by Donna Ryan

Created on: January 20, 2011

A recent sale at auction of still unseen photographs of President John F. Kennedy as well as his family is indeed significant. The images were produced by the first official White House Photographer, Cecil Stoughton, and were sold by the photographer’s family in December 2010.

The purchaser of the large collection of JFK memorabilia (some 15,000 photos) is Keya Morgan, who won the bidding for the coveted photographs. Morgan is a renowned scholar and avid collector of the largest collection in the world of original photography of President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant. His website, Lincolnimages.com, showcases photos of President Lincoln.

Among the Kennedy photographs that were recently purchased is the only image of the President with the actress Marilyn Monroe. The photo was taken by Stoughton in 1962 during a fundraising event. Wearing a gown of shimmering rhinestones, Monroe is pictured with the President and his brother Robert Kennedy, both who have their backs turned to the camera. The photo is historic as it was taken at the last major public event that the actress attended before her death later that year.

Stoughton also covered the swearing-in of President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) after President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. Stoughton was part of Kennedy’s motorcade on that ill-fated November day. After he found out that LBJ was to be the next President, he followed him and Lady Bird Johnson to Love Field and Air Force One. Being the only photographer on the plane, he quickly loaded his Hasselblad camera with black-and-white film. He began shooting pictures after a bit of difficulty with the shutter. Fortunately, though, he was able to capture the official swearing-in as well as approximately 20 other images. He worked in the Johnson White House until 1965 after which time he assumed a role at the National Park Service as chief photographer.

Cecil William Stoughton came into the world on January 18, 1920 in the town of Oskaloosa, Iowa and died November 3, 2008 at the age of 88 at his residence in Merritt Island, Florida. The prominent photographer was assigned as official photographer to the White House in 1961 at the beginning of administration of John F. Kennedy. As indicated by the recent sale, he shot a large quantity of photographs, including official White House events as well as more candid moments of the President and his family.

Stoughton’s career began at the advent of the Second World War when he enlisted in the Army and became a part of the Army’s photographer training program. The photographer was acquainted with quite a few Presidents – his commanding officer in the Army was Ronald Reagan.

As a photographer in the Army, Stoughton was assigned to the Public Information Office. There, he took a photo in 1960 of Elvis Presley’s discharge from the service. In January of 1961, the famous photographer was appointed to take pictures of the Kennedy inauguration. The President was well-pleased with the photos and therefore designated the then Army Captain and photographer to the post as first official White House Photographer.

Therefore, the 15,000-some pictures that were bought in December 2010 by Keya Morgan, collector and filmmaker, do establish a historic precedent. Because of the vast number of photos, the filmmaker says that he would estimate that almost all the images (around 95%) have never been seen by the public at large. Stoughton was undoubtedly a prolific and committed photographer. We are grateful for his contributions.

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