Rare Photos of the Kennedy Family Show JFK Jr. and Caroline as Babies
Rare Photos of the Kennedy Family Show JFK Jr. and Caroline as Babies
Living in suburban Connecticut in the 1950s, Betty Kuhner did what most women did in 1950s Connecticut suburbia: She was the perfect housewife, raising three kids while her husband, Russell, ran a successful commercial photography business. That all changed when his assistant went on maternity leave and she stepped in to help. She made so many suggestions from the sidelines that Russell told her to get her own camera.
Kuhner started by photographing neighbors and friends. Then during a winter season at the Kuhners' second home in Palm Beach in 1960, she photographed Lilly Pulitzer and her family, and the rest is pretty much history. Pulitzer was the first of a long list America's great dynasties whose members would trust Kuhner to capture them in their most intimate, loving, and joyous moments.
Robert F. Kennedy with his Niece Caroline at the family compound in Hyannis Port, 1964
Taken between the years 1965 and 1977, Kuhner amassed a robust archive of two Kennedy factions: Robert, Ethel, and their eleven children, and Ted, Joan, and their three children.
John F. Kennedy Jr. in Hyannis Port in 1964
Caroline and John F. Kennedy, Jr. are seen playing with their uncle Bobby and their cousins. in 1964, just one year after their father, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated.
Robert F. Kennedy with his daughter Kathleen at their home in McLean, Virginia in 1965
"The standard for family photography in mid-century America was still very "Father Knows Best"—the family dressed in their Sunday clothes and stiffly assembled in front of the living room fireplace. Betty single-handedly changed all of that by moving the family outdoors and getting them to dress in a more relaxed manner," says interior designer and author Steven Stolman, who, along with Kuhner's daughter Kate, co-wrote the monograph Betty Kuhner: The American Family Portrait.
Joan and Ted Kennedy with their children Edward Jr. and Kara in Hyannis Port in 1965
"Anyone who has ever had a high school yearbook picture taken in front of a tree, or an engagement picture shot in a park, or a family Christmas card photo taken in the backyard owes a debt of gratitude to Betty Kuhner," says Stolman.
Ted Kennedy with his son Edward Jr. in Hyannis Port in 1970
Ted Kennedy with his children Kara, Patrick, and Edward Jr. in Hyannis Port in 1977
Betty Kuhner: The American Family Portrait
Gibbs Smith
amazon.com
$35.00
The monograph offers a rare glimpse inside the lives of families like the Lauders, Fords, Goulds, DuPonts, and, of course, the Kennedys.
On Thursday July 25th at 4 p.m., authors Kate Kuhner and Steven Stolman will host a book signing at the Southampton History Museum in Southampton, New York. southamptonhistory.org
The book will also be available at AERIN stores in Southampton and East Hampton. Learn More
Betty Kuhner documented America's greatest dynasties, and her book includes rare images of the Kennedy clan during their happiest times.