NEW LONDON, CONN.- The Lyman Allyn Art Museum presents an exhibition commemorating President John F. Kennedy’s private life and public trajectory. American Visionary: John F. Kennedy’s Life and Times features iconic photographs as well as rarely seen images, covering Kennedy’s first run for Congress, his 1953 marriage to Jacqueline Bouvier, the process of running for President in 1960, life in the White House and the major political issues of his Presidency, to his 1963 assassination in Dallas. The exhibition is on view from November 2, 2018 through February 24, 2019.
John F. Kennedy’s presidency marked a pivotal period in American history. Kennedy rose to political prominence following World War II as Americans were enjoying the first fruits of a consumer culture. Manufacturing muscle, fueled by the war, was turned to making cars and appliances, while battleweary correspondents and photographers offered their talents to Madison Avenue and mass media publishing empires. Magazines brimming with glossy photographs flew off of newsstands, while televisions beamed news and images directly into American homes.
This exhibition, one of the most exhaustively researched collections of Kennedy photos ever assembled, depicts a golden age of photojournalism in America---and no single politician was photographed more than JFK. Photographers and news-reel cameramen used images of Kennedy and his young family to convey a vision of a new America---a sophisticated world power engaged in building a bright future for its citizens. Kennedy, in turn, understood the power of pictures to convey his message to voters and was a willing partner in crafting his public persona to help build support for the space program, the Peace Corps, legislation on Civil Rights and immigration, equal pay for women, federal health insurance for the elderly—initiatives that would ensure a more diverse and egalitarian America.
The dramatic scope of Kennedy’s life is evident in these photographs that capture public and private moments from his life. Documentary photographers such as Ed Clark, Lisl Steiner, Ralph Crane, Philippe Halsman, Ted Spiegel, Jacques Lowe, Lawrence Schiller, Steve Schapiro, and Sam Vestal captured the optimism and challenges of the early 1960s in some of the finest and most vivid images of the period.
Highlights of American Visionary include images from Kennedy’s private life—such as a 1953 photo booth snapshot of the Kennedy newlyweds, possibly taken on their honeymoon, and a 1960 photograph by Jacques Lowe of Kennedy boarding the Caroline, his private plane named for his daughter. Images of Kennedy the politician include a 1957 portrait when he served as a Massachusetts senator by Philippe Halsman; and a 1962 photograph of Kennedy giving a televised announcement confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Also featured are unforgettable images such as Jacques Lowe’s 1961 photograph of Kennedy standing hunched over his desk in the Oval Office, in an effort to alleviate the pain from his problem back, and a haunting photograph of the shattered First Lady departing the White House on the day of Kennedy’s state funeral in 1963, captured by I.C. Rapoport as a brief glimpse through the crowd.
“John F. Kennedy is still seen as a symbol around the world, representing and espousing the best and most universal elements of the American character,” said Stephen Kennedy Smith, Kennedy’s nephew and co-editor of JFK: A Vision for America. “It is our hope that the compelling images of President Kennedy’s life and work on view in this exhibition will remind visitors not only of the values that defined his presidency, but also will introduce him to new audiences and future leaders.”
