American Historical Ephemera and Photography

Hard plastic white helmet worn by Detective Arthur Giammarino as he worked at Ground Zero. Helmet features Detective Giammarino's signature along with inscription reading, "Det Artie G 725 / 1st Responder / 9/11/01 - 7/1/02" at the back; an American flag and script text, "United We Stand" at the front; a black PNC logo on the wearer's left side; and a green "MSA" logo on the wearer's right side. A city of New York Police Department pin is attached at the top front of the helmet, and American flag foil stickers have been placed at the top of either side.

11 3/4 x 8 in. souvenir flag with smeared ink signature of Detective Giammarino (inscribed in print next to the illegible remains of the signature) and partly smeared inscription below reading, "[WTC Ground Zero 9-11-2001] to July 2002." This flag was hung from a piece of machinery at the Staten Island forensic recovery site while work took place.

6 1/4 x 4 in. souvenir flag with ink signature of Detective Giammarino along with inscription reading, "Ground Zero 9/11 - 9/18 / Det Arthur Giammarino 725 WTC / Forensic Recovery Project 2002." This flag was kept folded in the helmet pocket of Detective Giammarino while he worked as a first responder at Ground Zero.

Items are accompanied by a typed letter signed by Detective Giammarino, detailing his experience as a retired New York City Detective on September 11, and explaining how he aided in recovery in the immediate aftermath of the attacks and in a forensic project over several months after the attacks. He writes, in part:

"Later in the day there was a call for volunteers. Being a retired New York City Detective, I responded. I had a cargo van and from September 11th to September 18th, I brought supplies and personnel to and from Ground Zero. I stayed at Ground Zero and helped with the recover, until I was directed to make additional trips between Staten Island and lower Manhattan. From October 2001 and until June 2002 I worked at the Staten Island Forensic Recovery Site. Basically the Twin Towers were transported by barge from Ground Zero to Staten Island. The debris was passed through a series of grills that emptied into a conveyor belt. Workers lined each side of the belts and removed anything of a DNA nature or items of identification...to the medical examiner's location. Identification items like IDs, driver's licenses, nametags and police or firemen's badges were collected and catalogued..."