Durham presentation probes Kennedy mystique

Indira Williams Babic, director of photography and visual resources at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

Indira Williams Babic, director of photography and visual resources at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

Members of the UNMC and Nebraska Medicine community are invited to “Creating Camelot: How Jacques Lowe Captured the Kennedy Mystique,” at noon, Feb. 18, in the Sorrell Center, Room 2014.

Indira Williams Babic, director of photography and visual resources at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the traveling exhibit, “Creating Camelot: The Kennedy Photography of Jacques Lowe,” on display at The Durham Museum Feb. 13 through May 8.

The exhibit showcases intimate and iconic images of President John F. Kennedy and his family, and explores how these images were used by the media. Lowe was Kennedy’s personal photographer from 1958 through his early years in the White House. His extraordinary access to the Kennedys allowed him to photograph events others could not.

His photographs helped create the “Camelot” legend of the Kennedy presidency.
Lowe’s original negatives were stored in a World Trade Center vault and lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks but these photographs were digitally restored and reproduced by the Newseum.

Babic, the driving force behind the conception and creation of the exhibit, will offer in-depth knowledge about the selection of images, the restoration process and Lowe’s job as personal photographer. Her presentation also will include rare Kennedy photographs that are not part of the exhibit at the Durham.

The event is offered through the Time Travelers program, which provides free museum admission for medical center employees, students, and their immediate families with a valid identification badge, while also offering lectures, workshops and other events on the medical center campus. Employees are encouraged to bring their lunch.