How Jacques Lowe’s Unique Photography Style Gave Us an Intimate Look at JFK and Jackie Kennedy
Session 1: The couple and Caroline at their first sitting for Lowe in 1958.
Credit :
The Estate of Jacques Lowe/Getty
In 1958, photographer Jacques Lowe arrived at the Kennedy family’s Hyannis Port compound for his inaugural photo shoot with then-Senator John F. Kennedy. Lowe recounted that Kennedy was “furious” upon discovering the impromptu session, organized without his consent by his father, Joseph Kennedy Sr. Initially convinced that the day would be a failure, Lowe ultimately captured a defining moment featuring JFK, his wife Jackie, and their daughter Caroline, who amusingly chewed on her mother’s pearls. “It started off so bad,” Lowe reflected, “and the result was so good.”
Following that initial encounter, Lowe became JFK’s personal campaign photographer, enjoying unparalleled access over the next four years before returning to his commercial work in New York. A new documentary, *Capturing Kennedy,* set to stream on December 2 on Amazon Prime and Apple TV, chronicles Lowe’s remarkable journey. The film reveals that he emigrated from Germany to the U.S. in 1949, having spent two years in hiding from the Nazis, and emerged with little more than his camera—skills that would ultimately help forge the legend of Camelot.
Lowe passed away at the age of 71 in May 2001, mere months before the tragic events of September 11, when approximately 40,000 of his negatives, stored in a safety deposit box at the World Trade Center, were destroyed. Fortunately, during the mid-1990s, Lowe had connected with Kennedy memorabilia collector Frank Harvey, who acquired over 400 of Lowe’s prints, some of which had never been published. Harvey also conducted video interviews with Lowe about his time in the White House, which now serve as the documentary’s foundation.
Reflecting on how he captured such personal images of the Kennedy family, Lowe remarked, “I was always kind of like a fly on the wall, and I never asked him to do anything.”
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The Candidate & His Cameraman
The Estate of Jacques Lowe/Getty
Jacques Lowe with JFK in West Virginia in 1960.
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Candid Camera
The Estate of Jacques Lowe/Getty
“He was very relaxed,” said Lowe of the future President (with Jackie in Hyannis Port in August 1960).
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A Quieter Time
The Estate of Jacques Lowe/Getty
When Lowe took this 1959 shot at an Oregon diner in the campaign’s early days, “they were unrecognized,” he recalled.
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Tender Touch
The Estate of Jacques Lowe/Getty
Jackie (with Caroline in 1959) was protective of her children, but “she understood photography,” said Lowe.
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Profile in Courage
The Estate of Jacques Lowe/Getty
“This photo [from 1960] was used for a campaign poster and the memorial card after his death,” says Steele Burrow.
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Up Close
The Estate of Jacques Lowe/Getty
“Lowe would say JFK [with Jackie and Caroline, ca. 1960] rarely stood still for more than a minute,” says documentary director Steele Burrow.
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Hidden Moments
The Estate of Jacques Lowe/Getty
JFK (with Caroline in Hyannis Port, ca. 1960) “never paid any attention to the camera,” Lowe said.
