Pictures of the Pain: Photography and the Assassination of President Kennedy

by Richard B. Trask

This major work displays the history of the photography of the President John F. Kennedy assassination. Written by historian and archivist Richard B. Trask, the book is the result of 10 years' research. The volume's 638 pages and over 360 illustrations, many never before published, reveal in detail the November 22, 1963, assassination in Dallas, Texas, as recorded by numerous photographers who were present in Dealey Plaza at the time of the shooting. These on-scene photographers included professional photojournalists and rank amateurs who captured on film in a form truer than any person's memory, relevant and dramatic slices of the reality of the event. This Point-In-Time history combines photographic sources, numerous revealing, first-time interviews and a wealth of primary source documentation, including many Freedom of Information Act requests, which display from a multi-perspective view how this event was personally experienced by these picture-takers and others. The narration gathers multiple strands of information which, when woven together, create a broad tapestry of truths and perspectives never before revealed concerning one of the most shocking events of the 20th century. Also examined is the story of how these images, including the famous Zapruder film, were used, and sometimes abused, by the news media and government investigations, as well as by assassination critics who distrusted the government's conclusions in the case. The beliefs of a number of researchers who have discovered assassins within some of these images are also examined. This is a limited, acid-free, sewn, hard-cover edition of 638 pages divided into 26 chapters and includes over 360 photographs, maps, diagrams and drawings, and is footnoted throughout. Included are notes, various appendices, a bibliography and index.

638 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1994

Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little known book, Trask has collected every known photograph taken in Dealy Plaza on that fateful day. We get to learn the stories of every one of them. It is well written in a popular style. Whether you believe in the lone nut theory (as does the author)or a conspiracy (as 75% of America) makes no difference because the discussion is about the pictures nothing else, no theories only speculation about what they show. A wonderful book

[David Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

If, (and it's a big if), you are totally intrigued by the JFK assassination and if you already have a very good grasp on the events of that day, then you undoubtedly would love this extremely detailed look at all of the known photos and home movies taken during the President's November 1963 visit to Texas. There is an abundance of details not formally discussed or known about the many amateur and professional photographers using their cameras from Friday morning through Sunday of that horrific weekend. I found it fascinating, but again, this is not something those not well-versed in the assassination and its subsequent investigations.

[Pete daPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A recommended book by Douglas Horne in his superb 'Inside the A.R.R.B.'
'Pictures of the Pain' is simply a fully comprehensive collection of the movie and still pictures that were taken by professional and amateur photographers, pertinent to the JFK assassination.
In no way is this a study of blurry images, hidden snipers, or conspiracy theories. Richard Trask has dedicated most of a lifetime to assemble this historical photographic archive. Along with the pictures, the author has largely recounted each persons movements, their camera equipment, film type etc. Also included are brief biographies of White House cameramen, photojournalists, t.v. newsmen, Dallas and Fort Worth news hounds all the way down to the spur of the moment family album snappers and 8mm home movie makers.
With well over six hundred pages, many rarely seen images, this is a graphic chronicle. Even though Mr Trask is clearly a three shot from Oswald's Carcano man and believers in various conspiracies are termed 'buffs', my main criticism of this book is that all the pictures are in black and white, save two that are shown on the front and back sleeve. On that beautiful Texan blue sky day, many pictures were taken in colour, yet they are reproduced here in b/w. Why is that?
Once more, here is another good book that is now difficult to get hold of. Out of print and costing £50.