DescriptionPostcard of a wax museum tableau showing President Kennedy at his desk in the Oval Office and John Jr. climbing out from under it. President Kennedy holds a paper and has his left hand at his chin. John, Jr. is in a green robe under President Kennedy's desk, playing with a pencil.
Back of postcard reads:
"PARADE OF PRESIDENTS WAX MUSEUM
Near Mount Rushmore, Keystone, S.D."
"35th President
JOHN F. KENNEDY
1 Term 1961-1963
Assassinated November 22, 1963
President Kennedy tries to work while his son John-John plays hide and seek under the President's desk. One of the most popular Presidents of recent times, Kennedy was also the youngest man to be elected to that office."
"Rushmore Photo, Inc., Box 2624, Rapid City, S. Dakota"
This image is not available online larger than a thumbnail to protect the copyright of its creator(s). For a more detailed examination of this item, please schedule an appointment in the Museum’s Reading Room.
Curatorial Commentary
Alongside Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy is considered the most "waxed" United States president in history. This is due in large part to the popularity of roadside wax museums in the 1960s and also because the Kennedy assassination prompted a number of museums to create displays that memorialized the late president or depicted moments from the visually powerful weekend of the shooting.
This unique Oval Office set piece is based upon a famous photograph by Stanley Tretick, who took a series of images inside the Oval Office for a Look magazine pictorial one month before the assassination. This wax tableau was part of the Parade of Presidents Wax Museum when it opened in 1971. Unlike most of the wax museums opened in the 1960s and 1970s, this particular museum is still open for business. Now called the National Presidential Wax Museum, visitors in 2012 can still see this original wax display along with a vignette depicting the swearing-in of President Lyndon Johnson aboard Air Force One following the Kennedy assassination (2011.046.0001). - Stephen Fagin, Associate Curator
