New Memorial, Ancient Arts

The Fire Department of New York Memorial Wall, a 56-foot bas-relief bronze sculpture at 124 Liberty Street, honors the firefighters who died in the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The sculpture was designed and fabricated by The Rambusch Company, a design studio and craft workshop founded in 1898 which has trained scores of artisans and designers in art metal and stained glass.

Designer and sculptor with scale model of the monument

Viggo Rambusch, left, shown with sculptor Joseph Petrovics, designed the FDNY monument with classical themes. He modeled his composition on the heroic images of Trajan’s Column, a Roman monument erected in 113 CE as a tribute to the military victories of the emperor Trajan. The burning towers are at the center of the design, flanked by stylized representations of firefighters and equipment on either side.

Preparing two tons of molten bronze for casting the memorial wall, 2006

New York in the nineteenth century was home to hundreds of iron foundries, large and small, employing skilled iron moulders and metalworkers. Foundries in New York today are far fewer, and specialize in small-scale production. The Bedi-Makky Art Foundry is a family business that casts statuary and monuments for clients, including The Rambusch Company. Here workers melt the metal for the FDNY Memorial Wall before it is poured into the molds for each section of the sculpture.

Finishing touches, 2006

Finishing work on the monument is done at the Bedi-Makky Art Foundry in Brooklyn, 2006. A wire brushing, the application of an acid patina, and a sacrificial wax finish are the finishing touches on the monument.

Final adjustments, 2006

Lighting designer James Hasler makes final adjustments to the memorial prior to the dedication in 2006. The FDNY monument is installed on the west face of Ten House, 124 Liberty Street, home of the Fire Department of New York Engine Company 10 and Ladder Company 10.