Life magazine, in its October 1999 "Collector's Edition," presents what it calls "Great Pictures of the Century." I have no argument with most of the photographs included in this collection, as they do represent some very fine work.
And I don't have any argument with their inclusion of Bob Jackson's famous photograph of Lee Oswald being murdered by Jack Ruby on November 24, 1963. What I am upset with is Life's accompanying text, headed "An Assassin's End." Included is a Ruby quote: "He had a very smirky, cunning, vicious look like an animal, like a communist. I thought I might be looking at a rat."
It upsets me, but doesn't surprise me. Life magazine, a corporate organ guilty of Zapruder film suppression and contributor to other assassination lies, never misses a chance to again proclaim Oswald's guilt.
In its previous issue, Life had roused my ire to the point where I wrote a letter to the editor (lifeedit@life.timeinc.com). I completed one draft but didn't finish or send it, as it seemed an exercise in futility.
What touched me off this time was an article called "Retouching History". The article concerns the work of a photographic historian who has collected "a quarter of a million images scarred by Soviet paranoia." The article explains that photo retouchers during the Stalin era removed parts of these photographs that showed the images of those once popular, but later deemed political enemies.
Here's how I wasted ten minutes:
Dear Editors:Just how honest is LIFE? And how courageous? And how willing to confront its own past?
I was quite taken with the article "Retouching History," in the September 1999 issue. The first sentence to the article states: "In Stalin's Russia, pictures lied." Very interesting.
Make no mistake: I am no apologist for Josef Stalin. But what about you casting the first stone?
An article in the December 6, 1963 issue of LIFE magazine states: "[the Zapruder film] shows [President Kennedy] turning his body far around to the right as he waves to someone in the crowd. His throat is exposed --- toward the sniper's nest --- just before he clutches it." As anyone who has seen the Zapruder film knows, this home movie of JFK's assassination shows no such thing.
The October 2, 1964 issue of LIFE contains color reproductions of the Zapruder film. On page 46 is a Zapruder picture designated (for purposes of the article) "6." The caption for this photo appears on page 42. Yet, incredibly, there are three different variations of the caption and photo, in three different versions of the same issue! Each attempted to explain how shots supposedly fired from the rear would cause the President's head and body to move to the side or backward. Asked in 1966 about the three versions of the same issue, Edward Kern, a LIFE editor, commented: "I am at a loss to explain the discrepancies between the three versions..."
I am not asking for an explanation at this late date, although if you would care to provide one I would find it helpful. And while it is true they are in the context of publicizing a book and exhibition, I would suggest that your criticisms in "Retouching History" are a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
John Kelin
Thinking Globally
Brown says the Global Index, available on CD-ROM for Mac or PC, "references 100 carefully chosen books from Anson to Zirbel ... I tried to select the 100 works I felt were the most widely read, from the early ones right through to 1998 ... plus the 12 volumes of the HSCA, its Report, as well as the 26 Volumes of the WC and their Report."
Brown says the cross-referenced Index lists 17,185 names in almost 2,400 pages . The names are identified and cross- referenced among 175 subsets [FBI, mafia, Ruby's friends, Oswald's relatives, et al].
Ft. Worth JFK Memorial
The city of Fort Worth, Texas is planning a memorial to John F. Kennedy, who was there the morning of his assassination. The memorial, described as a "slightly larger than life" statue, will be erected on the spot outside the Hotel Texas (now the Radisson) where the Kennedy made a speech to thousands of rain-soaked, cheering citizens November 22, 1963.
A Dallas museum foundation is contributing the initial funds for the statue.
In his book The Death of the President, author William Manchester wrote that despite the rain, the crowd of mostly working men (many of them union aircraft workers) had begun to gather two hours before dawn.
"The rain had continued to fall, and they had no assurance that the speech here would not be called off," Manchester reported. "But this speech had been scheduled as a concession to the working-class supporters of [Sen. Ralph] Yarborough, and Kennedy's reputation for hardiness was part of his charisma, so they came in increasing numbers until the lot had begun to fill up like a parade ground before roll call."
Standing hatless on a flatbed trailer, with Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Gov. John Connally and U.S. Rep. Jim Wright looking on, Kennedy declared, "There are no faint hearts in Fort Worth!"
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