President Kennedy Riding in the 1961 Presidential Lincoln Limousine with Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt, Washington, D.C., 1963

THF106487 / President Kennedy Riding in the 1961 Presidential Lincoln Limousine with Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt, Washington, D.C., 1963 / front
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Artifact Overview

In February 1963, President John F. Kennedy and Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt waved to onlookers lining the streets of Washington, D.C. The two ride in the 1961 Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine. The vehicle would be radically changed after President Kennedy's assassination. A permanent roof, bullet-proof glass, and extensive armor-plating made the car much more secure.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

20 February 1963

Creator Notes

Photographed by Cecil Stoughton.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

2011.241.14.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Edward L. Gies in Memory of Morgan L. Gies.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Chromogenic processes

Color

Multicolored

Dimensions

Height: 8.125 in
Width: 10 in

Inscriptions

Typed paper adhered to back of image reads: December 1961- President Kennedy and Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt at 15th and / Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. Morgan L. Gies is driving the follow-up car to / the right rear of President Kennedy's car. Ink stamp on back reads CECIL STOUGHTON / The White House
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Related Artifacts

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    1961 Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine Used by John F. Kennedy

    President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in this car on November 22, 1963. The midnight blue, un-armored convertible was rebuilt with a permanent roof, titanium armor plating, and more somber black paint. The limousine returned to the White House and remained in service until 1977. The modified car shows the fundamental ways in which presidential security changed after Kennedy's death.
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