Primary Source Sets
John F. Kennedy: A Study of Firsthand Accounts
The resources in this primary source set are intended for classroom use. Click on a thumbnail image to view the original resource and download link for viewing and saving. Click on the caption next to the image to view the bibliographic record, share on a network, or print. PDF documents are available for download and use in your classroom discussions.
President John F. Kennedy
Trading card of John Fitzgerald Kennedy with a black and white portrait of Kennedy on the front and a short biography of Kennedy on the back. PDF Kennedy with Family
Photo of John F. Kennedy and family from the Jim Wright Collection. Photo taken in 1963. PDF
The Kennedys and Connallys at Love Field
The Kennedys and Connallys descending the stairs from Air Force One at Dallas Love Field at about 11:40 a.m. the morning of the assassination. Jacqueline Kennedy is halfway down the stairs, followed by President Kennedy, then Texas First Lady Nellie Connally, and Texas Governor John Connally. Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Dallas Mayor Earle Cabell and his wife, Dearie, wait at left. Courtesy of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. PDF
The Kennedys at Love Field
President Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy greeting local dignitaries at Love Field on the morning of November 22, 1963. Courtesy of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. PDF
The Kennedys Greeting Crowd at Love Field
President and Mrs. Kennedy greeting the crowd at Love Field on the morning of November 22, 1963. Courtesy of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. PDF
John F. Kennedy Arriving at Meacham Field
Copy photograph of John F. Kennedy arriving at Meacham Field in Fort Worth, Texas. He is being escorted by State Senator Don Kennard (left). PDF
President Kennedy at Hotel Texas in Fort Worth
This image shows President Kennedy at the podium addressing the audience in the parking lot of the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth on the morning of November 22, 1963. Courtesy of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. PDF
President John F. Kennedy in Fort Worth
Photograph of President John F. Kennedy in Fort Worth, Texas, just hours before his death. PDF
John F. Kennedy's Motorcade in Dallas
Photograph of John F. Kennedy's motorcade in Dallas, Texas on the morning of his assassination. PDF
The presidential limousine in downtown Dallas
The presidential motorcade turning from Harwood Street onto Main Street in downtown Dallas. Secret Service Agent Clint Hill, assigned to Jacqueline Kennedy, occasionally rode on the rear bumper of the president's car, as seen in this image, when the crowds grew heavy. Courtesy of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. PDF
Presidential limousine on Main Street
This image shows President Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie Connally, in the presidential limousine on Main Street. The Secret Service follow-up car is just behind the president's limousine. Courtesy of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. PDF
Location of Kennedy's Car at First Shot
Photograph of the location of the President's car at the time of the first shot. An American flag is half-mast on the side of the road. PDF
Exterior of the Texas School Book Depository
Photograph of the exterior of the Texas School Book Depository. PDF
View from the Texas School Book Depository
Photograph of a view from the historic Texas School Book Depository. The view through a window shows multiple vehicles traveling on Elm Street and Main Street. PDF
Texas Theater
Photograph of a Dallas police officer looking at the empty chairs in the Texas Theater where Lee Harvey Oswald was apprehended. PDF
Oswald with Officers
Photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald with two officers in uniform. The officer on the left is holding a set of keys. PDF
Mug Shot of Lee Harvey Oswald
Photograph of the Lee Harvey Oswald mugshot dated November 23, 1963. PDF
Lee Harvey Oswald at Dallas Police headquarters
on November 22, 1963
This image shows Lee Harvey Oswald escorted by Dallas Police Detective Elmer Boyd leaving the Homicide and Robbery Bureau at the Dallas Police Department headquarters on the afternoon of November 22, 1963. Courtesy of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. PDF
Lee Harvey Oswald during the midnight press showing
The image shows suspect Lee Harvey Oswald during the midnight press showing at Dallas Police Headquarters. Oswald is surrounded by law enforcement and a large crowd of journalists. Courtesy of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. PDF
Murder of Lee Harvey Oswald
Series of photographs taken before, during, and after Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement of Dallas' City Hall. PDF
Murder of Lee Harvey Oswald #2
Photograph of the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby. Oswald and several men around him react to the shot. Ruby's back is to the camera, but the gun is visible. PDF
Men Catching Lee Harvey Oswald
Photograph of Jack Ruby holding a gun in front of him and looking behind him, where several men attempt to catch the wounded Lee Harvey Oswald. PDF
Lee Harvey Oswald Lying on a Gurney
Photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald lying on a gurney. A crowd of police officers and media men surround him. Two men reach down to the gurney, and one of them holds Oswald's hand. PDF
Aftermath in City Hall
Photograph of a crowd of men in the Dallas City Hall basement after the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald. PDF
Mug Shot: Jack Ruby
Copy negative of a Dallas Police Department mug shot. The photograph of Jack Ruby was taken November 24, 1963. PDF
Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 18, Number 02, Fall, 2006
Biannual publication "devoted to the rich history of Dallas and North Central Texas" as a way to "examine the many historical legacies--social, ethnic, cultural, political--which have shaped the modern city of Dallas and the region around it." This issue focuses on "Aftermath of a Tragedy" which looks at the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. (Full stories from the Legacies Recollections worksheet, pgs 12-17)
