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"The City Sitting For Its Portrait" 

I took this picture from Ellis Island in July 1993.  This was most of the upper half of the original picture (the background) with a friend and a bit of the Ellis Island dock and a small fishing boat in the foreground.  I cropped out the friend etc., and did a bit of Photoshop manipulation to make this picture that to my eye gives and interesting somewhat impressionistic view of Manhattan.

Of course today (September 14, 2001) the landmark twin towers of the World Trade Center are gone, a pile of rubble entombing some 5,000 office workers, visitors, and would be rescue workers, mostly NY City firemen and policemen.  I think the dark building just to the right of the Trade center tower is the One Liberty Plaza  building that now totters on the verge of collapse.  It is my belief, however,  that in a few years this skyline will be restored the the way it appears above!

Harold Arnold