New York State Department of Education

10/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/09/2024 01:20

State Museum Announces Sadako’s Crane Exhibit on Display in World Trade Center Gallery

Media Contact:
Dora Ricci
(518) 474-1201
www.nysed.gov

New Exhibit Highlights the Connection between Hiroshima and 9/11 Historical Events Through the Story of a Young Japanese Girl

Origami Crane on Display September 10 through October 6, 2024

The New York State Museum (NYSM) announced today the opening of a new exhibit, Sadako's Crane, in The World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response Gallery on Tuesday, September 10th. On display until October 6, 2024, the new exhibit will showcase an important artifact that connects the tragedies of the 1945 Hiroshima, Japan atomic bombing and the September 11, 2001, attacks through the story of a young Japanese girl named Sadako Sasaki. In 1955, she created the tiny origami crane using the red wrapper of a methotrexate medicine container, a treatment for her illness. In 2010, Sadako's brother, Mashiro Sasaki, donated the crane, one of only seven remaining worldwide, to the 9/11 Tribute Museum in New York City. This significant artifact was transferred to the State Museum from the 9/11 Tribute Museum in 2022.

"This exhibit commemorates a young girl's wish for peace and understanding and reminds us of our shared connections across time, geographical boundaries, and cultural differences. This important artifact serves as a bridge between two profound tragedies-Hiroshima and September 11th-and offers a universal message of hope and resilience. We are honored to share Sadako's legacy with our visitors through this meaningful exhibit," said NYSM Chief Curator of History Dr. Jennifer Lemak.

Sadako Sasaki, born on January 7, 1943, in Hiroshima, Japan, was just two years old when the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on her city on August 6, 1945. Although she and her mother survived the bombing, Sadako developed leukemia by 1955 due to radiation exposure. She was hospitalized at a Red Cross hospital in Hiroshima on February 21, 1955.

In August, Sadako learned of a Japanese legend that the folder would be granted one wish if a person folded 1,000 origami cranes. Inspired by this, she began folding the intricate paper birds, completing more than 1,300 before her death at the age of 12 on October 25, 1955.

The delicate crane was previously displayed at the 9/11 Tribute Museum until its closure in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was among the many items transferred to the New York State Museum collections for safekeeping after the Tribute's closure, where it now stands as a testament to the enduring human spirit. It will be on display at the State Museum each September annually.

The State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department's Office of Cultural Education. Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is free. For additional information, visit the New York State Museum website. 

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