It seems fitting today to take a few moments to remember how massive the Twin Towers appeared, looming spectacularly in the distance from vantage points all across New York City. Here's a selection of photos—mostly from the 1970s and 1980s—showing the buildings casting their impressive shadows down upon the city, standing tall in the distance, and looking almost unreal.
In the collection you'll also see George Willig, the "Human Fly" and a toymaker from Queens who climbed 2WTC on May 26th, 1977. It took him 3.5 hours to scale, and when he was done, he signed his name on the observation deck of the South Tower, where it remained until September 11th, 2001. Below watch a news report from that day—in the end, Mayor Abraham Beame fined him just $1.10, one cent for each of the building's 110 stories.
