September 11 Digital Archive / "Satan in the Smoke" Emails

"Satan in the Smoke" Emails

On the morning of September 11, immediately after two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in Manhattan, photojournalist Mark D. Phillips took a picture that would prove to be one of the most evocative and disputed images of that tragic day. Many peple later construed the image of the smoke in his photo of the burning buildings to compose the face of Satan. These e-mails related to this picture provide a revealing portal into Americans' responses to the attacks in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

Just a note to let you know that during the initial video coverage of the WTC tragedy, I saw this very image. I could barely comprehend what I had seen, but I told my family about the face in the smo...

To whom it may concern:I was at my girlfriends home when this awful tragedy occurred, I personally saw the image and told my girlfriend to look at it and at first she couldn't make the face until I go...

Dear Mark,I think this was an amazing photo. I have looked at it in an Colorado news paper article. For some reason I see Kennedy's face stretched.The small picture looks like Kennedy on a bad day. Is...

Mark, I have seen such an image taken of a firemen in a burning building. I saw the picture in Seabrook, Tx. near Galveston. I don't know if it was a Texas fireman in the picture fighting a lo...

THANK YPU SO MUCH FOR THE PIC I GOT IT FROM WORK AND I DO WORK FOR THE MAYOR BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THERE WERE HEAVENLY SPIRITS ABOVE THAT NASTY PIC IF YOU DO BELIEVE IN THE ANGELS AND YOU LOOK AT IT REA...

THIS IS CRAP. ALTHOUGH THE HEINOUS ACTS WERE AND ARE THE MOST EVIL THING DONE TO MANKIND, THE SOULS LIFTING FROM THESE IMAGES WOULD NOT CREATE THE SO-CALLED FACE OF SATAN. STOP SCARING PEOPLE. Subject...

I would like to know what happen to the first photos you sent out with the face in the cloud of smoke(in color) Ken at oldbutlermil@yadtel.net,,I saw the image on the news...

Isn't it your business! So who is the guy supposed to be? Is it only aimed at the Christian community? Or have you several editions for Jews, Muslims and what about Atheists?\nSat, 22 Sep 2001 11:5...

i realize that you have gotten unaccountable letters, emails, and calls about this picture so i am goin to make this short sweet and to the point.i saw the website where you can buy pictures of the wo...