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This sale features an exceptional, museum-quality 11-piece historical archive lot documenting the tragic assassination, funeral, and subsequent investigations of President John F. Kennedy. The centerpiece of this collection is a consecutive, unbroken 7-day chronological daily run of the Chicago Sun-Times from Saturday, November 23 through Friday, November 29, 1963. Grouped alongside these historic newspapers are 5 vintage 1967 memorial magazines—including the highly sought-after William Manchester investigative serials—capturing the intense national media post-mortem. This cohesive lot offers a powerful, day-by-day retrospective of how the city of Chicago and the global public experienced a world-altering tragedy in real time.
Complete Inventory & Condition Report
1. Chicago Sun-Times — Saturday, November 23, 1963
• Historic Front Page: "KENNEDY KILLED!" Historic assassination day headline with the iconic photo of LBJ taking the oath of office aboard Air Force One.
• Condition: FAIR to POOR. The text and main photography are fully legible. The issue exhibits severe ragged tearing, heavy edge chewing, and paper loss along the outer right margin. Vertical creasing runs down the right photo box.
2. Chicago Sun-Times — Sunday, November 24, 1963
• Historic Front Page: "Monday A National Day Of Mourning" Details immediate funeral preparations and a profile of Lee Harvey Oswald ("The Accused").
• Condition: GOOD. Solid, straight margins without major paper loss. Features sharp text and photos with standard, uniform amber yellowing. Minor jagged edge tears and a small puncture are present along the bottom border.
3. Chicago Sun-Times — Monday, November 25, 1963
• Historic Front Page: Rare "double-headline" issue featuring "He Lies In State" and "OSWALD MURDERED!" covering the live, televised shooting of Oswald by Jack Ruby.
• Condition: GOOD to VERY GOOD. The cleanest and best-preserved newspaper in the entire collection. Displays exceptionally clean outer margins, a tight horizontal fold line, and excellent visual clarity with only minor, superficial chipping along the top edge.
4. Chicago Sun-Times — Tuesday, November 26, 1963
• Historic Front Page: "Sorrow And Strength" Dominant, full-page photo of Jacqueline Kennedy holding the folded burial flag at Arlington National Cemetery.
• Condition: FAIR. The striking photograph remains fully intact, but features a notable jagged tear and a small triangular puncture wound at the center bottom margin, extending slightly into the lower edge of the image.
5. Chicago Sun-Times — Wednesday, November 27, 1963
• Historic Front Page: "Aftermaths Of Tragedy" & "FBI's Ballistics Tests" Details the launch of the formal federal investigation and initial ballistics reports linking Oswald.
• Condition: GOOD. Highly presentable copy with stable, intact margins. Features a strong horizontal center fold line with typical light shelf rubbing and standard vintage top-edge wear.
6. Chicago Sun-Times — Thursday, November 28, 1963
• Historic Front Page: "Thanksgiving, 1963" Poignant front-page presentation displaying the full text of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s national healing address.
• Condition: FAIR to POOR. Text block is beautifully legible with a warm, even patina. The top margin has sustained significant, rough tattering and paper loss that cuts into the upper decorative border frame.
7. Chicago Sun-Times — Friday, November 29, 1963
• Historic Front Page: "Johnson Plea" & "Canaveral Now Cape Kennedy" Features the executive renaming map of Cape Canaveral and a classic regional sports headline ("Big Ten Title, Roses to Illini").
• Condition: GOOD to VERY GOOD. Excellent display quality with sharp, straight margins. The center fold is flat and crisp, showing minimal vintage edge nicks along the top border.
8. LIFE Magazine (JFK Memorial Edition, 1963/1964)
• Historic Front Page: Comprehensive photo retrospective and commemorative look back at Kennedy's life and presidency.
• Condition: POOR / FRAGMENTARY. The iconic red "LIFE" logo rectangle at the top-left corner has been intentionally cut completely out of the front cover, leaving a large rectangular hole. Lower left corner features a vintage institutional paper routing label. Interior text remains a clean reading copy.
9. The Saturday Evening Post — January 14, 1967
• Historic Front Page: "The Kennedy Assassination" Investigative cover story analyzing the Warren Report.
• Condition: POOR / FRAGMENTARY. The outer protective rear cover is completely missing, leaving internal page 74 exposed. The front cover exhibits severe paper loss on the lower-left corner and a vintage paper mailing label. Heavy liquid staining and foxing are visible along the top margins.
10. LOOK Magazine — February 7, 1967
• Historic Front Page: "THE DAY JFK DIED" Part Two of William Manchester’s highly controversial, authorized serialization of The Death of a President.
• Condition: GOOD. Flat, stable spine and clean front graphics. Features minor surface edge-rubbing and a standard vintage paper mailing label attached to the bottom left.
11. LOOK Magazine — February 21, 1967
• Historic Front Page: "FLIGHT FROM DALLAS" Part Three of the William Manchester serial featuring the iconic, full-cover Air Force One illustration.
• Condition: GOOD to VERY GOOD. High-grade display copy with excellent color preservation and bright blue ink. Straight margins and a strong spine with minor vintage shelf wear. Paper mailing label attached to the lower left.
12. LOOK Magazine — April 4, 1967
• Historic Front Page: "The True Story Of The Stormy Clash" Final summaries detailing the intense book controversy and legal clash between the Kennedy family and the publisher.
• Condition: FAIR. Complete internal pages and back cover. Features a large, jagged corner tear with deep creasing across the top right header area. Vintage paper subscriber mailing label is attached to the bottom left.
Shipping & Handling Note
All items are stored in a smoke-free environment. Due to the delicate nature of 1960s wood-pulp newsprint, the collection will be securely packaged completely flat with thick, sturdy cardboard backing to eliminate any chance of folding, bending, or shifting during transit. Please review all detailed close-up photographs to fully inspect the edge conditions before buying.
