Zapruder 4x5 inch Transparencies

[Greg Burnham]

I just received a very interesting email from the 6th Floor Museum in response to my inquiry of

April 9. Both emails are below.

-----Original Message-----

From: Greg Burnham [jfkresearch@cox.net]

Sent: Saturday, April 09, 2011 5:54 PM

To: Megan Bryant

Subject: Zapruder Film

To whom it may concern:

Does the museum possess large format transparencies of the Zapruder film made in

1963 or 1964, approximately 4 x 5 inches in size, and unmounted? Doug Horne, of

the Assassination Records Review Board, viewed same in 1997.

Sincerely,

Greg Burnham

====================================================

Dear Mr. Burnham:

The Sixth Floor Museum does not have—and never did have—4”x5” color

transparencies prepared by Time-LIFE in 1963/1964 from the 8mm original Abraham

Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination. The collection donated to the

Museum in December 1999 by the Zapruder family did include the 4x5 color

transparencies made in March 1997 for the MPI Media video project titled Image

of an Assassination. Documentation from late December 1999 and early January

2000 confirms the Museum expected to, and did, receive these MPI transparencies

from the Zapruder family.

Just prior to the December 1999 acquisition, an inventory provided to the Museum

listed an additional 27 4x5 color LIFE transparencies. That, in combination

with a verbal comment by Zapruder family lawyer Jamie Silverberg, was

misinterpreted to mean the collection would include, simply, LIFE

transparencies. From that misunderstanding, the Museum issued an inaccurate

press release on January 25, 2000. Museum curator Gary Mack repeated the

information to Dallas Morning News reporter Mark Wrolstad and his article

appeared the next day. Soon after receiving the donation, but after the press

release appeared, Mr. Mack confirmed that the Museum did in fact receive the MPI

1997 transparencies. They included unique reference numbers added by MPI

photographers in 1997 to identify specific frames of the film.

Recently, with the assistance of retired Kodak scientist Roland Zavada, the

Museum learned that the other 4x5 transparencies in the donation were made on

film stock manufactured in 1965 or possibly 1966. Whether they were part of a

complete series of frames is unknown, as the donation did not include any

explanatory Time-LIFE records.

The whereabouts today of the 1963/1964 Time-LIFE transparencies is not known to

The Sixth Floor Museum. Time-LIFE may have records indicating what happened to

them.

I cannot comment on what Doug Horne may have or have not viewed in 1997, as this

was prior to the Museum's acquisition of the Zapruder collection.

Thank you,

Megan P. Bryant

Director of Collections & Intellectual Property

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

411 Elm Street

Dallas, Texas 75202

(214) 747-6660

meganb@jfk.org

[Robin Unger]

Quote:

The collection donated to the

Museum in December 1999 by the Zapruder family did include the 4x5 color

transparencies made in March 1997 for the MPI Media video project titled Image

of an Assassination. Documentation from late December 1999 and early January

2000 confirms the Museum expected to, and did, receive these MPI transparencies

from the Zapruder family.

Thanks Greg

I didn't know that the sixth floor museum had received the 1997 MPI transparencies.

Robin

Edited May 26, 2011 by Robin Unger

[Robin Unger]

Quote:

The collection donated to the

Museum in December 1999 by the Zapruder family did include the 4x5 color

transparencies made in March 1997 for the MPI Media video project titled Image

of an Assassination. Documentation from late December 1999 and early January

2000 confirms the Museum expected to, and did, receive these MPI transparencies

from the Zapruder family.

Edited May 29, 2011 by Robin Unger

[John Dolva]

xxx, why are they sitting on 015 +-???

edit:profanity.

The witholding of quality frames for any reason in this case is reprehensible imo. What else do they have that's not available?

Edited May 29, 2011 by John Dolva

[Robin Unger]

Note the early sitzman / Hester frames shown

I don't see those frames in any of the MPI film versions on the DVD

[William Kelly]

A friend of mine (Wm. Paris - who plays bass in the Billy Walton Band - and big in the UK), sent me this -

It appears they have a stock response to these questions, though I find it hard to believe that the Sixth Floor has never asked Time-Life if they have any records of what became of the early transparencies. -

Mr. Paris,

Thank you for your inquiry, however, there was never any issue to resolve. The Sixth Floor Museum does not have—and never did have—4"x5" color transparencies prepared by Time-LIFE in 1963/1964 from the 8mm original Abraham Zapruder film of theKennedy assassination. The collection donated to the Museum in December 1999 by the Zapruder family did include the 4x5 color transparencies made in March 1997 for the MPI Media video project titled Image of an Assassination. Documentation from late December 1999 and early January 2000 confirms the Museum expected to, and did, receive these MPI transparencies from the Zapruder family.

Just prior to the December 1999 acquisition, an inventory provided to the Museum listed an additional 27 4x5 color LIFE transparencies. That, in combination with a verbal comment by Zapruder family lawyer Jamie Silverberg, was misinterpreted to mean the collection would include, simply, LIFE transparencies. From that misunderstanding, the Museum issued an inaccurate press release on January 25, 2000. Museum curator Gary Mack repeated the information to Dallas Morning News reporter Mark Wrolstad and his article appeared the next day. Soon after receiving the donation, but after the press release appeared, Mr. Mack confirmed that the Museum did in fact receive the MPI 1997 transparencies. They included unique reference numbers added by MPI photographers in 1997 to identify specific frames of the film.

Recently, with the assistance of retired Kodak scientist Roland Zavada, the Museum learned that the other 4x5 transparencies in the donation were made on film stock manufactured in 1965 or possibly 1966. Whether they were part of a complete series of frames is unknown, as the donation did not include any explanatory Time-LIFE records.

The whereabouts today of the 1963/1964 Time-LIFE transparencies is not known to The Sixth Floor Museum. Time-LIFE may have records indicating what happened to them.

Thank you,

Megan P. Bryant

Director of Collections & Intellectual Property

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

411 Elm Street

Dallas, Texas 75202

(214) 747-6660

meganb@jfk.org

Edited May 29, 2011 by William Kelly