The World Trade Collapse - 2001

Even Allah seemed perturbed

About this Book Project. November 2001-2003

A few months after the events in New York City thebookmann had an usual dream where he was part of the World Trade Center Memorial project.

The Memorial 1

The proposal consisted of a raised transparent resin buttress encased with the names those lost on that day. It was essential to use material from the structures to give an immortal presence.

The type would be set in reverse and the shadow would cast the individual's names below on a polished marbled floor. The names would simply appear or sometimes not depending on degree of light during the course of a day. With no relationship to New York or the United Sates of America, such a project seemed inconceivable and wondered why?….. Perhaps a book?. The following below is the proposal for an Art Book residency in New York in 2003 .

A Book Memorial

Prototype dimensions: 10x10x.25 inches Research regarding this project has been overwhelming. The prototype contains the actual names.

The book consists of 40 folded sheets of transparent paper 10 x 9.5 ins in size. Constructed in the form of Japanese binding the folds are at the foredge and the sections are secured by a side stitch or with wooden pegs (as shown) at the center of the backboard. Covered in full or an optional spine material for strength using Japanese paper. The inner endpapers are ribbed in texture.

The concept are two books sewn as one. The leaves are divided equally so that it can be viewed either side verso-recto. The text blocks are enclosed with the hinge at the pages’ foredge. The two front boards would be die cut to insert two elongated iron rods in the hope that the actual material is embedded. (one eighth x 9.25 ins in length)


This book is assembled with four boards and the sections are side stitched. The narrow center strip tipped on then secured by small wooden pegs.