Geneva Hine

[Charles Collins]

Yes Charles. This frame stack used 66 consecutive frames (which included at about half duplicate frames) that were registered to the fixed TSBD. Any objects that moved in these frames would be blurred – just like a time exposure. My goal was to try and bring out details in the shadowed east face which I did to some extent.

 

Thanks, if my head calculations are correct, that would cover some where around 1-1/2 seconds of real time. Just before and during the actual turning of the limo around the corner.

[James Hackerott]

Thanks, if my head calculations are correct, that would cover some where around 1-1/2 seconds of real time. Just before and during the actual turning of the limo around the corner.

Okay, I deleted the duplicate frames and was left with 40 unique frames, so maybe a little over 2 seconds.
First frame

Last frame

[Charles Collins]

Okay, I deleted the duplicate frames and was left with 40 unique frames, so maybe a little over 2 seconds.
First frame

Last frame

Thanks James, it appears that the presidential limo can be seen making the turn in the first frame. And that the follow-up car is essentially in that same spot in the last frame. That helps to define the what Hine would have been able to see during that time period. Also, over two seconds to travel that distance indicates that they were slowed down significantly to make the turn. I believe that the follow-up car was only a few feet behind the limo. So the distance traveled isn’t very far.

[Charles Collins]

Just in case there are any doubts about people falling, etc around the intersection of Elm and Houston:

Miss. MITCHELL - I went out the Elm Street entrance of the building and I was on the corner of Elm and Record - I'm sorry, Elm and Houston.
Mr. BALL - Which corner?
Miss. MITCHELL - I knew you were going to ask that and I decided it's probably the northwest corner. I am not good at directions.
Mr. BALL - Let's put it this way-
Miss. MITCHELL - It's the corner diagonally across the intersection from the Texas School Book Depository.
Mr. BALL - The Texas School Book Depository is on the northwest corner; that would put you on the southeast corner.
Miss. MITCHELL - Yes, sir; I was thinking about which corner of the building.
Mr. BALL - The northwest corner of the building and the southwest corner of the intersection, is that right?
Miss. MITCHELL - Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL - Were you near the curb when you were standing?
Miss. MITCHELL - Yes; I was on the curb.
.
.
.
Mr. BALL - What did you do after that, if anything?
Miss. MITCHELL - Well, looked back around at the crowd, I'm sure, because I expected to see the Secret Service men and police escorts just start pouring everywhere when we decided what the shots were and then looking at the people that were falling on the ground and started milling around and then I went back to the office.

[James Hackerott]

Here is my interpretation of the Geneva Hine view of the motorcade as it begins the turn to Elm, along with the Hughes view of the same time. Her head is essentially touching the window glass. The pilaster bricks (yellow in the sim) limit her westward view.


 

[Gerry Down]

Perhaps Geneva Hines was related to Eddie Piper in that they both picked the worst ways to view the motorcade.

[Charles Collins]

Here is my interpretation of the Geneva Hine view of the motorcade as it begins the turn to Elm, along with the Hughes view of the same time. Her head is essentially touching the window glass. The pilaster bricks (yellow in the sim) limit her westward view.


 

Nice work, as usual James, thanks! There is a set of two windows at that location. Did you choose the southern window or the northern window for your animation? The reason I ask is that I think the outside surface of the post between the windows is inset several inches from the outer surface of the bricks. And I think that this should make a slight difference (improvement) in the view (if you used the northernmost window versus the southernmost window). At any rate, this suggests to me that the window was probably open and that Geneva Hine could have improved her view by sticking her head out only slightly. I haven't found any photographic evidence that conclusively shows one way or another. But, regardless, I think that sticking her head out just a small amount isn't going to be very obvious from the angles of the images that we do have. The Weaver polaroid photo is another one that might show us something. But the detail on it isn't very good either.



If the Powell photo showed only one more floor below its lowest, we could tell if the window was open or not.