Matchbox
- Description
- Matchbox from The Greatest Bar on Earth located at the Windows on the World restaurant belonging to Jupiter Yambem. The matchbox is red and blue with yellow and blue text printed around the box: "THE GREATEST | BAR | ON | EARTH" with a smiling crescent moon forming one side of the letter "O." The address and phone numbers are printed on the side of the box.
- Historical Notes
- Born in Manipur, India, Jupiter Yambem came to the United States at age 21. He lived in Beacon, New York, with his wife, Nancy, and their young son. Jupiter cofounded a group to promote Manipur’s culture among expatriates. He also worked with a Hudson River preservation group. On September 11, Jupiter was on the North Tower’s 107th floor at Windows on the World, where he was a manager. He was 41 years old.
Curator's Comment
Located on the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower, Windows on the World opened in the spring of 1976. New York magazine marked the restaurant’s debut on its May 1976 cover with a headline declaring it “The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World.” A team of celebrity chefs helped devise menus for the eatery, which featured not only a 300-seat restaurant but also a bar, wine cellar, more intimate dining areas, and private banquet rooms and meeting spaces for hire. With floor-to-ceiling windows, larger than their counterparts elsewhere in the Twin Towers, the multilevel restaurant offered diners stunning panoramic views of New York City and beyond. Tourists and locals alike lined up to reserve their dining adventure in the clouds. Entering 1993, WOW (its popular nickname) was one of the country’s highest-grossing restaurants.
After the February 26, 1993, bombing of the World Trade Center, the restaurant closed for cleaning and major renovations. It reopened in 1996 under new management. The iconic dining establishment in the sky was destroyed in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Seventy-two staff members were killed that day along with the breakfast guests and conference goers they were serving.
After the February 26, 1993, bombing of the World Trade Center, the restaurant closed for cleaning and major renovations. It reopened in 1996 under new management. The iconic dining establishment in the sky was destroyed in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Seventy-two staff members were killed that day along with the breakfast guests and conference goers they were serving.
- Accession Number: C.2009.343.5
- Dimensions: 0.75 in X 2.25 in X 0.75 in
- Dimensions (Metric): 1.905 cm X 5.715 cm X 1.905 cm
- Source: Nancy Yambem
- Credit Line: Gift of Nancy and Santi Yambem, from the collection of Jupiter Yambem
Victim Personal PropertyVictimsWindows on the WorldWorld Trade Center: Visitor and Worker Experiences
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