DALLAS — Newly discovered film footage of President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade racing down a Dallas freeway on the day of his assassination is set to go up for auction later this month.
Experts indicate that such finds are not unexpected, even after more than six decades have passed since the tragic event. “These films and photographs are often still hidden away, awaiting rediscovery in attics or garages,” stated a curator from The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which chronicles the events surrounding the assassination on November 22, 1963.
RR Auction is scheduled to present the 8 mm home film in Boston on September 28. The footage initially captures the perspective of a passerby who nearly missed the presidential limousine but was able to capture other vehicles in the motorcade traveling down Lemmon Avenue. The film resumes after the shots were fired, depicting the motorcade racing down Interstate 35.
“This is remarkable, in color, and you can feel the 80 mph,” mentioned a representative from the auction house.
The 10-second clip from I-35 features Secret Service Agent Clint Hill, who famously leaped onto the back of the limousine as the shots rang out, hovering over President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, whose pink suit is visible in the footage.
Following the shots that occurred in Dealey Plaza, where assassin Lee Harvey Oswald took a sniper’s position, the motorcade sped towards Parkland Memorial Hospital, where President Kennedy was later declared dead. This route was also intended for Kennedy’s next engagement — a speech at the Trade Mart.
James Gates, grandson of the film’s original owner, noted that while the existence of this footage was known within his family, it was seldom discussed. When he took possession of the film, previously stored in a milk crate, he was unaware of its significance.
Upon viewing the film around 2010, Gates was initially unimpressed by the Lemmon Avenue footage, but the I-35 sequence left him in shock. “That was shocking,” he remarked.
Fascinated by Agent Hill’s reaction during the event, Gates reached out to Hill around the time of his book release in 2012, aiming to share the footage with him before any further dissemination. McCubbin Hill, who later married Hill, expressed admiration for Gates’ sensitivity in wanting to involve Hill in this significant moment.
The auction house has made still images available from the footage capturing the high-speed journey on I-35 but has chosen not to publicly release video of this portion.
Historian and former FBI analyst, Farris Rookstool III, emphasized that this footage provides a more comprehensive view of the rush to Parkland compared to other fragmented recordings. He hopes the auction results in it being preserved for filmmakers and future study.
Continuing interest in the materials associated with the assassination suggests that new discoveries are still possible, as noted by historians. As an example, a significant discovery occurred in 2002 when a man arrived at the museum with a box of photos, revealing new insights into that fateful day.
