dale carpenter kennedy Unseen for decades, a newly discovered 8mm film capturing President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade racing to the hospital following his assassination is set to go to auction later this month. The never-before-seen footage, recorded by Dale Carpenter Sr., offers a rare and detailed view of the chaotic moments immediately after Kennedy was fatally shot on November 22, 1963.
The film, which features approximately 10 seconds of action, provides a unique perspective of the motorcade frantic rush down Interstate 35. It shows the immediate aftermath of the assassination, including the high-speed race to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where Kennedy was pronounced dead less than 30 minutes after the shooting.
Online bidding for the film has already commenced, with the leading bid reaching $12,100 as of Wednesday evening. The footage, expected to be sold at RR Auction’s live event on September 28, has been described by Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of the auction house, as “remarkable, in color, and you can feel the 80 mph.”
Historian and former FBI analyst Farris Rookstool III, who reviewed the footage, praised it for providing “a fresh look” at the critical moments following the assassination. The film captures scenes of Secret Service Agent Clint Hill standing over First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, vividly illustrating his iconic leap onto the back of the limousine in response to the gunfire, a moment famously depicted in Abraham Zapruder footage.
The film was discovered by Carpenter grandson, James Gates, who found it among family films stored in a milk crate. Gates, who initially found the footage from Lemmon Avenue unremarkable, was struck by the powerful scenes of the motorcade speeding down the highway, particularly Hill perilous position in the back of the limousine.
The auction of this footage underscores the ongoing discovery of historical artifacts related to JFK assassination. Stephen Fagin, curator at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, noted that such materials often surface long after the event, reflecting the enduring interest and significance of Kennedy assassination.
As this rare piece of history heads to auction, it offers a compelling addition to the narrative of one of the most pivotal moments in American history, providing historians, filmmakers, and collectors with a new lens through which to view the aftermath of President Kennedy tragic assassination.
