Thursday, September 19, 2024

Robert H. Jackson, an American photographer who won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography for his image capturing the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald

 Robert "Bob" Jackson (born April 8, 1934) is an American photographer. In 1964, Jackson, then working for the Dallas Times Herald, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Photography for his image capturing the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby.


On November 22, 1963, Jackson was assigned to cover President John F. Kennedy's arrival at Love Field and his motorcade through the city. Jackson and many other journalists traveled with the President and first lady from the airport. He was in the eighth vehicle behind the presidential limousine as the motorcade headed down Elm Street. Jackson was sitting atop the back seat of the convertible as the motorcade approached Dealey Plaza. He was in the process of changing film when the shots were fired; but his camera was empty. He had just removed a roll of film to hand-off to another newspaper employee, and had not yet reloaded. However, he was among the few people who thought that they saw a rifle barrel in the window of the book depository. After the assassination, Jackson remained in Dealey Plaza, but took no more photos, something he later regretted.

Two days later, Jackson was told to go to the police station to photograph the transfer of Oswald to the county jail. Using his Nikon S3 35mm camera, Jackson photographed the shooting of Oswald by Jack Ruby in the Dallas police station garage. The photo taken immediately as the shot rang out, shows Oswald impacted by the bullet, his mouth has already opened wide in an anguished expression and his manacled hands clutched at his abdomen, while Dallas police detective Jim Leavelle who was escorting Oswald, reacts. In March 1964, Jackson was called to testify in front of the Warren Commission.




Jackson's colleague Jack Beers at The Dallas Morning News took an almost identical photo, but six-tenths of a second earlier, before Oswald screams in pain. Beers was also called to testify in front of the Warren Commission.

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