Remember Boston: The Boston Marathon Bombing Memorials

The Boston Marathon has symbolized honor and perseverance for people from all over the world since 1897. But within sight of the finish line on April 15, 2013, terrorists detonated two homemade bombs. Four people were killed, and 282 were injured. Everyone present and all the people who were watching on television were changed, with that horrible moment and the tense days that followed etched forever in their minds. Offers of support for the victims flooded in, and visitors from all over the world came to the scene to mourn, express sympathy, and pray for the recovery of the victims. Memorials spontaneously appeared on the sidewalks near the sites of the bombings, just like they did in New York City after 9/11: T-shirts, caps, and running shoes, with personal messages written on them, flowers, banners, artwork, flags, and stuffed animals. As weeks passed, the scattered sidewalk memorials grew so large they had to be relocated to the nearby park at Copley Square. The consolidated monument continued to grow, an expression of the deep impact this tragedy had on the city of Boston and its friends. Sadly but inevitably, with fragile items left outdoors unprotected in the rain and sun, the memorials began to deteriorate. The photos in this book capture the memorial at its peak, a few weeks before the artifacts were removed for preservation by the Boston Archives. Suitable for all members of the family, they show us the care and love that went into every message that was left at the memorial site. They also preserve an important moment in history, when horror transitioned into healing and Boston's natural sense of optimism reasserted itself. They commemorate the birth of the spirit of "Boston Strong."