Newly discovered film footage of President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade racing down a Dallas freeway toward Parkland Memorial Hospital after he was fatally shot is set to go up for auction later this month.
The 8mm home movie, recorded by Dale Carpenter Sr., captures key moments following the assassination on November 22, 1963.
The footage, which runs for about 40 seconds, includes a 10-second clip of the motorcade speeding down Interstate 35 at 80 mph, just after the fatal shooting. It shows Secret Service Agent Clint Hill standing on the back of the limousine, shielding both the president and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Hill, who had famously jumped onto the vehicle after the shots were fired, later said he expected more gunfire as he clung to the moving car.
The film was discovered by Carpenter’s grandson, James Gates, stored among other family films. Gates initially found the footage of the motorcade on Lemmon Avenue unremarkable but was struck by the dramatic I-35 segment, especially Hill’s dangerous position on the limousine. Gates contacted Hill after finding the footage, sharing it before making it public.
Bidding for the film has already begun, with RR Auction in Boston hosting the sale on September 28. As of Wednesday, the leading bid was $12,100. Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of the auction house, described the film as “remarkable,” noting that viewers can feel the urgency of the moment through its color footage.
Experts have noted that even 60 years after JFK’s assassination, new materials related to the event continue to surface. Stephen Fagin, curator at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, explained that many people instinctively held onto such artifacts, meaning that previously unseen footage and photos are still being discovered today.
The footage from Carpenter offers a more complete view of the frantic rush to Parkland Hospital than has been seen in other films. Farris Rookstool III, a historian and former FBI analyst who reviewed the footage, believes it provides a fresh perspective on one of the most infamous days in American history.
With input from the Associated Press, New York Post and the Daily Beast.
