The auction of newly discovered film footage showing President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade racing toward a Dallas hospital after he was fatally wounded was a riveting event that garnered a winning bid of $137,500. The 8mm color home film, which has been in the possession of Dale Carpenter Sr.’s family since its recording on November 22, 1963, captures the tense moments following Kennedy’s assassination.
The footage, offered by RR Auction in Boston, begins with Carpenter missing the limousine carrying the president and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy but then follows other vehicles in the motorcade as they travel down Lemmon Avenue toward downtown Dallas. The film then shifts to the aftermath of Kennedy being shot, showing the motorcade speeding down Interstate 35.
The shots were fired as the motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in front of the Texas School Book Depository, where Lee Harvey Oswald had positioned himself on the sixth floor. Notably, Secret Service Agent Clint Hill, who famously jumped onto the back of the limousine after the shots were fired, can be seen in Carpenter’s footage hovering over the president and Jacqueline Kennedy.
The auction house described the film as providing a “gripping sense of urgency and heartbreak,” and James Gates, Carpenter’s grandson, shared that the footage was not often discussed within the family. It wasn’t until Gates projected the film onto his bedroom wall that he realized the significance of the footage captured on I-35, describing the experience as shocking.
While the auction house has released still photos from the film, the video of the motorcade race down I-35 remains unreleased to the public. The anonymous buyer of the footage now holds a piece of history that offers a unique perspective on one of the most tragic moments in American history.
This rare glimpse into the events of that fateful day in Dallas serves as a reminder of the enduring impact of President Kennedy’s assassination. The legacy of that moment lives on through the lens of Dale Carpenter Sr.’s camera, offering a window into a chapter of history that continues to captivate and intrigue audiences today.