Dear Boston: Messages from the Marathon Memorial at the Boston Public Library

Two sneakers left at a spontaneous memorial in Copley Square in Boston are displayed on a black surface. The sneakers have the date of the Boston Marathon Bombing—April 15, 2013—written on them in marker.
Sneakers left at the spontaneous memorial in Copley Square, Boston (photo credit: Boston Public Library)

On April 15, 2013, two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring hundreds. Almost immediately, a makeshift memorial formed with thousands of flowers, posters, T-shirts and—most significantly—running shoes, all of which were messages of love, support, and in mourning. Beginning today through May 11, selections from the memorial will be displayed at the Boston Public Library in a temporary exhibition titled, “Dear Boston: Messages from the Marathon Memorial.”

As the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing approaches, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum would like to acknowledge the efforts of its New England-area museum and archivist colleagues in organizing the commemorative exhibition. For more information on “Dear Boston: Messages from the Marathon Memorial,” visit www.bpl.org/dearboston.

By Jan Seidler Ramirez, 9/11 Memorial Museum Chief Curator

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