The Falling Man

The Falling Man is a photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew of an unidentified man falling from the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks in New York City, United States. The unidentified man in the image was trapped on the upper floors of the North Tower, and it is unknown whether he fell while searching for safety or jumped to escape the fire and smoke. The photograph was taken at 9:41:15 A.M. The photograph was widely criticized after publication in international media on September 12, 2001, with readers labelling the image as disturbing, cold-blooded, ghoulish, and sadistic. However, in the years following, the photo has gained acclaim. British singer Elton John, who purchased it for his personal collection, called it "the most beautiful image of something so tragic". A Time magazine retrospective published in 2016 stated: "Falling Man's identity is still unknown, but he is believed to have been an employee at the Windows on the World restaurant, which sat atop the North Tower. The true power of Falling Man, however, is less about who its subject was and more about what he became: a makeshift Unknown Soldier in an often unknown and uncertain war, suspended forever in history." The individual's identity is widely speculated with various potential identities but the man is believed by most to be Jonathan Briley, a 43-year old sound engineer who worked at the Windows on the World on the 106th floor of the North Tower, identified by his family. He was the brother of Alex Briley.