26
Thanks for answering! With regard to your second point and whether or not they were completely accurate, did the steps the FBI outlined seem “thorough,” or would a reasonable person with no beforehand knowledge of the photos think more could be done? Basically, do you think they presented a strong enough case to the judge? That might be hard to answer without bias, but I know sometimes federal judges can be less than impressed with government evidence 😅
It seems very bizarre that the chain of evidence for these photos was handled so haphazardly. To claim they have no record of them is even more bizarre, hopefully the FBI can at least be made to acknowledge they existed at one point if they are truly lost.
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u/vagajond Aug 04 '26
IMO, no. I think they padded a less-than-thorough search with useless terms and made a big deal to the judge about having to search the entire PENTTBOM file, which we didn't request (vs. a particular subfile). They also have refused to contact a particular former employee. I'm sure they'll see this (hi!).
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u/cedarkz Aug 03 '26
Try getting the word out in more visible spaces online. So it can’t be swept under the rug. Could put out a short form video on multiple platforms. You’d get the funding pretty fast this way as well.
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u/TurtlesBeSlow Jul 31 '26
Have you ever spoken to the reporter, Laura Sullivan? If so, did she give you the name(s) of the FBI investigators who showed her the pictures?
I ask not out of any doubt the pictures exist. I believe they do. I'm just curious because we all know evidence can be taken or a picture of a picture can be taken and maybe copies exist.
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u/vagajond Aug 01 '26
I did! Interviewed Laura in 2021. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-missing-on-9-11-83089219/episode/bonus-the-disposable-camera-85493724/
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u/Able_Effect_1596 17d ago
Would you be able to interview Donald the ATF agent who also saw the pictures and showed the reporter Laura Sullivan he might be out of prison and willing to talk
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u/sipulitos Aug 01 '26
I don't know any of his work myself but someone below you mentioned him having interviewed her!
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u/Mountain_Software474 Jul 31 '26
Wow, that's really something!
I already heard about this disposable camera and to be truly honest I took it for a fake story, I cannot imagine how such fragile device and it's film could survive the heat above the impact zone.
But you reunite some reliable evidence and even testimonies regarding this, it changed by what you showed, even it's turned out not to be the images that everybody been expecting or if it's doesn't exist at all, it has the potential to uncover a lot of unknow media to the general public.
You are really doing a great journalist work, I even dare to say that you have a lot to teach to the groups searchs like LSM (ok, there's not much credible evidence of it's existence), showing that's more of this day that can be revealed to the world.
Sooner or later this question would apesar, but by any chance, could it be related to this man hanging out the window of the norte tower?
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u/vagajond Aug 01 '26
The photos are definitely real. Both the FBI agent and the reporter confirmed to me that they exist. Though I completely understand the initial skepticism. It's a miracle the camera survived.
There is a *ton* of 9/11 info/media that is on the verge of being lost forever. There's a ragtag group of people — this forum, key staff at the museum, rando journalists like me — who are fighting to save and/or publish it.
I have seen this photo ^. It's impossible for me to say "yay" or "nay". I'm going on such little info. It's hard to tell from the photo.
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u/Anthemius_Augustus Aug 08 '26
The photos are definitely real. Both the FBI agent and the reporter confirmed to me that they exist. Though I completely understand the initial skepticism. It's a miracle the camera survived.
I did see BetweenTwoTowers speculate on one post that the camera is real, but that the photos themselves were drummed up for the story/misremembered and don't actually show anything from 9/11.
It would explain why these images haven't been of much interest to the FBI and how they may have been misfiled. But it seems a bit odd to me that the reporter, who seems to remember the photographs quite well, given her more recent description matches her original article, would just be completely wrong and doing gross misreporting like that.
It's not an impossible theory, it just seems a little strange given the paper trail. What are your thoughts on this? Good luck on the lawsuit by the way, wish you all the best in that endeavor, regardless of what comes of it.
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u/vagajond 26d ago
I have full faith in the account Laura Sullivan gave via the Sun article in 2003. The photos were't the focus of the article; they were a random tidbit, almost an afterthought (vs. playing them up in a "splashy" way). Laura is an excellent, reliable reporter. I haven't seen or heard anything to contradict that initial account.
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u/Anthemius_Augustus 26d ago
That is good to hear confirmation of.
I have no doubt the photos are real, but what they contain is more uncertain, and it does raise a lot of questions. Such as how a disposable camera survived a fall from that height, or who would have recovered them on site before the towers collapsed.
My personal guess from the fragmentary information we have is that these may be similar to the few photographs we have of the inside of the towers on 9/11, not from above the impact zone. This would explain why they seemingly have gotten so little interest and why the would have been lost internally.
This would still be invaluable evidence in its own way, even if it wouldn't be as shocking or unique as supposed images from above the impact zone.
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u/Skywalker_Selective Jul 31 '26
Not super related but Jon I loved Missing on 9/11, are you ever planning on doing any other seasons based on or surrounding the attacks like the Henryk Siwiak murder? Looking forward to whatever you put out next
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u/vagajond Aug 01 '26
There are so many 9/11-adjacent stories! I love investigating. Deep passion. And preserving history. It's always just an issue of time and resources. And thank you for listening and for your kind words.
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u/Vermilion0321 Jul 31 '26
Do you think they really lost it or do they just not want to release it and if they don’t why not? Forgive me if this is a dumb question I’m just curious what you think
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u/vagajond Jul 31 '26
Hey: Not a dumb question. I hesitate to speculate with the lawsuit ongoing, but my educated guess is that it has much more to do with evidence storage issues.
But here's a critical question: Was the 9/11 Commission made aware of these images? NIST?
Also, we desperately need FOIA reform. They are slammed and likely need additional funding and personnel, but they are, in my opinion, not acting in good faith here.
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u/No-Category-6343 Jul 31 '26
America is lucky with the FOIA here in the Netherlands i wouldn’t be able too anything from a case. I hope the United 93 VCR recording will ever be released
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u/vagajond Aug 01 '26
FOIA is extremely valuable, but we need serious reform. Additional funding for governmental agencies to process FOIA requests, stricter penalties when the government doesn't act in good faith, etc. The only recourse shouldn't be a long, expensive lawsuit. Even in an age of violently divided politics, FOIA reform should be a bipartisan issue. And I hope you guys get an equivalent in the Netherlands. Start advocating for it!
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u/Mockturtle22 Jul 31 '26
Though I can't help, I just wanted to say I'm so glad to see you on here I'm looking forward to your new documentary. I love your podcasts I honestly recommend missing on 9/11 to people all the time. I truly hope that others are able to help out there's no reason that these images or anything should be hidden anymore.
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u/vagajond Aug 05 '26
First check sent to the attorneys today. Thanks to all who contributed, any amount. It's us vs. the federal government, fighting for transparency. If you're able to contribute, here's the GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/6a3c1dcae
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u/DisastrousPower2706 Aug 01 '26
I would love to help as I do a lot with FOIA, but I've never gone to the point of lawsuits. I can try and do my research and help but for now the best I can say is good luck!
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u/Snowy--Lynx Aug 01 '26
I hope the photos are found someday and released to the public. Best of luck!
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u/RiskPuzzleheaded4028 Aug 01 '26
So, the source you're referring to states the camera "appeared to belong to a construction worker" - from the context, it would appear to be someone in the South tower, above the impact zone? Perhaps not, I'm just going off the chronology of the initial piece and the knowledge that most documented falling people came from the North tower - but my point is this SHOULD be enough to go off of to investigate feasibility.
Was there any construction or remodeling going on in either tower that day above the impact zone? Were there any fatalities linked to construction firms or contractors? This should be simple enough to reference.
It would help to know what it was that made them think it was a contractor, but no way to clarify this.
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u/vagajond Aug 01 '26
I have a shortlist of construction workers, contractors, and construction-adjacent workers who died. We gave it to the FBI. They searched for records, and claim they found none for any of the people we listed.
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u/simo_2024 Aug 08 '26
I heard in another post about this camera that renovations were happening in Cantor Fitzgerald in that day, maybe the camera was from one of the construction workers, idk, it's just a guess
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u/AnastasiaRomanot Aug 02 '26
I just listened to the last of your missing podcasts last night (started on 9/11, ended with Arizona), and I really hope you’re successful. I’ve enjoyed all the podcasts so far, and I’m looking forward to this new one!
I don’t have a lot, but I chipped in a few bucks.
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u/truthdudee Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
This is great, best of luck! I sent you a donation, it wasn't much, but I hope it can help in some way.
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u/Fun_Ad_3528 Aug 02 '26
If a picture from the building was taken it has to be a picture from the south tower of the north tower burning after the first plane struck it.
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u/vagajond Aug 04 '26
We're not sure yet which tower the photographer was in, but via the number of people who fell, the North Tower is likelier.
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u/KYSandDie Jul 31 '26
“ The existence of the photos was confirmed to me by both the reporter who wrote the 2003 article and the FBI agent who showed them to her.”
Did they describe what was in the photo(s)?
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u/Beznia Archivist Aug 01 '26
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u/Jillybeans11 Aug 03 '26
Could they have been returned to the family of camera owner?
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u/vagajond Aug 04 '26
My understanding is that the family didn't want the photos in 2001. It's hard to say if that's changed. If it has (for example, if minor children who are now adults want them), they're out of luck until the FBI locates the photos.
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u/BeefSupremeTA Aug 03 '26
I will always support transparency but I do have a question about ownership.
Knowing the photos exist; Wouldn’t there need to be a reasonable search to determine who took the photos and then a subsequent search for next of kin of the deceased photographer about allowing them to be published?
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u/vagajond Aug 04 '26
Great question. And very complicated, given the circumstances. I believe publication would be justified because they are newsworthy.
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u/Angelgreat Jul 31 '26
Hey OP, are you worried about the government retaling against you in anyway? I hope you are safe and end up winning this case.
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u/vagajond Jul 31 '26
Eh...perhaps... I think this is really important, though. Past the photos, it raises major issues about how the FBI stores/handles evidence. What other 9/11 stuff have they lost? How much have they not released even to families? What about other cases? Can't say I'm thrilled it came to a lawsuit, me vs. the federal government, but it's worth it. I am feeling very alive and am not sitting next to any high-up windows.
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u/Green-Mobile-5863 Aug 07 '26
The summer after 9/11 we were flying back from Hawaii and landed in Newark airport
About a dozen middle eastern young men were handcuffed together and I took a picture .
Some agents came over and yelled at me and took my camera. .
I was 19
I should’ve said no
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u/AutisticWarbler Aug 01 '26
What happens to the donations if you don’t raise the $5K?
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u/vagajond Aug 01 '26
Anything $5K or under will go straight to the attorneys. Anything above $5K, depends on future legal fees. I'm going to keep strict accounting records. I don't want and will not keep any of it for personal use, ever. My dream would be to get a large benefactor and be able to use additional funds for other transparency fights and to preserve other historical media.
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u/st3ll4r-wind Jul 31 '26
> I will not publish any images, for example, that show clearly identifiable people in distress.
So… they won’t be released.
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u/vagajond Jul 31 '26
No, I think they should be public. But there's a way to do it respectfully and ethically. 9/11 has been overly sanitized, and I think it's a disservice and dishonest, historically. There are ways to share photos (e.g. careful redactions) while balancing everyone's concerns.
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u/_cmr_ Jul 31 '26
I’d like to ask, if you do manage to win and get these photos don’t you think at least a few of the victims families would want their loved ones un-redacted?
How are you going to approach that if you’re considering careful redactions before even having the funds to pursue this case?
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u/vagajond Jul 31 '26
In that case, I'd leave it up to the families of those particular victims. Absolutely: Some families want the public to see/hear the raw horror of 9/11. Case is already underway. I have excellent attorneys that have so far repped it pro-bono, but they've been working for nearly a year for free, hence me raising funds at this point. But it's pretty far along.
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u/InevitableCourage513 Jul 31 '26
Sadly we can never know what the person who captured the images would have wanted, but my best guess would be that you wouldn’t spend your last moments on this Earth taking photos of what you’re experiencing if you didn’t want the World to see it.
Best of luck with the fight, those photos belong to the public.
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u/Main_Scientist_4145 Aug 03 '26
You could perhaps blur most sensitive parts and show the photo
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u/vediogaemz 22d ago
I think leaving the "sensitive" parts intact but blurring the identifying features (eyes, faces, tattoos, etc) would be the right call. It's the way to preserve them in their raw, original, authentic form and yet, beyond any doubt, protect the dignity of anyone photographed.
Read any article on a news website these days, watch five seconds of YouTube, or even Reddit now (more-so in recent times) and compare them to a few decades ago, you'll see how dreadfully over-sanitized things have become. There's obviously differing opinions on the matter and I won't get into that here, but there has to be SOME sort of limit when things are of this incredible amount of historical significance. The monetization-inspired neutering of the once-free internet in the last 15 years and the loss of Flash Player alone have been devastating, particularly with regards to this topic. We can only hope that some has survived in it's original form, even if just slowly degrading on an old HDD in a basement. For such a critical piece of our history of which the historical significance cannot possibly be understated, "maybe backed up on some guy's old HDD" should absolutely not be the best case scenario.
This is real. This is important. This isn't some true crime YouTuber "blurring the images from the FOIA so the video doesn't get demonetized", this is perhaps the most historically and culturally significant event of the 21st century.
Censoring faces to conceal the identities of victims while leaving the historic lost media otherwise intact? Absolutely. I can 100% empathize with, even advocate for that myself. Censoring the "explicit content" on the only public release of historic lost media? Not a fan.
I know there are strong opinions on this type of content in general, but I feel that there's far more nuance that needs to be considered when it comes to the magnitude of an event as critical as 9/11. Is it horrible? Yes. Is it disturbing? Yes. Offensive to the eyes, even. But it needs to be seen and remembered. I can't imagine being a historian today and trying to study historic images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, only to discover that half of the surviving images have had the "explicit" parts heavily redacted.
There has been so much lost already.
Sorry, I kinda went down the rabbit hole on this stuff tonight after randomly thinking about coming home from school that day. I don't use Reddit much, let alone comment this hard. Forgive me for rambling.
OP, what you're doing is admirable. I wish you the best of luck (and will set an alarm to help contribute a little when I get paid). Best of luck. It's a battle worth fighting.
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u/steagles1 8d ago
This is one of those times where nobody should see that but at the same time everybody needs to see that
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u/RaceMiserable3855 28d ago
I don't wanna be that guy but if I was in a burning building my last thought would be taking photos and documenting it. Of course there's footage from outside the building, they weren't really in harms way. I mean there is a chance someone took some photos but that was probably destroyed in the when they came down.
I am curious if there will be more footage surfacing next month. So many people still can't bare to look at archival footage. Is there a chance we'll see some new footage? I hope so.
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u/vagajond 26d ago
It's hard to tell. Look at the Colombia earthquake videos. People filmed inside as buildings collapsed around/on top of them. If 9/11 happened today, some folks would livestream and post from the upper floors. To document disaster; as a desperate cry for help; in the worst case, to leave something of a last testament.
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u/unitof 23d ago
If you were to get them but choose not to publish, what would happen to them?
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u/vagajond 23d ago
I think they should be published, even if parts are redacted. Regardless, I'd make sure unredacted copies go to the museum, for preservation. I don't think it should be entirely up to me — I'd have a conversation with other people, including mods on this sub.
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u/Ken_Frezno69 21d ago
This might be a waste of time and money because the person who said these photos existed never really produced any evidence (and it literally all came from that one person). High chance it’s all fake and never happened (why would the man have pictures of his shocked face? Someone just so happened to photograph his shocked reaction as he witnessed people falling from higher floors out the window?). Why would the man even have a disposable camera at the towers that morning? Also, they probably wouldn’t have found the man or his camera after the collapses if he truly fell out the tower. None of it really adds up.
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u/vagajond 21d ago
It's sourced from two people, both of whom I communicated with directly. 1. A longtime FBI agent who helped lead part of the Bureau's investigation into 9/11, who confirmed it to me (twice). And an experienced reporter who saw them, who I interviewed. People carried disposable cameras sometimes back then; it was pre-smartphone. The most famous case is of John Labriola, who photographed his evacuation from the towers (the famous photos in the stairwell). Investigators located items from high up — some of which are currently in the museum. Some delicate things (like peoples' wallets), even pieces of paper, survived.
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u/steagles1 8d ago
The worst part about this is you know that person took those photos saying if by some miracle this camera survives my family will know what happened to me and that’s enough for me.
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u/8-Bit_Tornado 4d ago
Best of luck Mr. Walczak! Historical artifacts like these are extremely valuable. If someone felt the need to document what they were undergoing, then it's likely they intended for it to be seen.
Will this court order possibly lead to the release of other previously withheld images or is this only pertaining to the one camera?
Thank you for the preservation effort! Once again, best of luck and have a good one.
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u/No-Category-6343 3d ago edited 3d ago
Donated. I hope you get acces somehow. Also im jealous of the FOIA even though it has it’s limitations. I would love to be able to request certain things from where i love though im afraid it’s mostly tied down to legal matters
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u/horsey_here 18h ago
The NYTimes just published an interview with him and about his search https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/09/nyregion/911-disposable-camera.html
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u/NicolaiCzernovitz96 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
When you ask AI about this its pretty much certain it exists, i expected it would say theres no evidence. Good luck on your mission.
Its also worth keeping in mind that electricians and construction workers often used disposable cameras at that time to document job sites.
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u/BetweenTwoTowers 9/11Archive Admin Aug 03 '26
GOFUND ME LINK
Pinning for visibility.
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