New exhibition of Life magazine photos shows tender side of John F Kennedy and Jackie O’s private life

Numerous candids and shows the famous couple and their children relaxing and on holiday

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John F Kennedy and Jackie O relaxing with the kids

Photo by 2012 Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com

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A new exhibit will feature private and public photos of the Kennedys. More than half of the photos have never been seen before. The photos are on display in Berlin at the MILA Kunstgalerie, a modern art and photography museum, until October 6.

The exhibition features numerous candids and shows the famous couple and their children relaxing and on holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, Mrs. Kennedy’s family home in Merrywood, Virginia, and Amalfi Coast of Italy.

Other photos show the couple on the campaign trail or in the office and JFK preparing to give a speech to the nation. The photography shows the multiple sides of the family at work and play.

However, not all of the photos hold happy memories. JFK allegedly had affairs while in the White House and Mrs. Kennedy had a couple affairs of her own. The couple’s third child, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, died days after birth from a lung problem in 1963 and later that same year the world was shocked at JFK’s assassination while he was campaigning for a second term.

Photo credit belongs to Life magazine’s Mark Shaw. Shaw first met the couple in 1959, six years after they were married, when he first photographed them for Life Magazine. He was an unofficial photographer for John F. Kennedy and Jackie as well as being the couple’s close friend.

In a note, Mrs. Kennedy later thanked Shaw for all his photographs and likened him to a modern-day Caravaggio. Shaw was also known for his fashion photography, especially some of his innovative work at the Vanity Fair lingerie campaign.

Shaw’s photos are also available in a new book, The Kennedys: Photographs by Mark Shaw. To order online visit www.reelartpress.com.

To see some of Shaw’s photographs of the famous family, click here.
 

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