Details:

Cecil W. Stoughton’s Air Force One passenger manifest from the return flight departing Dallas on November 22, 1963, documenting the occupants aboard the presidential aircraft following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This extraordinary single-page typescript, measuring approximately 10.5 x 8”, lists the forty-one passengers aboard Air Force One, including President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, members of the Kennedy and Johnson staffs, military personnel, Secret Service agents, and members of the White House press corps. The document is signed in blue ink by Sgt. C. Chance, certifying the official passenger list.

Few documents capture the immediate aftermath of the Kennedy assassination as powerfully as this remarkable manifest. In the chaotic hours following the events in Dallas, Air Force One became far more than the presidential aircraft, it briefly served as the seat of the United States government. With uncertainty surrounding the assassination and genuine concern over the possibility of a broader national or international crisis, government officials understood the importance of demonstrating an immediate and unmistakable constitutional transfer of power.

Before the aircraft departed Love Field, official White House photographer Cecil W. Stoughton was instructed to board Air Force One and document the swearing-in of Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 36th President of the United States. The resulting photograph, showing Johnson taking the oath of office beside a grief-stricken Jacqueline Kennedy, who remained in the pink suit she had been wearing during the assassination, became one of the defining images of the twentieth century and an enduring symbol of both national tragedy and constitutional continuity.

Following the ceremony, Stoughton obtained this passenger manifest in order to identify the individuals appearing in his historic photograph. He left the aircraft before takeoff so the film could be developed immediately and transmitted around the world, allowing newspapers to publish visual confirmation that the United States had a new Commander-in-Chief. As such, this manifest is directly tied to the creation of one of history’s most iconic photographs and represents an exceptionally rare working document from that pivotal moment.

The manifest was originally acquired directly from the family of Cecil W. Stoughton. The framed presentation includes a descriptive plaque and a reproduction of Stoughton’s famous swearing-in photograph.

Very good condition overall. The original typescript exhibits two original horizontal mailing folds, light edge wrinkling, and expected handling wear consistent with its official use. The document remains beautifully displayed within its 24 x 18" frame. The frame has a few chips to the outer edges.

Accompanied by more than 80 pages of research, documentation, and reference material compiled by our consignor relating to the Air Force One flight of November 22, 1963, the passenger manifest, its occupants, and the historical circumstances surrounding the return flight from Dallas following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Also included are color reproductions of both the front and reverse of the original passenger manifest outside of its frame.

Cecil W. Stoughton (1920–2008) served as Chief White House Photographer under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He photographed many of the defining moments of the Kennedy presidency, but none more significant than the swearing-in of Lyndon B. Johnson aboard Air Force One on November 22, 1963. His photograph has become one of the most recognized and reproduced images in American history, capturing the precise moment the nation transitioned from unimaginable tragedy toward constitutional continuity. This original passenger manifest stands as one of the most compelling surviving documentary artifacts connected to that historic flight and the immediate aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11693 1416477-1