Snapshots of History

Photographs are a time machine into the past, looking at a single historical moment one frame at a time. 

The work of Fort Worth Star-Telegram photojournalists did just that as they captured the events connected with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy Nov. 22, 1963. 

The negatives from that day are preserved at UTA Central Library's cold storage facility for future generations to study. Others have been digitized and are part of the UTA Libraries Digital Gallery online. 

To provide historical background and insight into these images, UTA Libraries staff members sat down with the Curator of the Sixth Floor Museum, Stephen Fagin. 

The Sixth Floor Museum is in the former Texas School Book Depository building in downtown Dallas. It chronicles the assassination and the legacy of President Kennedy. 

Fagin stated that photographic negatives provide a tangible link to the past in a way that other mediums, such as eight- or 16-millimeter home movies, cannot. 

"Still photos preserve a moment in time in a very crystalline way. It allows us to see fully the experience of President Kennedy in Fort Worth, the arrival at Dallas Love Field, in the motorcade route or at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Fagin said. "These moments are persevered forever, and they need to be at an archive where they can be properly cared for now and in the future." 

Fagin stated that preserving these images is important because the people who witnessed the event firsthand are slowly passing away. It allows the story to be told to future generations. 

During the museum visit, Fagin looked at several images taken Nov. 22, 1963, from the Star-Telegram archive at UTA Libraries. 

The first image shows President Kennedy speaking to a crowd outside the Texas Hotel in Fort Worth. 

"I like this photo in particular because it shows the lineup of Texas dignitaries right behind Kennedy, this sort of democratic stronghold. This wall right behind him with Lyndon Johnson, Gov. John Connally and Senator Ralph Yarborough," Fagin said. "The reason this is so significant is that Ralph Yarborough is the leader of the liberal wing of the democratic party of Texas. Whereas John Connally, who was standing right next to him, was the leader of the more conservative wing. So having these two men stand side by side directly behind the president was done specifically for the political advantage, and it is captured in a picture like this." 

The second image is the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce's breakfast at the Texas Hotel ballroom, where President Kennedy would speak. The room is packed with people. 

"A picture like this taken at the far back of the ballroom; you can barely see the head table up there," he said. "It is just great because it captures the perspective on this event and how even people in the very far back of that ballroom are just riveted at what they are seeing at the head table with the president and Mrs. Kennedy. " 

The final images are of President Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy getting into the limousine at Dallas Love Field and later driving away. Texas Governor John Connally is standing up in the vehicle saluting the president in one of the photographs. 

"These are very commonplace images. It is the president going in and sitting down. But in the crucible of this event, it gains symbolic significance because he never got up again," Fagin said. "Once he sat down in that car, that was it. Photos like this really capture that; there is a poignancy about these very mundane shots that are meaningful and impactful." 

UTA libraries is doing its part in preserving these historical negatives in our cold storage facility and digitizing the negatives for our online digital gallery for current and future generations.  

 

People who want to learn more about President John F. Kennedy's life, impact, and legacy can stop by the UTA Central Library. They can also visit the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas.