Was JFK really waving?

[Robin Unger]

7-Frame Gif ( Z-133 Z-140 )

The few early frames z133-z137 appear to be quite blury, and the camera shake in frame Z-134 doesn't help

Click on the thumbnail

Edited October 27, 2010 by Robin Unger

[Martin Hinrichs]

7-Frame Gif ( Z-133 Z-140 )

The few early frames z133-z137 appear to be quite blury, and the camera shake in frame Z-134 doesn't help

Click on the thumbnail

Thanks Robin.

Here the same frames, except 134 but stable.

best to you

Martin

[John Dolva]

He's just sweeping his hair back but beacause his elbow is on the limo, to complete the sweep, he turns his head the way he does.

[David Andrews]

He's just sweeping his hair back but beacause his elbow is on the limo, to complete the sweep, he turns his head the way he does.

At the same time, though, Connally seems to be attempting a look backward - we usually don't notice this because the limo is still far friom the camera. Connally doesn't seem to have his crowd-pleasing face on during this head turn. And the next thing JFK does is to look over at Jackie, as if checking on her, or checking if she noticed something.

I'm thinking that the "New Frontier" is Towner vs. Zapruder, with evidence from any film from Houston St. that shows the turn onto Elm. The "short turn by Greer" may just be a smokescreen for another disturbance.

Edited October 27, 2010 by David Andrews

[John Dolva]

I'd still take that as a sweep movement which is kind of a across and down 'flick' of the head.. afa Connallly goes. No idea.

[Bill Miller]

None of this seems that hard to figure out to me if people would just consider 'occams razor'. During the turn the people on the Willis side of the street were far closer to the car than those lined across the road between the TSBD and the Dal-tex building. I see nothing odd at all about the people in the car looking to the Willis side of the street and then back to their own side where the crowd was thicker on Elm Street.

I also recall Jean Hill saying that she ran down into the street and called out to JFK when the car was turning onto Elm Street just before her getting back out of it. Perhaps Jean caused the President to turn to that side - she said she didn't know for sure. There is no evidence that I have seen or heard about that would justify going from a normal action to a more dramatic response on JFK's part. And as far as Connally's turn back to his right upon hearing a shot ... the Life Magazine article allowed Connally to set the record straight on these key issues.

Bill

[David Andrews]

I'm thinking that it's time to address:

1) The "short turn": did it happen and who noticed, reacted, or commented?

2) What did occur before the limo appears in Zapruder

3) What does Towner, or orther film/stills, tell us about 2)

4) How to interpret Towner, including some theory of what was lost through "processing damage"

It's time to consider what's absent from the Zapruder assemblage, and Bob Harris at least is focusing attention on the pre-Z moments.

[John Dolva]

re 4: There is one frame that just as the chrome reflection reaches its brightest one over exposed frame has been excised (SOP). I think that is all. In fact I'm pretty sure. I did a very large collage panorama that someone may have downloaded, I've got it on a non functioning comp. that shows a very uniform movement with only a single skip at just that moment.

[Bernice Moore]

re 4: There is one frame that just as the chrome reflection reaches its brightest one over exposed frame has been excised (SOP). I think that is all. In fact I'm pretty sure. I did a very large collage panorama that someone may have downloaded, I've got it on a non functioning comp. that shows a very uniform movement with only a single skip at just that moment.

john, I believe this is your panorama,that you mention...b

[John Dolva]

You're tops, Bernice.

I thought it could have been lost.

OK, if you ramp up the gamma you can count the various limo components and note a skip over one frame, just before and after the increase and decrease of the chrome reflection. Just that one frame must have been over exposed and exciced. btw, an attempt at making such a panorama is a good learning experience when it comes to matching images each of which has avrious distortions introduced depending on the lenses angle of 'attack' on subjects that are filmed as the camera swings across a scene.

[Bernice Moore]

You're tops, Bernice.

I thought it could have been lost.

OK, if you ramp up the gamma you can count the various limo components and note a skip over one frame, just before and after the increase and decrease of the chrome reflection. Just that one frame must have been over exposed and exciced. btw, an attempt at making such a panorama is a good learning experience when it comes to matching images each of which has avrious distortions introduced depending on the lenses angle of 'attack' on subjects that are filmed as the camera swings across a scene.

your welcome john, i am just a pack rat, sometimes whatever pops up,and i have it,i was lucky this time...take care...b

[Robin Unger]

re 4: There is one frame that just as the chrome reflection reaches its brightest one over exposed frame has been excised (SOP). I think that is all. In fact I'm pretty sure. I did a very large collage panorama that someone may have downloaded, I've got it on a non functioning comp. that shows a very uniform movement with only a single skip at just that moment.

john, I believe this is your panorama,that you mention...b

Thanks B

Great panorama John

Very nice.

[Martin Hinrichs]

Thanks Duncan

He's just sweeping his hair back but beacause his elbow is on the limo, to complete the sweep, he turns his head the way he does.

Yes John, that seems to be the case here.

By the way, wonderful panorama! Thx

Martin

[Robert Harris]

7-Frame Gif ( Z-133 Z-140 )

The few early frames z133-z137 appear to be quite blury, and the camera shake in frame Z-134 doesn't help

Click on the thumbnail

Thanks Robin.

Here the same frames, except 134 but stable.

best to you

Martin

As I stated at the top of the thread, he was absolutely, positively not waving to the crowd then as has been believed practically since the day of the assassination.

As to whether he was pushing his hair back or checking that part of his head for damage, I don't think we have nearly enough detail to confirm that one way or the other.

[Robert Harris]

7-Frame Gif ( Z-133 Z-140 )

The few early frames z133-z137 appear to be quite blury, and the camera shake in frame Z-134 doesn't help

Click on the thumbnail

Thanks Robin.

Here the same frames, except 134 but stable.

best to you

Martin

As I stated at the top of the thread, he was absolutely, positively not waving to the crowd then as has been believed practically since the day of the assassination.

As to whether he was pushing his hair back or checking that part of his head for damage, I don't think we have nearly enough detail to confirm that one way or the other. If he was checking for damage, I suspect that he would have gone out of his way to stay cool and appear normal.

JFK heard no shot then and it appears that he was not directly wounded. So, there was no reason for him to believe at that point, that anyone was shooting at him. And in fact, up until a few days ago I was under the same illusion that everyone else was, that he was waving to the crowd then.

Edited October 28, 2010 by Robert Harris