Kennedy Family

Few families in American history have captured the popular imagination like the Kennedys. Often referred to as “American Royalty,” the Kennedy family played a significant role in 20th century history from Joseph P. Kennedy’s tenure as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom prior to World War II to the long U.S. Senate career of Ted Kennedy from 1962 to 2009. The tragic assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy, bookending the turbulent decade of the 1960s, deeply impacted a generation and inspired memorial tributes and artistic responses as well as assassination research inquiries that continue to the present day. The objects in this collection reflect the impact of the Kennedy family on history and culture.