A trove of John F. Kennedy pictures by White House photographer Cecil Stoughton, including a rare image of Marilyn Monroe with the President and Robert Kennedy at a Democratic fund-raiser, fetched $151,000 at auction.
The Monroe photograph, contained in an envelope labelled Sensitive Material - May 19, 1962 with 22 other gelatin silver prints of the event, sold for $9,150, above its pre-sale estimate of 4,000-to $6,000. “It’s the only image of the three of them together,” said Matthew Haley, Bonhams’ expert for books, manuscripts and historical photographs. “There are very few prints of this photo.”
The collection was offered by Stoughton’s estate at Bonhams auction house in New York. It included 12,000 photographs, and was estimated to bring $200,000.
Mr Stoughton was the first official White House photographer. He captured public as well as intimate Kennedy moments. About 60 per cent of the images are of public events. The rest are of private moments – the children’s birthday parties, family Christmases, and vacations in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.
One of Mr Stoughton’s most famous images shows Lyndon Johnson being sworn in aboard Air Force One following Kennedy’s assassination on November 22 1963.
The photo shows Johnson with his hand raised taking the oath of office surrounded by his wife and Jacqueline Kennedy still wearing her blood-splattered dress. It sold for $13,420, above its pre-sale estimate of between $5,000 and $7,000.
“It is one of the most iconic images of the 20th century,” Mr Haley said.
Mr Johnson signed it: “To Cecil Stoughton, with high regards and appreciation, Lyndon B Johnson.”
In the immediate chaotic aftermath of the assassination, Stoughton learned that Johnson was being sworn in on the aircraft on a Dallas airfield and rushed over in a car, said Mr Haley.
As he was running across the Tarmac, “the Secret Service thought it was another assassination attempt and almost fired at him”.
Mr Haley said Mr Stoughton’s camera jammed just as Johnson was about to be sworn in but he gave it a good shake and it starting working again.
The Monroe picture with the two Kennedy brothers was saved from being destroyed by the Secret Service. It was taken at a private Manhattan residence right after the actress infamously sang Happy Birthday to the president at Madison Square Garden in a simmering tight dress.
Mr Haley said, “There apparently was a directive to the Secret Service that Monroe not be photographed with the president.”
He said agents visited Mr Stoughton’s darkroom afterwards and removed some negatives but overlooked the one of the threesome because it was in a tray being washed.
Among the more intimate photos of the Kennedy family is one from 1962 that shows the president sitting in a chair near his desk in the Oval Office while his children, Caroline and John-John, dance before him.
It is inscribed by Kennedy: “Captain Stoughton – who captured beautifully a happy moment at the White House, John F Kennedy.” It sold for $18,300, well above its pre-sale price of between $7,000 and $9,000.