/internal/media/dispatcher/26286/fullImage of Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry talking to reporters11/24/1963Negative: 2 3/8 × 2 7/16 in. (6.1 × 6.2 cm)
Frame: 2 3/16 × 2 3/16 in. (5.6 × 5.6 cm)FilmTom C. Dillard Collection, The Dallas Morning News/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza1994.003.00340Black and white 120 film negative showing an image of Dallas Police Chief Curry talking reporters at Dallas Police Headquarters, on November 24, 1963 after Lee Harvey Oswald was killed. The image was taken by a photographer from The Dallas Morning News.
In the image, Curry is pictured near the middle, standing with a microphone in his right hand. He is partially turned toward the camera and is looking at something, possibly a reporter, on the right side of the image. There are four reporters, three with microphones standing around Curry. One is on the left side and three on the right; one of the reporters on the right side is partially obscured by the other reporter standing in front of him.
A man, identified as Glenn D. King, the Dallas Police, is standing in the background on the left side.
Across the top of the negative strip, "Kodak Safety Film" is printed once completely and once partially; this text appears upside down and backwards in relation to the images and other text on the strip. In the lower margin of the negative, a "2" is printed under the image.
There is an area of blurry discoloration on the side of the negative that was probably part of the original image.
The Dallas Morning News photographers recounted where they were throughout the day on November 22, 1963, and some also related their locations in the following days and months when they were photographing events related to the assassination (such as Lee Harvey Oswald’s transfer or the Jack Ruby Trial). Their descriptions can be found in the Belo Collection at SMU; The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza's reading room has copies of these accounts available upon request. In cases where the specific photographer who took an image is not known, the potential photographers can be narrowed down to those who said they were at the image’s location. For this image, Jack Beers was the only photographer who reported being present when the photograph was taken, but there could have been another photographer who was present and did not write about the event in their record. Additionally, prints numbered 1994.003.0099, .0100, and .0175 in this collection show a similar image of Curry at the same press conference. On the back of these three prints, a rubber stamp was applied that read, “PHOTO BY TOM C. DILLARD.” This could mean that Tom Dillard was also at the press conference and took photographs, or the stamp could have been applied at a later time to another photographer’s work.Photographs652105.60000000006.20000000005.60000000006.100000000022737Negative (b&w)0E-100E-10Original 120 format black and white negative on Kodak Safety Film by a Dallas Morning News photographer. This image shows reporters interviewing Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry at Dallas police headquarters on November 24, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. This image was taken at the press conference announcing Lee Harvey Oswald's death. Dallas Police Captain Glen King, who handled public relations for the department, is visible in the background.ReporterMicrophonesPress conferencePressPhotographsBeers, JackDillard, Tom C.Curry, Jesse E.King, Glen D.The Dallas Morning NewsDallas Police HeadquartersDallas Municipal BuildingDallasJack Beers was the only photographer who reported being present when the photograph was taken, but there could have been another photographer who was present and did not write about the event in their record. Additionally, other prints in the collection show a similar image of Curry at the same press conference. On the back of these prints, a rubber stamp was applied that reads, “PHOTO BY TOM C. DILLARD.” This could mean that either Tom Dillard was also at the press conference and took photographs or the stamp could have been applied at a later time to another photographer’s work. - Stephanie Allen-Givens, Collections and Exhibits ManagerA visibly upset Dallas Police Chief Curry made a very brief announcement after Oswald was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Curry simply stated: "Oswald expired at 1:07PM." An unknown reporter, apparently confused, questioned: "He died?" Curry then clarified: "He died at 1:07PM. We have arrested the man. The man will be charged with murder. The suspect's name is Jack Rubenstein, I believe. He goes by the name of Jack Ruby. That's all I have to say. I have no other statement to make at this time." The announcement took less than thirty seconds. As he was removing a microphone from around his neck, Curry was asked to repeat his statement for the reporters who missed it initially. Curry, clearly unhappy at having to repeat himself, tersely provided the same statement almost verbatim, adding only that Jack Ruby was "a local Dallas man." He ignored all other questions. Curry's full exchange with reporters at this very brief press conference took just over one minute. - Stephen Fagin, Curator