On a quiet early Monday morning, the first-floor reading room of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza transforms into a portal to the past, where history looms just outside the pane glass.
Beyond the museum’s walls, the atmosphere is busy with vendors offering tours that capitalize on the infamous past of Dealey Plaza, where tourists flock to stand on the ‘X’ that commemorates President John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963.
Inside, however, a different story unfolds. Curator Stephen Fagin has arranged more than a dozen black-and-white photographs by the renowned photographer Bob Jackson, whose legacy has surpassed the long-closed Dallas Times Herald.
The images span a spectrum of Dallas life in the 1960s and 1970s, showcasing everything from mundane police activities at fatal accidents to iconic cultural moments featuring local and national figures, such as the Beatles and John Wayne.
Among this impressive collection, a small box caught Fagin’s attention — a new addition from Jackson himself, who at 91 years of age, has entrusted the museum with his entire archive of 15,000 images, negatives, and prints accumulated during his tenure at the Times Herald.
This significant donation marks a pivotal moment for The Sixth Floor Museum, aiming to evolve beyond its foundational narrative of JFK’s assassination to encompass the broader, unfiltered story of Dallas.
Jackson’s extensive body of work captures both historic public moments and the everyday lives of Dallasites, documenting the city’s journey as it grappled with its identity post-assassination.
Among the photographs is one of two Black children at Elisha M. Pease Elementary School during desegregation and another depicting a Black farmer standing proudly among his crops in 1967.
According to Nicola Longford, the museum’s CEO, Jackson’s donation redefines the museum’s mission.
“His collection extends far beyond the assassination weekend,” Longford explained, emphasizing that it reflects Dallas’ complete history, rich in context and complexity.
The historical significance of Jackson’s work cannot be overstated. Among his collection is the original negative of one of the most notorious images of the 20th century — the moment nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement of the Dallas Police Department.
As Fagin unveiled the negative, he acknowledged its remarkable weight in history, a legacy that Jackson has generously returned to the city he calls home.
Longford’s reaction echoed the gravity of the moment when she admitted that the experience of holding such a historic artifact left her struggling to articulate her feelings.
Jackson’s motivations for his donation are deeply personal. He emphasized a desire for his photographic legacy to remain accessible rather than risk it being sold off to private collectors.
The connection between Jackson and the museum has strong roots. In 1989, the Dallas Times Herald originally aided in establishing the museum’s collection with thousands of negatives, laying the groundwork for what the museum represents today.
Jackson has long been an ally of The Sixth Floor Museum, providing oral histories, educational support, and assistance with past exhibitions.
He could have taken the easy route and auctioned his archives to the highest bidder, but his ambition to ensure that these images remained public led him to The Sixth Floor Museum as a suitable repository.
The collection underwent a multi-year preparation before Jackson felt ready to hand it over.
For a period, he kept the negatives in a safe deposit box, but as the years passed, he found it increasingly burdensome to manage the access to his own life’s work.
Jackson, who was raised in Highland Park and is a graduate of the local high school, developed a passion for photography as an amateur before transitioning to a professional career at the Times Herald.
From his early pictures of children on bicycles to capturing significant events, his work was characterized by a remarkable ability to seize the moment.
Jackson captured unforgettable images during a tumultuous time in Dallas history, including pivotal moments like the desegregation of schools.
His career accelerated following the shocking events of Nov. 24, 1963, when he captured the moment Ruby shot Oswald — a photograph that would change Jacksonville’s life forever.
While Jackson missed out on taking photos during the pivotal moments of JFK’s assassination, his image of the brief but dramatic exchange at the police station would define his career, landing him a Pulitzer Prize.
The Sixth Floor Museum plans to host a formal handover of Jackson’s donation on the anniversary of the assassination, featuring a discussion titled “Dallas: Through the Lens of Bob Jackson.”
Jackson expresses a clear preference for the conversation to transcend the widely recognized image of The Shot and focus on the nuances of Dallas life that are often overlooked.
Reflecting on his career, Jackson also expressed a tinge of regret about the moments he wish he had captured during his time, but he remains grateful for the chance to contribute to a broader historical narrative.
Despite his modest reflections on missed opportunities, Jackson’s gift to The Sixth Floor Museum is a significant step towards preserving and sharing Dallas’ multifaceted history, ensuring that future generations can engage with their city’s past in a rich and meaningful way.
The museum aims to transform itself into a complete representation of Dallas, signifying an evolution that reflects the stories of resilience, triumph, and complexity of the city’s diverse population.
Jackson’s photographs hold profound historical value, acting as a bridge that connects the city’s past to its present while fostering a deeper understanding of a community shaped by both triumph and trauma.
As the Sixth Floor Museum looks ahead, it carries the weight of its past into a future of reflection, education, and remembrance, guided by the legacy of Bob Jackson’s remarkable contribution.
image source from：dallasnews
