President Kennedy's Killing Day Photographer: Famous James Altgens Quotes!

              I wish I had met with James William “Ike” Altgens (1919-1995)! This individual became a highly renowned American photojournalist and editor for the Associated Press (AP), whose snapshots touched millions of people around the world.

Ike became a legend because of the incredible pictures he snapped on a really sad day: November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was shot. Seriously, his photos from that tragic moment are like gold for history books! Ike even said once, “The whole world was looking over my shoulder that day.” We explore his most memorable quotes.

Guess what? He was right there, literally on the street where the motorcade drove, super close to the famous (and scary!) Grassy Knoll. Talk about being brave! His amazing photos grabbed those moments faster than you can blink, which is why they became instant history-making icons. Even though the situation became terrifying, he kept his cool and just did his important job!

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 “The best way to get a man is to get his mind.” – James Altgens

 “You can never have too much money. But you can always have too much of anything.” – James Altgens

 “I’m Just a Little Boy” – James Altgens

 “When you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

His picture showed that the accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was visible in the main doorway. A 40-year bright career along with the AP, Altgens also appeared as a film actor and model. 

A short introduction to “That Day in Dallas.”

That Day in Dallas” (1998) by Richard B. Trask is a key follow-up to “Pictures of the Pain.” This 136-page book details the photos taken by three specific photographers during the JFK assassination—Cecil Stoughton, James Altgens, and Jim Murray. (Read it from Goodreads.)

Pic: Rare pics during J. F. Kennedy assassination by James Altgens. Pic credit: Historical/National Archives-J F Kennedy

There are more than 110 black-and-white photos in the work, and their clarity and detail are emphasized. It’s mostly about Altgens, who was closest to Kennedy during the killing, but famously didn’t take a picture of the fatal moment.

The book talks about the debate surrounding Altgens’ photos, especially one that shows a person in the opening of the Texas School Book Depository. At first, this person was thought to be Lee Harvey Oswald, but it was later found to be Billy N. Lovelady.

Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson in the car and scenes from the Hotel Texas and Love Field are some other pictures that stand out. The book is a detailed picture story of the assassination, showing important events and people from various views and points of view. It is a useful resource for anyone interested in this historical event.​

Some famous James Altgens quotes during the assassination of President Kennedy

 On capturing historic images during the JFK assassination: Altgens was on assignment for the AP when he captured two historic images on November 22, 1963. The second, showing the rear of the agent on its bumper, was reproduced on the front pages of newspapers around the world. Within days, Altgens’s preceding photograph became controversial after people began to question whether the accused assassin was visible in the main doorway where the gunshots were fired at JFK.

Reflecting on the JFK assassination: “But when JFK’s head exploded, sending substance in my direction, I virtually became paralyzed. … Yet, many news people say I should have taken the picture anyway … I should have made the picture that I was set up to make. And I didn’t do it.” – James Altgens

Describing the aftermath of the JFK assassination: “There was no blood on the right-hand side of his face; there was no blood on the front of his face. But there was a tremendous amount of blood on the left-hand side and at the back of the head.” – James Altgens

 “I had pre-focused, had my hand on the trigger, but when JFK’s head exploded, sending substance in my direction, I virtually became paralyzed. This was such a shock to me that I never did press the trigger on the camera… To have a president shot to death right in front of you and keep your cool and do what you’re supposed to do—I’m not real sure that the most seasoned photographers would be able to do it… There is no excuse for this. I should have made the picture that I was set up to make. And I didn’t do it.” – James Altgens

Reporting on the JFK assassination: “Dallas, Nov. 22 (AP)— President Kennedy was shot today just as his motorcade left downtown Dallas. Mrs. Kennedy jumped up and grabbed Mr. Kennedy. She cried, “Oh, no!” The motorcade sped on.” – James Altgens

Regarding his position during the JFK assassination: “I might have had better pictures for investigators if I had been allowed to stay on the overpass. By being up there, I would have been able to show the sniper.” – James Altgens

Altgens’ photograph was widely published around the world in the aftermath of the president’s killing. After the shooting of President Kennedy, the New York HERALD Tribune published “Probably the most controversial photograph of the decade.”

In 1978, the House Select Committee on Assassinations studied several still and motion images, including an enhanced version of the Altgens photograph, in its scope.

Some amazing facts about James Altgens

• When WW2 broke out, Altgens volunteered to serve as a radio broadcaster. On June 8, 1943, he was the only photographer who climbed the 29th floor of the Mercantile National Bank Building in Dallas to photograph the rescue of a young girl who had become stuck inside an elevator.

• Reflecting on his career and life, Altgens appeared briefly as a film actor and model during his 40-year career with the AP, which ended in 1979. He spent his later years working in display advertising and answering letters and other requests made by assassination researchers.

• Altgens and his wife, Clara, died in 1995 at about the same time in their Dallas home. Both had suffered from long illnesses, and police said a malfunctioning furnace also may have contributed to their deaths.

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