The Kennedys in the Media
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Americans looked to popular media for information about John F. Kennedy and his family. Features on the Kennedys, especially those in magazines, fostered a sense of intimacy between them and the American public. These examples represent the complete, often personal media coverage of this enchanting family, from well before John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign to well beyond his 1963 assassination.
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Life Magazine for July 20, 1953, "Senator Kennedy Goes A-Courting"
Even before John F. Kennedy ran for president, youthful images of him and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy could attract attention and sell magazines. This was the first Life magazine cover to feature Jacqueline Bouvier. The couple married on September 12, 1953.
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Life Magazine for March 11, 1957, "Where Democrats Should Go From Here"
Life magazine from March 11, 1957, featured then-Senator Kennedy's article, "Where Democrats Should Go From Here." His authorship and the visibility provided by this popular magazine helped make Kennedy a contender for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination for the upcoming 1960 national election.
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Life Magazine for August 24, 1959, "Jackie Kennedy: A Front Runner's Appealing Wife"
President John F. Kennedy's wife Jacqueline proved to be a huge political asset. Her charm, grace, and intelligence won over many a critic, and her appearance on the front of a magazine was sure to increase sales. As the cover image of this Life magazine shows, even before Kennedy was elected president, his wife was attracting attention.
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Life Magazine for March 28, 1960, "Hubert and Jack in Wisconsin"
Life magazine often featured exclusive photo-essays on John F. Kennedy's travels, public appearances, and political views. This cover story highlighted the Democratic primary race between Senator Hubert H. Humphrey and Senator John F. Kennedy. Kennedy defeated Humphrey in Wisconsin, with much support from heavily Catholic areas.
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Life Magazine for July 25, 1960, "The Demonstration for Jack Kennedy"
The "Demonstration for Jack Kennedy," shown on the cover of this issue of Life magazine, occurred during the 1960 Democratic National Convention.
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Look Magazine for October 11, 1960, "The Kennedy Women"
Kennedy family members often appeared on the covers of Life and Look magazines during the early 1960s. This Look cover story featured "the Kennedy women," whom the article called "bright, energetic, and determined" in a way that "the American political scene has never seen."
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Life Magazine for November 21, 1960, "The Victorious Young Kennedys"
This Life magazine cover image, taken moments after Kennedy’s presidential victory had been announced, shows "the youngest President-elect in U.S. history" posing triumphantly with his mother Rose, wife Jacqueline, and sister Eunice in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.
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Life Magazine for December 19, 1960, "The Kennedys and Their Son at Christening"
Americans were enchanted by the young first family, and they wanted to know more, always more. Photographs of any members of the Kennedy family sold magazines--but the kids often stole the show. This Life magazine cover story featured the christening of John F. Kennedy, Jr., born November 25, 1960, just weeks after his father's presidential election.
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Look Magazine for February 28, 1961, "Our New First Family"
The cover story in this issue of Look magazine featured "An exclusive visit with our new first family."
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Look Magazine for May 9, 1961, "Inside Kennedy's Election"
Look magazine was one of the popular documenters of American life at the time of John F. Kennedy's presidency. This issue featured James A. Michener's new book on the 1960 Kennedy campaign. Although the Look editors did not share Michener's views, they thought readers would be interested in this account by a "highly articulate Democrat."
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Life Magazine for May 26, 1961, "The Kennedys in Canada"
President Kennedy visited Canada in 1961 to enlist that country's "continuing friendship and support." This Life magazine cover depicted First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy receiving a guest book from Commissioner Harrison of the Canadian Mounted Police after a performance was staged in her honor.
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Life Magazine for June 9, 1961, "Kennedy in Paris"
This Life magazine cover depicted President Kennedy riding in an open-top car with France's president, Charles de Gaulle. Kennedy's visit to Europe also included a two-day "frank discussion" with Premier Khrushchev of the Soviet Union about the Cold War.
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Look Magazine for July 4, 1961, "What You Don't Know about Jacqueline Kennedy"
This Look magazine cover image was considered the "Official White House Portrait" of the First Lady.
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"Jacqueline Kennedy, the Complete Story of America's Glamorous First Lady," 1961
This paperback book featuring "America's Glamorous First Lady" was published in 1961, during the first year of John F. Kennedy's presidency.
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Life Magazine for August 4, 1961, "Any Dangerous Spot is Tenable if Brave Men Will Make It So"
This Life cover story discussed the "hard-hitting" speech that President Kennedy delivered on July 25, 1961, to the American public. He spoke about the possibility of war between the United States and the Soviet Union over crisis in Berlin, Germany. The Soviets erected the Berlin Wall soon after this -- another action in the Cold War.
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Life Magazine for November 24, 1961, "In the White House Nursery"
This Life magazine cover story featured one-year-old John F. Kennedy, Jr., in his White House nursery.
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Record Album, "The First Family," 1962
This 1962 record album poked good-natured fun at President John F. Kennedy. Vaughn Meader, a Kennedy impersonator, lampooned the President and parodied his PT-109 history, the Kennedys' well-known athleticism, and Jackie Kennedy's redecoration of the White House. The album won a Grammy Award and seven million copies were sold.
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Look Magazine for January 2, 1962, "The New Frontier"
This Look magazine cover story focused on President Kennedy's "New Frontier" policies. The cover image showed Kennedy's characteristic informality and devotion to family, as he took his nieces, nephews, and daughter on a golf cart ride.
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Life Magazine for January 26, 1962, "Hard-headed, Hard-driving Kid Brother"
This Life cover story featured President Kennedy's "kid brother" Robert. As the president's Attorney General and most trusted adviser, "Bobby" Kennedy was called in this article "a political phenomenon such as never quite existed before in the United States."
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Look Magazine for June 5, 1962, "Jacqueline Kennedy Inspires the New International Look"
In this Look magazine feature article, Jacqueline Kennedy was called "today's international taste setter," personifying "youthful elegance" and inspiring "a new standard of beauty around the world."
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Life Magazine for July 13, 1962, "Embraced in Mexico, Embattled at Home"
This Life magazine cover story contrasted the wave of affection shown for President Kennedy in Mexico (where he had honeymooned with Jacqueline back in 1953) with the challenges he was facing at home, particularly with Republicans who opposed his "New Frontier" ideas.
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Life Magazine for September 7, 1962, "The Fun of Being Caroline Kennedy"
This Life magazine cover featured the Kennedys' five-year-old daughter Caroline riding her pony Macaroni.
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Look Magazine for December 18, 1962, "Washington in Crisis"
This Look magazine cover feature detailed the "untold story" of President Kennedy's cancelled plan to invade Cuba, a tense 154-hour period during which "the world faced the possibility of nuclear conflict."
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Life Magazine for January 25, 1963, "How Joe Kennedy Amassed His Fortune"
While this Life magazine cover depicted Vietnam troops transporting communist prisoners, an inside feature told the story of how President Kennedy's father had made one of America's greatest fortunes through a shrewd combination of business and financial transactions.
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Life Magazine for August 16, 1963, "Hospital Vigil over the Kennedy Baby"
This Life magazine cover reflected the concern of the nation for the Kennedys' son, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, who was born August 7, 1963, and only lived for two days.
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Life Magazine for July 16, 1965, "A Thousand Days"
Americans embraced commemorative books and magazines following the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. This July 16, 1965, issue of Life magazine included the first of four installments of historian Arthur Schlesinger's A Thousand Days -- a detailed account of the politics and personalities of the Kennedy Administration. These were published in book form in 1966.
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Paper Dolls Book, "John F. Kennedy and His Family," 1990
The appealing, youthful image of the Kennedy family lived on decades after John F. Kennedy’s death in such products as this paper doll book from 1990.
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Videotape Recording, "Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Remembered: A Profile of Her Life," 1994
CBS produced this 81-minute videocassette after the death of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis on May 19, 1994. It contained a retrospective of Jackie's life, an excerpt of her 1962 White House tour, and a rare pre-election interview.
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