Let the word go forth

January 14, 2011 2:28 PM

To mark the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's inauguration, the JFK Library has unveiled a new digital archive containing 200,000 pages; 300 reels of audio tape, containing more than 1,245 individual recordings of telephone calls, speeches and meetings; 300 museum artifacts; 72 reels of film; and 1,500 photos.
posted by Horace Rumpole (13 comments total)

"And then I banged Marilyn Monroe - whoops, we can edit that out for broadcast, right?"
posted by Artw at 2:54 PM on January 14, 2011

They also uncovered 4 rifles, 2 unknown shooters and a partridge in a pear tree.
posted by GuyZero at 3:11 PM on January 14, 2011

Atlantic Monthly has a slideshow of some highlights.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:15 PM on January 14, 2011

There are some very interesting items available. Some of the phone conversations are fascinating. NPR did a piece on this yesterday and played a recording of a conversation between JFK and Ike regarding the Cuban missile crisis.
posted by HuronBob at 3:34 PM on January 14, 2011

They also uncovered 4 rifles, 2 unknown shooters and a partridge in a pear tree.

Crated up moon landing set.
posted by Artw at 3:38 PM on January 14, 2011

This site has a lot of bugs, hopefully they can iron them out.
posted by wheelieman at 3:48 PM on January 14, 2011

If you spent a lot of time writing a personal essay and didn't get into your second tier college of choice ... definitely don't read JFK's pretty shitty Harvard essay. His grades were pretty mediocre too.
posted by geoff. at 4:36 PM on January 14, 2011

Crated up moon landing set.

Mint, in-box?

'cause if the box has been opened it's next to worthless.
posted by GuyZero at 5:22 PM on January 14, 2011

Half eaten Berliner.
posted by arcticseal at 6:22 PM on January 14, 2011

Dammit - I want some of these videos to load but all I'm getting are big fat time-outs, despite my creative browser wrangling. JFK was before my time - I was born in '72, but I am fascinated with his life and presidency. Ted Kennedy was no substitute, but I was still heartbroken when he died. For as wrong as it would have been, I was secretly hoping that Caroline would stay in the running to fill Hillary's spot.
posted by PuppyCat at 7:41 PM on January 14, 2011

Sorry, PuppyCat, the site seemed to work a lot better before I posted it. Some of the videos are available on the Library's YouTube account.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:55 PM on January 14, 2011

Anecdotally: still doesn't contain the transcript of an oral interview with Amb. Llewellyn Thompson I had to request a copy of a few years ago.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 10:05 PM on January 14, 2011

Just seemed a good time to offer a great quote:
"So let us not be blind to our differences, but let us also direct attention to our common interests and the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal."

--- JFK, June 10, 1963 at American University.
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 10:50 PM on January 14, 2011