Where to Put That JFK Memorial? — 1964
by Paula Bosse
Looking west, 1964 (AP photo)
by Paula Bosse
I’m not really into the whole assassination thing, which may explain why I’ve never seen this 1964 Associated Press photo (with or without the labels). Despite the connections to “that dark day,” I think this is a really interesting view of the city, from an unusual vantage point.
Here’s another similar photo, from April 1964 — this one from United Press International. UPI’s caption:
DALLAS: Site of Memorial Park. The area outlined in white is the block where the John F. Kennedy Plaza will be created as a memorial to the late president. The outline traces buildings now on the site which will be removed on completion of the new county courthouse.
April 1964 (UPI Telephoto)
The original location for the memorial was in the block immediately to the east of the Records Building, not the Old Red Courthouse, where it eventually was placed. I’m not sure why the location changed, but by the time architect Philip Johnson, designer of the memorial, was on board, the site had moved one block south.
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The Purse & Co. sign seen at the right side of the top photo is still visible today — it’s probably the largest and most familiar ghost sign downtown. Here’s a picture that was linked to Google maps. (I think I prefer it as a ghost sign.)
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Sources & Notes
Top photo by Ferd Kaufman for the Associated Press, 1964.
Bottom UPI Telephoto found on eBay.
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Copyright © 2014 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
[…] Labeled image of the area in question, looking west, is an Associated Press photo by Ferd Kaufman, taken in 1964. I used this previously in the post “Where To Put That Kennedy Memorial? — 1964.” […]
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