Commemorative Box
- Description
- Five-sided commemorative box containing a vial of soil from the Pentagon crash site, presented to victims' families. The box is hand carved with a hinged lid and a laser-etched graphic of the Pentagon and "September 11, 2001" on the top of the box. Inside the box is a small glass vial containing fine gray soil. The vial is sealed with a sticker with an image of a bald eagle, a flag, the Pentagon, and text: "United in Memory | September 11, 2001." This particular box was given to the family of Asia S. Cottom.
- Historical Notes
- Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, Asia S. Cottom lived in Washington, D.C., with her parents and brother. A member of her church’s dance troupe and choir, this sixth grader at Backus Middle School had been chosen to attend a National Geographic Society field trip to California. On September 11, Asia was heading there aboard Flight 77 with her teacher, Sara Clark. She was 11 years old.
Curator's Comment
Grieving relatives of Pentagon and American Airlines Flight 77 victims expressed a wish for a physical memento of the site where their loved ones had perished. On their behalf, Xerox Corporation commissioned Mike Mikutowski, a Michigan woodcarver, to craft hundreds of five-sided boxes echoing the shape of the Pentagon. The top of each box features a laser-etched graphic of the Pentagon and the date of the 2001 attacks. Each contains a vial of soil collected from the Pentagon crash site.
- Accession Number: C.2016.93.8
- Dimensions: 2.25 in X 2.125 in X 2.625 in
- Dimensions (Metric): 5.715 cm X 5.3975 cm X 6.6675 cm
- Source: Clifton and Michelle Cottom
- Credit Line: Gift of the Asia SiVon Cottom Memorial Scholarship Fund
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