John and Jacqueline Kennedy Unpublished Wedding Photos For Sale
BOSTON, MA—(September 30, 14) A collection of 13 original and most likely unpublished negatives from the wedding of John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy will be auctioned by Boston, MA based RR Auction in October.
“The images were taken by a freelance photographer, Arthur Burges, of Fall River, MA who had been asked to be a ‘back-up’ photographer for the wedding,” says Bobby Livingston, Exec VP at RR Auction. “They were discovered by family members in his darkroom after his passing in 1993.”
John and Jacqueline Kennedy were married on September 12, 1953, at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island. The wedding was considered the social event of the season with an estimated 700 guests at the ceremony and 1,200 at the reception that would follow. The entire event was chronicled by Life magazine, which noted ‘their wedding turned out to be the most impressive the old society stronghold had seen in 30 years.’
Each negative measures 3.75 x 5, four feature the newlywed couple, two show the entire wedding party, and the remainder show the cake, reception, and wedding attendees.
Negatives are housed in their original folder, labeled at a later date, “Pres. Kennedy 1953.” Accompanied by 5 x 4 printouts of each negative, the very first prints that have been made from these negatives.
Among other Museum quality pieces to be featured:
- Exceedingly rare 1963 John and Jacqueline Kennedy holiday card, signed mere days before the assassination.
- John F. Kennedy presidential document from 1962, that appoints an African-American woman to the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity.
- A rare twice-signed 1952 JFK letter on an “appointment to the Coast Guard Academy.”
- Signed document for the radio 1947 debut of “Marilyn Monroe,” advertising her mysterious first film.
- A vintage Marilyn Monroe autograph with a personal inscription to a fan.
- John Lennon letter to return 3 pairs of oversized “baggy” jeans to a West Hollywood boutique-clothing store.
The online auction, which began on September 26 and runs through October 15. More details can be found online at www.rrauction.com.
