WESTWOOD GALLERY NYC presented the premiere exhibition, My Kennedy Years, which included over 50 photographs by Jacques Lowe (1930-2001). From capturing critical moments during the campaign and the Presidency to preserving personal memories of his family life with the children and Jackie, these images by Lowe reveal a profound and astute characterization of one the 20th century’s most important figures. The exhibition commemorated the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's death. WESTWOOD GALLERY NYC hosted the last photography exhibition during Jacques Lowe's lifetime and offered the My Kennedy Years exhibition as a tribute to Lowe's memory and work.
In 1958, Jacques Lowe was 28 when he met the Kennedys and was hired as the family's personal photographer. This assignment provided him with unprecedented access to the private and professional life of one of the most iconic leaders of the 20th century, as well as the members of his family. Over the next three years, Lowe took more than 40,000 images of the couple and their children. The legendary images depict a period starting with Kennedy's 1958 U.S. Senate re-election campaign, to his early years in the White House. Jacques Lowe's photographs were a powerful instrument that shaped the public's perception of the Kennedy family and have remained the essential documentary of the charismatic personality of Jack Kennedy and the historical period. The exhibition recounts both the story of these mythical years and the president who, from Lowe’s perspective, "empowered each one of us to believe we could make a difference", and the story of the relationship between photographer and subject.” Also on exhibit was a video of Jacques Lowe speaking about his Kennedy photographs.
In May of 2001, Lowe died. Only a few months later his negatives, kept in a vault at J.P Morgan Chase Bank’s World TradeCenter location, were destroyed in the September 11th terrorist attacks, with the sole 10 remaining negatives out on loan during this time. The exhibition presented photographs printed and signed by Lowe himself previous to his passing, from his Estate’s collection of modern fine art prints. My Kennedy Years: A Memoir by Jacques Lowe, published by Thames & Hudson, accompanied the exhibition.
Photographs © The Estate of Jacques Lowe