Image of a camera misfire
Object number1989.100.0024.0001
Date11/22/1963
ClassificationsPhotographs
Photographer
William Allen
ObjectNegative (b&w)
Credit LineWilliam Allen, photographer, Dallas Times Herald Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
MediumFilm
Dimensions15/16 x 1 7/16 in. (2.4 x 3.6 cm)
DescriptionOriginal 35mm black and white negative taken by Dallas Times Herald staff photographer William Allen. This image is a camera misfire which appears to show pavement, the shoes and shadows of one or two people and what may be the photographer's camera strap.
Photographers would sometimes snap a photo of nothing in particular just to make sure that the film was advancing through the camera properly. It is not known whether this misfire was deliberate or accidental. Because this shot is the first picture on the roll, it seems more likely to have been a deliberate misfire.