A newly emerged film video from November 22, 1963, showing former President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade driving down a freeway in Dallas, Texas, after he was fatally shot was sold at auction for $137,500. The video was offered by RR Auction in Boston, and the buyer has chosen to remain anonymous. The film, recorded by Dale Carpenter Sr., offers a sense of urgency and heartbreak as it captures the motorcade racing towards a hospital after the president was shot. Carpenter’s family held onto the film since the day of the assassination, and it was passed down to his grandson, James Gates, who initially did not realize the significance of the footage.
In the footage recorded by Carpenter, he just misses the limousine carrying President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, but captures other vehicles in the motorcade driving down Lemmon Avenue towards downtown Dallas. The video then shows the moment the president is shot, and captures the motorcade speeding down Interstate 35 towards Parkland Memorial Hospital, where Kennedy was pronounced dead. Secret Service Agent Clint Hill can be seen jumping onto the back of the limousine as shots were fired, standing over the president and first lady.
The shots that killed President Kennedy were fired as the motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza, with assassin Lee Harvey Oswald positioned on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. The assassination was famously captured on film by Abraham Zapruder. Carpenter’s footage from I-35 lasts about 10 seconds and sheds light on a crucial moment in American history. The auction house has released still photos from the film but has chosen not to make the video publicly available, adding to the intrigue surrounding this piece of history.
James Gates, the grandson of the man who recorded the film, initially found the footage underwhelming until he observed the footage from I-35, which he described as shocking. The film had been stored with other family films in a milk crate until it was eventually passed on to Gates. While his family knew that his grandfather had captured footage from the day of the shooting, it was not often discussed. The film offers a rare and unique perspective on the events that unfolded that day, providing viewers with a glimpse of the chaos and confusion that followed the assassination of President Kennedy.
The auction of this historic film has garnered significant attention and interest from those eager to learn more about this tragic event in American history. The footage provides a first-hand look at the aftermath of President Kennedy’s assassination, offering a glimpse into the immediate reactions and responses to the tragic events that unfolded that day. The significance of the film lies in its ability to capture a moment in time that shaped the course of American history, offering viewers a unique opportunity to witness a pivotal moment in the nation’s collective memory.
