“Ground Zero 360: Never Forget”

As the assassination of President John Kennedy was for a previous generation, the 9/11 attacks became a dividing line. There was life before the attacks; there was life after the attacks. And there was that one moment between the two when people first learned what was going on. It wasn’t an accident. It was an attack. It wasn’t one plane. It was four. There was a collective reaction around the world: what can I do about this?

As the two airliners crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the New York-based Irish photographer Nicola McClean responded in the only way that made sense to her — she picked up a camera and documented the events around her. Those photographs became “Ground Zero 360: Never Forget,” a new exhibit at the Holocaust Museum Houston.

McClean captured not only the confusion and panic that surrounded her, but the kindness and generosity of the rescue efforts following the attacks. She shot thousands of photographs in the days following 9/11, all of which were captured near Ground Zero and in the surrounding neighborhoods. Some depict the chaos engulfing the city, others the grief and shock felt by New Yorkers and others the tireless work of emergency workers, police officers, firefighters and medical personnel.

Over the following ten years, McClean worked with Paul McCormack, a young NYPD sergeant who had been one of the first responders. Together they created “Ground Zero 360: Never Forget,” a harrowing, heartfelt panoramic installation of photographic images, visuals and audio clips captured by McClean. It gives a unique insight into the lives of New Yorkers in the days that followed the attacks. It’s an exhibit not to be missed. (McCormack retired from the NYPD because of injuries sustained in the line of duty; he and McClean are married and live in Ireland.)

There’s an opening reception for museum members at 6 p.m. September 11. Regular viewing hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through January 11. 5401 Caroline. For information, call 713‑942‑8000 or visit hmh.org. Free to $12.
Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, 12-5 p.m.; Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Starts: Sept. 11. Continues through Jan. 11, 2014