The 9/11 Memorial Museum is the most powerful museum I’ve ever visited. I can’t say I enjoyed it, given the tragic events it documents. However, I believe it’s worth visiting at least once. I don’t know if I’ll ever return because it brings back so many memories.

I was already living in Austin when the attacks occurred. Still, as a native New Yorker, the tragedy cuts deeply.

During high school, I worked a summer job at a computer store in Lower Manhattan. Rushing out to lunch each day, it took me about a week to realize I was walking past the Twin Towers. Native New Yorkers rarely looked up at the city’s skyscrapers, risking being labeled a tourist. So my eyes stayed fixed at street level. I only realized how close I was to the World Trade Center after noticing a sign. When I finally looked up, I was floored by the enormity of the buildings.

I also photographed the museum with other cameras, but the slow, contemplative pace of shooting with the manual-focus Leica M 246 Monochrom suited the atmosphere. I’m only going to share one post from inside the museum, however. Pictured here is The Last Column, a 36-foot section of the South Tower and the final piece of structural steel removed from Ground Zero. The museum is filled with powerful symbols, but this one may be the most poignant.

Blog readers, you’ll love my free monthly photography magazine. Signup for the free magazine to get articles and topics not discussed on the blog.