Image of President Kennedy's limousine in Dealey Plaza
Object number2002.004.0019
Date11/22/1963
ClassificationsPhotographs
Photographer
Jay Skaggs
ObjectPhotograph (color)
Credit LineJay Skaggs Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
MediumPaper
Dimensions5 x 7 in. (12.7 x 17.8 cm)
Collections
DescriptionColor print made from the original 35mm color slide, #4 of 20 images, taken by Jay Skaggs from the northeast corner of Main and Houston Streets looking west. This image shows the presidential limousine just after turning onto Houston Street in Dealey Plaza.
The back of President Kennedy's head and part of Mrs. Kennedy's face are visible, and both Governor and Mrs. Connally are seen looking to their left front. Dallas Police Officer Jim Chaney is seen in the foreground at the right rear wheel of the limousine. Amateur photographer F. M. "Mark" Bell stands above the crowd in the background with a movie camera up to his left cheek, and an unidentified man in a yellow shirt at left also appears to have a camera. Amateur photographer Phil Willis' daughter, Rosemary, can be seen just to the left of Jacqueline Kennedy
Curatorial CommentaryPhotographer Jay Skaggs jokingly recalled his hope that President Kennedy really wanted to see him and would therefore be turned in his direction for a photograph. Unfortunately, that was not the case. In his 2002 oral history, Skaggs remembered, "As soon as the car was turning the corner, I had my camera on it and [President Kennedy] was looking the other way. I kept waiting and waiting and hoping he would look--and yelled. Finally, I decided if I was going to get a picture, I'd better take it." - Stephen Fagin, Curator
Three of Jay Skaggs' original slides were lost prior to his donation to the Museum and only print copies of those images remain. At an unrecalled point in time, a family member borrowed the original slides from Skaggs to have prints made; not all of the original slides were returned to Skaggs. Skaggs' donation to the museum included his original slides and prints of those images for which the slides were missing. - Gary Mack, Curator
