Scope and arrangement
New York Times reporters James Glanz and Eric Lipton's joint project, City In the Sky covers the entire life span of New York City's World Trade Center - from the geology of lower Manhattan, the redevelopment plans that displaced scores of businesses on Radio Row to build the towers, the design and construction of the towers, their role in the economy and life of the Financial District to their eventual destruction and demolition. The book combines the expertise of Glanz's science background and Lipton's political and city reporting to create a biography of the towers themselves. Their research looked not only at the physical aspects of the towers creation and destruction but why certain decisions were made and how those decisions set in motion a chain of events.
The James Glanz World Trade Center research files contain drafts, notebooks, and graphics produced in the creation of his book City in the Sky as well as research materials collected during the book's conception. These research materials include copies of articles, correspondence, notes, and interviews with key players in the conception and construction of the towers, as well as workers in the towers. There are interviews with 9/11 first responders and individuals involved in the recovery and cleanup of the World Trade Center site.
Series I contains drafts and notebooks tracing the evolution of the book from rough ideas and chapter outlines to finished product. The research material series reflects the preliminary work completed by Glanz in the process of creating City in the Sky. The materials are separated into five categories: Conception (1885-1973), Construction (1966-1973), Life in the Towers (1973-2001), 9/11, and Post 9/11 (2001-2003). The majority of the material is secondary source.
The James Glanz World Trade Center research files are arranged in two series:
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2001-2003
Series I contains drafts and notebooks tracing the evolution of the book from rough ideas and chapter outlines to the finished product. Though the book was co-written with Eric Lipton, Glanz did not keep their contributions separate, and the entire process reads as if it was created by a single author. The series includes notebooks created during brainstorming sessions, copies of photographs and graphics that were considered for use in the publication, and marked copies of drafts for each of the book's chapters. Edits are made to these drafts in both Glanz and Lipton's hand. Alphabetical by subject.
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1885-2003
The research material reflects the preliminary work completed by Glanz in the process of creating City in the Sky. The materials are separated into five categories: Conception (1885-1973), Construction (1966-1973), Life in the Towers (1973-2001), 9/11, and Post 9/11 (2001-2003). The majority of the documents are secondary sources such as copies of articles, court cases, expert reports, biographies, and publicly available transcripts of meeting minutes. Topics covered include Radio Row, the enclave of shops and businesses displaced by the World Trade Center project, research on the LeClede Steel Company, which provided steel for the original towers, and expert reports on the assessment on structural and architectural damage brought about by the 9/11 attack. Research on Austin Tobin, the head of the Port Authority from 1942 to 1972 is held here, as well as transcripts of the 2002 court cases regarding insurance pay outs on the towers.
Glanz and Lipton interviewed dozens of individuals in regards to the creation, construction, and eventual destruction of the World Trade Center. These interviews exist in partial transcript form throughout Glanz's research notes. There are also 49 cassette tapes containing complete interviews. These include interviews with Larry Silverstein, engineer Carl Palermo, first responders (both firemen and ironworkers), and many others involved with the initial design and construction of the towers as well as those who worked at Ground Zero.
Chronological by research date, then alphabetical by subject.