#nitrate negatives

From the early 1900s to about 1950, the Kennedy and Fitzgerald families documented their lives on nitrate photographic film. They were part of a new generation of amateur photographers utilizing a new medium that enabled them to produce numerous snapshots of everyday life – of friends and relatives, trips, holidays, and other celebratory occasions. When nitrate film became commercially available in the late 1880s, it made possible technical advancements in amateur roll film for smaller, more mobile cameras, ushering in the practice of family photography.  

More than a century later, the surviving nitrate negatives from the Kennedy Family Collection have been digitized due in part to the inherently fragile and unstable nature of the medium but also to provide greater access and ensure future use while the physical objects remain safely preserved in their original format and condition.

The JFK Library is pleased to announce the completion of an 18-month grant project to catalog and provide online access to these newly digitized materials. Archivists created robust descriptions and metadata records for all of the nitrate negatives in the collection so that users can browse, search, and discover these historic photographs. Over 1,700 photographs are now available on the Library’s website. The nitrates represent a subset of photographic materials in a collection that provides access to the more personal, private moments of this prominent family not found in other historical sources.

These photos – the fourth and final in a series of posts to highlight images from this cataloging project - feature the Kennedy family enjoying outdoor leisure time together, whether at the beach in Hyannis Port, in the pool in Palm Beach, or on vacation with family and friends. These images highlight the Kennedy family’s affinity for the water – both ocean and pool, stateside and abroad.

To browse all of the Kennedy Family Collection photos that show the family (and others) swimming and participating in other sports and recreational activities, visit the Digital Archives.

Photographs © John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

KFC31N. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., Swims with His Children at the Beach in Hyannis Port, ca. 1925

KFC621N. John F. Kennedy Swims at the Beach in Hyannis Port, ca. 1925-1926

KFC117N. Rosemary Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy, and Betsey Cushing Roosevelt Sit Poolside in Palm Beach, Florida, 1934

KFC1017N. Rosemary Kennedy and Kathleen Kennedy Swim at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, March 1934

KFC1013N. Kennedy Family Children with Nanny Katherine Conboy at Breakers Beach in Palm Beach, Florida, March 1934

KFC304N. Patricia Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Jean Kennedy Play in the Pool in Palm Beach, Florida, March 1934

KFC109N. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., with Edward M. Kennedy at the Pool in Palm Beach, Florida, March 1935

KFC209N. Edward M. Kennedy with Edward E. Moore and Mary Moore at the Pool in Palm Beach, Florida, ca. March 1936

KFC583N. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., and His Family Go Swimming in Palm Beach, Florida, April 1936

KFC1403N. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., at a Beach Near Cannes, France, 1939: July-August

KFC1635N. Kathleen Kennedy Swims in Pool at Schweppe Family Estate in Lake Forest, Illinois, July 1941

KFC1722N. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Edward M. Kennedy, and a Friend Go Swimming in Palm Beach, Florida, December 1941-January 1942

KFC1863N. Kathleen Kennedy and Unidentified Woman Swim at Country Estate in England, ca. 1943-1944

KFC2759N. Kathleen Kennedy Cavendish and Edward M. Kennedy Play in the Pool in Palm Beach, Florida, ca. 1946-1948

KFC2776N. John F. Kennedy, Jean Kennedy, and Ethel Skakel Go Swimming in Palm Beach, Florida, ca. 1946-1948

Read more about this project on the Library’s Blog.

From the early 1900s to about 1950, the Kennedy and Fitzgerald families documented their lives on nitrate photographic film. They were part of a new generation of amateur photographers utilizing a new medium that enabled them to produce numerous snapshots of everyday life – of friends and relatives, trips, holidays, and other celebratory occasions. When nitrate film became commercially available in the late 1880s, it made possible technical advancements in amateur roll film for smaller, more mobile cameras, ushering in the practice of family photography.  

More than a century later, the surviving nitrate negatives from the Kennedy Family Collection have been digitized due in part to the inherently fragile and unstable nature of the medium, but also to provide greater access and ensure future use while the physical objects remain safely preserved in their original format and condition.

The JFK Library is pleased to announce the completion of an 18-month grant project to catalog and provide online access to these newly digitized materials. Archivists created robust descriptions and metadata records for all of the nitrate negatives in the collection so that users can browse, search, and discover these historic photographs. Over 1,700 photographs are now available on the Library’s website. The nitrates represent a subset of photographic materials in a collection that provides access to the more personal, private moments of this prominent family not found in other historical sources. 

These photos – the third in a series of posts to highlight images from this cataloging project - feature former Mayor of Boston, John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, pictured alone or with his wife, Mary Josephine Hannon Fitzgerald, and their children and grandchildren. The following images offer glimpses into Honey Fitz’s personality, his family and public service life, and the keen interest he held for his Irish heritage. 

To browse all of the Kennedy Family Collection photos in which John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald appears, visit the Digital Archives.   

Photographs © John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

KFC1429N. Mayor John F. Fitzgerald and Rose Fitzgerald Aboard R.M.S. Franconia, ca. June 27-August 16, 1911

KFC887N. John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald with Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., at Nantasket Beach, ca. 1916

KFC803N. John F. Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine Fitzgerald in Palm Beach, Florida, ca. 1915-1916

KFC807N. John F. Fitzgerald, Mary Josephine Fitzgerald, and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy in Palm Beach, Florida, ca. 1915-1916

KFC232N. Kennedy Family Children with Their Grandparents, John F. Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine Fitzgerald, in Cohasset, ca. 1922

KFC211N. Kennedy Family Children with Their Grandparents, John F. Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine Fitzgerald, in Cohasset, ca. 1922

KFC1422N. Mayor John F. Fitzgerald with John Hays Hammond, Sr., Aboard R.M.S. Franconia,ca. June 27-August 16, 1911

KFC1559N. Mayor John F. Fitzgerald and Boston Chamber of Commerce Delegates at Residence of Sir Thomas Lipton in England, ca. July 5, 1911

KFC1481N. Mayor John F. Fitzgerald with Rose Fitzgerald, Agnes Fitzgerald, and Hugh Nawn Aboard Sir Thomas Lipton’s Yacht in England, ca. August 7, 1911

KFC240N. Mayor John F. Fitzgerald at Gatun Locks in Panama, ca. May 1-4, 1913

KFC1442N. John F. Fitzgerald at Blarney Castle in County Cork, Ireland, ca. August 8, 1908

KFC1519N. John F. Fitzgerald and Agnes Fitzgerald Visit Treaty Stone of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland, ca. August 5, 1908

KFC1447N. John F. Fitzgerald Swims in Ireland, ca. August 1908-August 1909

KFC1430N. John F. Fitzgerald with Donkey in Ireland, ca. August 1908-August 1909

Read more about the project on the Library’s Blog. Photographs © John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

From the early 1900s to about 1950, the Kennedy and Fitzgerald families documented their lives on nitrate photographic film. They were part of a new generation of amateur photographers utilizing a new medium that enabled them to produce numerous snapshots of everyday life – of friends and relatives, trips, holidays, and other celebratory occasions. When nitrate film became commercially available in the late 1880s, it made possible technical advancements in amateur roll film for smaller, more mobile cameras, ushering in the practice of family photography.   

More than a century later, the surviving nitrate negatives from the Kennedy Family Collection have been digitized due in part to the inherently fragile and unstable nature of the medium but also to provide greater access and ensure future use while the physical objects remain safely preserved in their original format and condition. 

The JFK Library is pleased to announce the completion of an 18-month grant project to catalog and provide online access to these newly digitized materials. Archivists created robust descriptions and metadata records for all of the nitrate negatives in the collection so that users can browse, search, and discover these historic photographs. Over 1,700 photographs are now available on the Library’s website. The nitrates represent a subset of photographic materials in a collection that provides access to the more personal, private moments of this prominent family not found in other historical sources. 

These photos – the second in a series of posts to highlight images from this cataloging project - feature the Kennedy and Fitzgerald families as travelers and tourists, taking snapshots of historic sites and scenic views for the sake of personalizing their experiences abroad. 

Follow Rose Fitzgerald on her travels as a young woman during her school year abroad (1908-1909), and with her father Mayor of Boston, John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, during the Boston Chamber of Commerce tours of Europe(1911)andPanama (1913). Take note of the same countries her children would visit decades later. Or see the vacation spots the Kennedy family traveled to during their embassy years, when Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., served as U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain.

Photographs © John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

KFC1418N. Rose Fitzgerald and Agnes Fitzgerald with Unidentified Girl Aboard S.S. Cymric, ca. July 1908-August 1909

KFC1445N. Rose Fitzgerald at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Berkshire, England, ca. July-August, 1908

KFC1529N. Mayor John F. Fitzgerald and Rose Fitzgerald with Boston Chamber of Commerce Delegates at Royal Palace Gardens in Budapest, Hungary, ca. July-August, 1911

KFC1449N. Rose Fitzgerald Kisses Blarney Stone in County Cork, Ireland, ca. August 8, 1908

KFC675N. Kathleen Kennedy Kissing Blarney Stone in County Cork, Ireland, ca. July-August, 1937

KFC1452N. John F. Fitzgerald and Rose Fitzgerald at Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, ca. August 1909

KFC702N. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., Visits Giant’s Causeway in Bushmills, Northern Ireland, ca. August 1937

KFC1471N. View of Eiffel Tower and Ferris Wheel in Paris, France, ca. August 4-5, 1911

KFC2834N. Edward M. Kennedy at Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, France, ca. August 4, 1950

KFC1057N. Rosemary Kennedy and Betty Rice Visit Kilcroney Castle in County Wicklow, Ireland, ca. July 1-August 8, 1938

KFC646N. Kathleen Kennedy Visits Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy, March 30, 1936

KFC711N. View of Killiney Beach in Killiney, Ireland, ca. July-August, 1937

Read more about the project on the Library’s Blog. Photographs © John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

From the early 1900s to about 1950, the Kennedy and Fitzgerald families documented their lives on nitrate photographic film. They were part of a new generation of amateur photographers utilizing a new medium that enabled them to produce numerous snapshots of everyday life – of friends and relatives, trips, holidays, and other celebratory occasions. When nitrate film became commercially available in the late 1880s, it made possible technical advancements in amateur roll film for smaller, more mobile cameras, ushering in the practice of family photography.  

More than a century later, the surviving nitrate negatives from the Kennedy Family Collection have been digitized due in part to the inherently fragile and unstable nature of the medium but also to provide greater access and ensure future use while the physical objects remain safely preserved in their original format and condition.

The JFK Library is pleased to announce the completion of an 18-month grant project to catalog and provide online access to these newly digitized materials. Archivists created robust descriptions and metadata records for all of the nitrate negatives in the collection so that users can browse, search, and discover these historic photographs. Over 1,700 photographs are now available on the Library’s website. The nitrates represent a subset of photographic materials in a collection that provides access to the more personal, private moments of this prominent family not found in other historical sources.

These photos – the first in a series of posts to highlight images from this cataloging project - feature the Kennedy and Fitzgerald families in more informal settings, at home and at play.

Photographs © John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

KFC233N. John F. Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy, and Patricia Kennedy in Brookline, Massachusetts, May 1926

KFC576N. John F. Kennedy, Patricia Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Friends in Palm Beach, Florida, April 1936.

KFC51N. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy with Patricia Kennedy at Malcolm Cottage in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, 1925

KFC888N. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., and Patrick Joseph Kennedy with Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., at Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, ca. 1917

KFC1946N. John F. Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy, and Eunice Kennedy in Brookline, Massachusetts, ca. 1924-1925

KFC530N. Robert F. Kennedy, Jean Kennedy, and Edward M. Kennedy Play on Swing Set in Bronxville, New York, October 1934       

KFC2725N. Edward M. Kennedy in Bronxville, New York, ca. 1936

KFC2069N. Eunice Fitzgerald with Chickens in Dorchester, Massachusetts, ca. 1910-1913

Read more about this project on the Library’s Blog.