John F. Kennedy Jr. Archive of Photos and Ephemera

An important Kennedy family archive consisting of photographs and documents related to the life and death of John F. Kennedy, Jr.  As the son of 35th United States President John F. Kennedy, he was often referred to as John-John or JFK, Jr.  A lawyer, journalist and publisher, John, Jr. was a popular social figure in New York City.  Kennedy launched George magazine in 1995, and in its beginning, the magazine attracted great interest.  For a brief period George had the largest circulation of any political magazine in the nation, partly due to the celebrity status of Kennedy.  Provenance: From the collection of Ronald Hoskins, assassinologist.

This lot is comprised of:

1) A memorial service program, "The Eucharist Celebrating the Lives of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr." celebrated at the Saint Thomas More Roman Catholic Church in the Upper East Side of Manhattan on July 23, 1999. The 16pp program detailed aspects of the memorial service and their participants. Readings of Remembrance, a Homily, Prayers of Intercession, Gospel Readings, Communion, Eulogies, and a Final Blessing were offered during the 90-minute-long service. Printed on cream stock paper. In near fine condition. 5.5" x 8.5."

John F. Kennedy, Jr. (1960-1999) and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (1966-1999) were killed along with Lauren Bessette (1964-1999) in a plane crash on July 16, 1999. Carolyn and John, Jr.'s private memorial service the following day was attended by 350 guests including Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Senator Ted Kennedy, then President and First Lady Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Muhammad Ali, Diane Sawyer, and other celebrities.

2) An original fax sheet showing part of John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s cell phone bill from early June 1995. The sheet was page four of a fax, or page six of the original July 1, 1995 cell phone bill, sent to John, Jr. by his brother-in-law Edwin Schlossberg (born 1945) on July 27, 1995. Unevenly soiled, with numerous folds and wrinkles, else very good. The minor condition issues do not affect the legibility of the document. 8.5" x 11." 

This remarkable piece of ephemera provides us with a nearly 2-week window in which to study John F. Kennedy Jr.'s private telephone communications.

3) An oversized prayer card and invitation to attend the funeral mass of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994) held at St. Ignatius Loyola Roman Catholic Church on Manhattan's Upper East Side on May 23, 1994 at 10 o'clock, with the attendee's name "Kevin J. Hynes" handwritten near the top. Jackie's two children, Caroline and John, Jr.served as hosts. The cream card has a slightly beveled edge. In fine condition. 5.5" x 4.25."

Kevin J. Hynes was a New York lawyer and close friend of John F. Kennedy, Jr. who would serve as an usher at the latter's New York City memorial service a little over five years later.

4) A glossy color photograph of John F. Kennedy, Jr. (1960-1999) showing John, Jr. propped over a table signing an open book. An American flag and red carnation floral centerpiece appear in the foreground. The photograph was possibly taken during a trip to South Korea which John, Jr. took after 1996 to visit the Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. shipyard. In near fine condition. 8.5" x 11".

Kevin J. Hynes accompanied John F. Kennedy, Jr. on his trip to South Korea. 

5) A pair of contemporary black and white prints on glossy paper, showing Caroline Kennedy (b.1957) and John F. Kennedy, Jr. (1960-1999) visiting the "U.S.S. John F. Kennedy" aircraft carrier. The siblings are wearing helmets, headphones, and reflective vests; John, Jr. reaches out to take a baseball cap embroidered with the ship's name from an unidentified ship's officer. Undated, but possibly originally taken in 1993, when the aircraft carrier celebrated its 25th anniversary. In near fine condition. The largest photograph is 11" x 8.5" while the smaller measures 7" x 5."

The "U.S.S. John F. Kennedy" (CV-67) was an 87,000-ton "Kitty Hawk" class variant aircraft carrier launched on May 27, 1967 at Newport News, Virginia. The vessel, which could carry nearly 5,000 crew and over 70 aircraft, was christened by 9-year-old Caroline Kennedy in a ceremony also attended by little brother John. The children visited the ship again in 1970, accompanied by uncle Ted Kennedy.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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