The Huge Gates Theory

[Robin Unger]

FWIW In Darnell the gates appear to be closed.

[James Hackerott]

FWIW In Darnell the gates appear to be closed.

Hi Robin,
The gate doors are open for Darnell and Couch. This graphic shows the approximate view of Darnell with the doors open and closed.

[Royell Storing]

FWIW In Darnell the gates appear to be closed.

   Robin - Thanks for posting this Darnell Snippet. The Huge Gates opened Inward. We are seeing from Darnell's position, an angled look at an inward pushed Gate. A "Reverse Negative" Couch Film  provides an even better look at the inward pushed/Open Gate. Hope that your JFK Assassination Image Library is OK. I frequently use it here.

[Royell Storing]

Hi Robin,
The gate doors are open for Darnell and Couch. This graphic shows the approximate view of Darnell with the doors open and closed.

  JAMES - Thanks for posting that visual aid. It drives the point home. I hope you post your work here more often. It is consistently Top Shelf.

[Dan O'meara]

Hi Robin,
The gate doors are open for Darnell and Couch. This graphic shows the approximate view of Darnell with the doors open and closed.

Excellent animation as per usual, James.
It highlights why Royell can't understand that the gates are wide open in the Martin film.
Towards the end of the clip below we see Sawyer, cigarette in hand, leading Brennan to his car where he briefly questions him.
For a second we see the gates in the closed position and I believe we also see the "citizen" that Mooney grabbed to make sure no-one went in or out.



I've watched this clip many times and get the impression that the gates have just been closed and the citizen is securing them (possibly)
We know from the photographic record the gates were wide open at 12:40pm (Hertz clock time)
I believe this actual moment can be pinpointed with some degree of accuracy.
After his conversation with Brennan, Sawyer contacts dispatch:



This transmission is timestamped 12:44pm
However, there is a slightly earlier transmission from Saywer.
At some point, just before a timestamp of 12:43pm, Sawyer contacts dispatch:

"We need some more men down at the Texas School Book Depository. We should have some on Main if we could get someone to pick up and bring them down here."

This transmission is made just before 12:43pm. We can assume Sawyer makes it as soon as he gets into his car and before he questions Brennan.
So we're looking at the closing of these gates around 12:41pm.
Exactly as you have marked in your animation.

[Royell Storing]

In the still from the Martin film above it looks like the gates are closed but they're not.
When the gates are wide open they rest against the interior wall. The shadows of the diamond pattern on the gates can be seen being cast against the wall.

     I believe we are seeing the gate just as it was on the film footage of Euins & Brehm being loaded into Sawyers car, and "The Three Tramps" photo. The Gate is Closed/Ajar. If the gate in the background of this Martin Film still frame was "wide open", (inward), as Officer Mooney testified, there would Not be the Open Space to permit the placards to be casting the shadows Behind them.  There is obviously Open Space between the Placards and the shadows they are casting. Also, look at the Gate middle crossbar relative to the casing the Gate is attached to. There is very little angle between that crossbar and the door casing. That crossbar is running almost directly into the casing.

[James Hackerott]

     I believe we are seeing the gate just as it was on the film footage of Euins & Brehm being loaded into Sawyers car, and "The Three Tramps" photo. The Gate is Closed/Ajar. If the gate in the background of this Martin Film still frame was "wide open", (inward), as Officer Mooney testified, there would Not be the Open Space to permit the placards to be casting the shadows Behind them.  There is obviously Open Space between the Placards and the shadows they are casting. Also, look at the Gate middle crossbar relative to the casing the Gate is attached to. There is very little angle between that crossbar and the door casing. That crossbar is running almost directly into the casing.

Royell, it appears to me from the animation that the eastern gate was rotated about 14 degrees from the wall at 12:40.

[Royell Storing]

  JAMES - Thanks for posting that animated visual aid. Remember that the Huge Gates were attached to the side of the TSBD.  I do not believe the placard shadows are being cast onto "the wall"/"the side" of the TSBD. This is throwing off the animation measurements being posted. Those placard shadows look like they are being cast onto something stacked there. No side of the TSBD resembles what we are seeing on the Martin Film. There are dock doors on that same side of the TSBD 1st floor. Dock doors possibly being built into what we are seeing on the Martin Film? I don't think so.