Extraordinary unseen footage of President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade after he was assassinated will be auctioned.
An original, previously unknown 8mm (0.0262 foot) color silent film capturing JFK’s motorcade as it traveled through downtown Dallas on 22 November 1963 is to be offered by Boston-based RR Auction.
The remarkable footage includes segments of the motorcade prior to its arrival at Dealey Plaza and, perhaps most strikingly, a post-assassination clip showing the presidential limousine speeding along North Stemmons Freeway en route to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
The footage was shot by Dale Carpenter, Sr., a local truck driver who, after missing his initial opportunity to film the limousine, relocated to North Stemmons Freeway and captured this rare sequence.
RR Auction says: “It offers an unprecedented view of one of America’s most tragic days, providing new material for historians and the public to examine.”
Bobby Livingston, Executive Vice President at RR Auction, said: “Unlike any other footage known to exist, this film captures a segment immediately following the Zapruder film, providing a fresh perspective on one of the most analyzed moments in history.
“Once you see it, you’ll never forget Clint Hill’s heroic efforts to protect Mrs. Kennedy, racing at 80 miles an hour in a desperate attempt to save the President’s life as they sped to Parkland.”
The latter part of the film is a powerful visual testament to the tragic events that unfolded in Dallas on that fateful day. Four Dallas Police Department motorcycles, followed by a police car with flashing red strobe lights, escort the presidential limousine—a modified midnight blue 1961 Lincoln Continental Convertible—down the freeway.
Secret Service Agent Clint Hill, having leaped onto the back of the vehicle, is visible, shielding First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who is draped over her stricken husband. The iconic pink suit she wore that day is unmistakable.
RR Auction says: “While numerous still photographs and films document JFK’s motorcade—most famously the Zapruder film—this newly discovered footage offers a rare and unique perspective, particularly of the immediate aftermath as the motorcade raced to Parkland Hospital.”
Before this discovery, only three still photographs documented Kennedy’s limousine on North Stemmons Freeway—no moving images were thought to exist.
Estimated at over $100,000, the film will be offered at the Remarkable Rarities auction, which will begin with online bidding on 4 September and conclude with a live auction in Boston on 28 September.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
