It took five years before Thomas Hoepker decided to show the world one of the most controversial images of 9/11. Controversial especially due to an opinion piece written by Frank Rich in the New York Times in 2006—when the image was finally published in a book titled Watching the World Change: The Stories Behind the Images of 9/11 by David Friend—describing the people as «just Americans.» According to Rich, this image was nothing more than the portrait of a generation not inclined to react to such a tragic event. On Slate, a few days later, two of the subjects in the photo wrote to the magazine’s editorial board, pointing out how a single frame could not truly depict how the people in the picture were feeling.

Who was Thomas Hoepker?

Thomas Hoepker, born in 1936, was a German photographer and photojournalist, best known for his work with Magnum Photos, of which he became a member in 1989 and served as president from 2003 to 2006. He is renowned for his social and cultural reportage, as well as for his portraits and iconic images, often focusing on political and social issues. He documented major events such as the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and daily life in East Germany.

Today, Hoepker’s shot from that distant 9/11 continues to make us reflect—once again—not only on the impact of the events of that day but also on the memory and interpretation we choose to give to images in the context of such tragedies. Over the years, this image has been associated with works of art such as The Fall of Icarus by Pieter Bruegel or Terrace at Sainte-Adresse by Claude Monet—both representations of life continuing even in the face of tragic moments. Just as happens in Hoepker’s shot. Timeless and incredibly powerful.