John F Kennedy Photo Analysis

On the bleak morning of November 25, 1963, a number of photojournalists stood in front of St. Matthews Cathedral in Washington, waiting to capture the final moments of President John F. Kennedy. Cordoned off from the church’s perimeter, many of them captured emotional photos of the Kennedy family, as they mourn the death of the United States President that died just three days prior, in Dallas, TX, as a result of an assassination. Of the hundreds of photos taken on that dreadful day, Stan Stearns, from United Press International, captured the most acclaimed photos in Kennedy history. The portrait depicts a young John F. Kennedy, Jr., who was celebrating his third birthday, saluting his father’s casket for the last time, but it also portrays a child with hopefulness, that honors and admires his father. In the photo, the photographer seems to be positioned a distance just far enough that he is not able to capture a full photo of the Kennedy family, but he is able to capture a photo of little John, as the family peer off at the final passing of the …show more content…
Here stands a little boy that, on his third birthday, has to bury his father. Although he may not have known much about his father due to his young age, it is obvious that he adores the father that he knew. As he salutes, he stands with pride and an expression on this face that exhibits reverence and adoration. With his mother standing beside him, as she appears broken and distressed, the little boy brings comfort and peace. Even though it seems that the mother’s world may be falling apart, that little boy makes it seem as though everything is fine. His presence give the viewer the feeling that, even at such a young age, he is aware of the fact that, one day, he will not only follow in his father’s footsteps, but also make his father proud of the man that he will come to