Post by Rob Caprio on Jul 27, 2022 19:02:04 GMT -5
All portions are ©️ Robert Caprio 2006-2024
thebluepaper.com/wp-content/uploads/Photo_hsca_ex_179.jpg
The Warren Commission (WC) claimed that Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) had shot and killed President John F. Kennedy (JFK) all by himself on November 22, 1963. They also claimed he shot and killed Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit (JDT) on the same day all by himself.
One of their key pieces of evidence for showing LHO allegedly owned the two alleged murder weapons was a pair of photographs that had been allegedly taken on March 31, 1963, in the backyard of the Neely Street house they were allegedly renting. Thus, they became known as the “Backyard Photographs” (BYPs). These photographs consisted of Commission Exhibit (CE) 133-A and CE 133-B. We have looked at these photographs from many angles in other posts in, but we have not focused on what LHO had said about them in any great detail. This three-part look at the BYPs (camera, how the BYPs were allegedly discovered, and LHO’s claims about them) will conclude with this topic.
********************************************
When LHO was shown the BYPs after he was arrested, Captain Will Fritz said LHO made the following comment.
Quote on
www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/pages/WCReport_0316b.gif
He said the picture was not his, that the face was his face, but that this picture had been made by superimposing his face, the other part of the picture was not him at all and that he had never seen the picture before...[He] said that he knew all about photography, that he had done a lot of work in photography himself, that the small picture was a reduced picture of the large picture and had been made by some person unknown to him. He further stated that since he had been photographed here at City Hall and that people had been taking his picture while being transferred from my office to the jail door that someone had been able to get a picture of his face and that with that, they, had made this picture. He told me...that in time, he would be able to show that it was not his picture and that it had been made by someone else. (WCR, pp. 608-609)
www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/html/WCReport_0316b.htm
Quote off
Of course he never got that "time" as he was gunned down while surrounded by 70 policemen. One of the people present during the above exchange was FBI Agent James Bookhout and he said the following during his WC testimony.
Mr. STERN - It was at this interview, was it not, that Oswald was shown photographs of himself holding a rifle and wearing a pistol in a holster?
Mr. BOOKHOUT - That's correct.
Mr. STERN - What was his comment about the photograph?
Mr. BOOKHOUT - His comment, as I recall, he was asked if this was his photograph, and his comment was that the head of the photograph was his, but that it could have been superimposed over the body of someone else. He pointed out that he had been apparently photographed by news media numerous times in proceeding from the homicide and robbery bureau to the lineup and back, and that is how they probably got the photograph of his face, and he went into a long discussion of how much he knew about photography, and knew that this--his face could be superimposed over somebody else's body holding the gun and pistol and so forth.
The other person present was Secret Service (SS) Inspector Thomas Kelley, but he was NOT asked about this in his WC testimony. However, he had a number of his reports on the interrogations of LHO that he was present for included in the WC Report (WCR) so we can see his comments there.
Quote on
historymatters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/pages/WCReport_0326b.gif
Found among the effects were two different poses in snapshot type photographs taken of Oswald holding a rifle in one hand and holding up a copy of a paper called the “Militant” and “The Worker” in the other hand. Oswald was wearing a revolver in a holster on the right side. This photograph was enlarged by the DALLAS POLICE LABORATORIES and was used as a basis of additional questioning of Oswald at approximately 6:00 P.M. that same evening..
This interview [Saturday, November, 23, 1963 at 6:00 p.m.] was conducted with Oswald for the purpose of displaying to him the blow-ups of photographs showing him holding a rifle and a pistol which were found as a result of a the search warrant for the garage of Mrs. Ruth Paine…When the photographs were presented to Oswald he scoured at them saying they were fake photographs; that he had been photographed a number of times the day before by the POLICE and apparently after they photographed him THEY SUPERIMPOSED on this photograph a rifle and put a gun in his pocket…He said at the proper time he would show that the photographs were fakes…Oswald…would NOT identify the photographs as being a photograph of himself. (WCR, p. 628) (Emphasis mine)
historymatters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/html/WCReport_0326b.htm
Quote off
We see even more in Inspector Kelley’s report as LHO NOT only said someone had superimposed his head onto someone else’s body, but he was specific in who he thought did this to him—the DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT (DPD)! The sole defender of the photographs being authentic were the FBI as the only expert to confirm they were authentic was a FBI expert. We would have to wait many years for the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) to open them up to others and they to never showed they were authentic despite claiming they appeared to be.
One of the simplest ways to show if they are authentic, and depict LHO in them, is to use mathematical measurements. We know how tall LHO was and we know how long the Mannlicher-Carcano (M-C) in question was. If we use the autopsy report (Commission Exhibit (CE) 1981) of LHO then we will see his height was listed as 5’9”.
CE 1981: www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh24/pages/WH_Vol24_0013a.jpg
And if we rely on the WCR for the rifle length we know it was 40.2”.
WCR, p. 81: www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/pages/WCReport_0053a.gif
LHO obviously would have been wearing shoes when those photographs were allegedly taken and without knowing what type he would have worn we will add an inch to be safe and this brings LHO’s height to 70”. Thus, the 40.2” rifle should equal 57.4 percent of LHO’s body height in the photographs.
If the rifle seen in the photographs is actually the claimed 40.2” M-C the man’s height should be 13.5” instead of 12.75. However, if the man is actually 70” tall, the rifle should be 7.3 instead of 7.75”. When measurements were made of the photographs this is what was found.
(1) The man in the photograph is only 64” tall—this means he is FIVE INCHES SHORTER than LHO in bare feet.
(2) The rifle in the photographs is actually 42.6” long—2.4 inches longer than the M-C in question.
These measurements can’t be said to be definitive because the photographs could give us a false perspective of the images seen in it. The real point here is that the FBI expert did NOT take into consideration these types of measurements when deciding on authenticity. Why NOT? Comparative measurements should always be used in situations like this.
The FBI would recreate the pose of one of the photographs by having an agent stand with the alleged murder weapon in the same type of sunlight that was seen in print in the evidence. We do see the body shadow fall to the right and behind the agent’s body as in the one in evidence (albeit more sharply). So did the nose shadow fall straight under his nose then, right? Who knows as the agent’s head and face have been completely BLACKED OUT!
CE 748: www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh17/pages/WH_Vol17_0274b.jpg
Why would they do this? FBI expert Lyndal Shaneyfelt offered the following reason during his WC testimony.
Mr. EISENBERG. I see the head of the individual in the photograph is blacked out. Can you explain the reason for that?
Mr. SHANEYFELT. I blanked out the head because it was one of the employees of the FBI, and I felt it was desirable to blank out the head since it was not pertinent.
This excuse is totally ridiculous since one of the main issues of suspicion with the BYPs being authentic are the shadow inconsistencies between the body and the face. So how was the head and face of the recreation photograph “not pertinent” again? Can anyone please explain this excuse to me? Furthermore, unless the FBI agent used for the recreation photograph was used in undercover operations--and then one must wonder why they would be picked at all--why would showing their face be that big of a deal since NO one outside their family, friends and immediate coworkers would even know who they were?
When the DPD did an recreation photograph (CE 712) they did NOT black out the person’s face, so again, why did the FBI do this?
CE 712: www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh17/pages/WH_Vol17_0262a.jpg
[Note: As has been mentioned before the pose seen in the DPD’s recreation photograph matches the pose seen in the copy known as the “Dees” photograph. This is known as 133-D and this did NOT get seen by the authorities until 1975. IT does NOT match the poses seen in CE 133-A and CE 133-B. How is that possible if they are authentic? How did the DPD know to pose like the person did in a photograph NOT seen by them supposedly?]
You’ll notice they did not try and duplicate the lighting seen in the BYPs as there are no shadows from the body or on the face so this photograph is no help in determining what is seen in the alleged originals is possible or not.
When we add these issue to the many other issues with the BYPs (including chin issue, where they were developed, only the head matching in both photographs, etc…) we see it is impossible to claim beyond all doubt they are original and do depict LHO as claimed. Furthermore, the WC never explained for us why the camera claimed to have been used—the Imperial Reflex—was ONLY used to allegedly create incriminating photographs (Walker exterior and BYPs), but NEVER used to photograph his wife, children or anything else in everyday life.
It is clear by the fact the WC only used the FBI as their experts that there is serious doubts in play since they themselves said the FBI was a “questioned authority.” The FBI chose to handle the issue of the shadows by simply blacking out the face of their recreation photograph instead of dealing with this issue in a scientific manner. It is obvious there is no conclusive evidence showing that LHO is depicted in the photographs so the possibility of LHO’s claim is still in play—that someone or some group (LHO said the DPD) pasted his head onto someone else’s body.
This whole issue shows the precarious position the WC was in. These photographs were positioned as some of their best evidence for showing LHO owned both CE 139 (40.2” M-C) and CE 143 (Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver) and that he had access to the two weapons accused of killing JFK and JDT. Of course the WC NEVER showed via evidence that either weapon did kill JFK or JDT by the way, but the WC made a lot of claims they never supported. Even if authentic, and there is serious doubt about that, how can two pictures taken nearly EIGHT MONTHS before the killings of JFK and JDT support anything? How does posing with weapons support the claim of using them on two human beings? Also, as we have seen in other posts on this topic, the FBI expert said the rifle seen in the BYPs could NOT be said to be the one found in the Texas School Book Depository (TSBD) anyway so these photographs are really useless in the way the WC used them.
I think we see again that the evidence in the twenty-six volumes of Hearings & Exhibits sink the conclusions of the WC found in their Report, thus, the WC is sunk.
thebluepaper.com/wp-content/uploads/Photo_hsca_ex_179.jpg
The Warren Commission (WC) claimed that Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) had shot and killed President John F. Kennedy (JFK) all by himself on November 22, 1963. They also claimed he shot and killed Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit (JDT) on the same day all by himself.
One of their key pieces of evidence for showing LHO allegedly owned the two alleged murder weapons was a pair of photographs that had been allegedly taken on March 31, 1963, in the backyard of the Neely Street house they were allegedly renting. Thus, they became known as the “Backyard Photographs” (BYPs). These photographs consisted of Commission Exhibit (CE) 133-A and CE 133-B. We have looked at these photographs from many angles in other posts in, but we have not focused on what LHO had said about them in any great detail. This three-part look at the BYPs (camera, how the BYPs were allegedly discovered, and LHO’s claims about them) will conclude with this topic.
********************************************
When LHO was shown the BYPs after he was arrested, Captain Will Fritz said LHO made the following comment.
Quote on
www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/pages/WCReport_0316b.gif
He said the picture was not his, that the face was his face, but that this picture had been made by superimposing his face, the other part of the picture was not him at all and that he had never seen the picture before...[He] said that he knew all about photography, that he had done a lot of work in photography himself, that the small picture was a reduced picture of the large picture and had been made by some person unknown to him. He further stated that since he had been photographed here at City Hall and that people had been taking his picture while being transferred from my office to the jail door that someone had been able to get a picture of his face and that with that, they, had made this picture. He told me...that in time, he would be able to show that it was not his picture and that it had been made by someone else. (WCR, pp. 608-609)
www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/html/WCReport_0316b.htm
Quote off
Of course he never got that "time" as he was gunned down while surrounded by 70 policemen. One of the people present during the above exchange was FBI Agent James Bookhout and he said the following during his WC testimony.
Mr. STERN - It was at this interview, was it not, that Oswald was shown photographs of himself holding a rifle and wearing a pistol in a holster?
Mr. BOOKHOUT - That's correct.
Mr. STERN - What was his comment about the photograph?
Mr. BOOKHOUT - His comment, as I recall, he was asked if this was his photograph, and his comment was that the head of the photograph was his, but that it could have been superimposed over the body of someone else. He pointed out that he had been apparently photographed by news media numerous times in proceeding from the homicide and robbery bureau to the lineup and back, and that is how they probably got the photograph of his face, and he went into a long discussion of how much he knew about photography, and knew that this--his face could be superimposed over somebody else's body holding the gun and pistol and so forth.
The other person present was Secret Service (SS) Inspector Thomas Kelley, but he was NOT asked about this in his WC testimony. However, he had a number of his reports on the interrogations of LHO that he was present for included in the WC Report (WCR) so we can see his comments there.
Quote on
historymatters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/pages/WCReport_0326b.gif
Found among the effects were two different poses in snapshot type photographs taken of Oswald holding a rifle in one hand and holding up a copy of a paper called the “Militant” and “The Worker” in the other hand. Oswald was wearing a revolver in a holster on the right side. This photograph was enlarged by the DALLAS POLICE LABORATORIES and was used as a basis of additional questioning of Oswald at approximately 6:00 P.M. that same evening..
This interview [Saturday, November, 23, 1963 at 6:00 p.m.] was conducted with Oswald for the purpose of displaying to him the blow-ups of photographs showing him holding a rifle and a pistol which were found as a result of a the search warrant for the garage of Mrs. Ruth Paine…When the photographs were presented to Oswald he scoured at them saying they were fake photographs; that he had been photographed a number of times the day before by the POLICE and apparently after they photographed him THEY SUPERIMPOSED on this photograph a rifle and put a gun in his pocket…He said at the proper time he would show that the photographs were fakes…Oswald…would NOT identify the photographs as being a photograph of himself. (WCR, p. 628) (Emphasis mine)
historymatters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/html/WCReport_0326b.htm
Quote off
We see even more in Inspector Kelley’s report as LHO NOT only said someone had superimposed his head onto someone else’s body, but he was specific in who he thought did this to him—the DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT (DPD)! The sole defender of the photographs being authentic were the FBI as the only expert to confirm they were authentic was a FBI expert. We would have to wait many years for the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) to open them up to others and they to never showed they were authentic despite claiming they appeared to be.
One of the simplest ways to show if they are authentic, and depict LHO in them, is to use mathematical measurements. We know how tall LHO was and we know how long the Mannlicher-Carcano (M-C) in question was. If we use the autopsy report (Commission Exhibit (CE) 1981) of LHO then we will see his height was listed as 5’9”.
CE 1981: www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh24/pages/WH_Vol24_0013a.jpg
And if we rely on the WCR for the rifle length we know it was 40.2”.
WCR, p. 81: www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wr/pages/WCReport_0053a.gif
LHO obviously would have been wearing shoes when those photographs were allegedly taken and without knowing what type he would have worn we will add an inch to be safe and this brings LHO’s height to 70”. Thus, the 40.2” rifle should equal 57.4 percent of LHO’s body height in the photographs.
If the rifle seen in the photographs is actually the claimed 40.2” M-C the man’s height should be 13.5” instead of 12.75. However, if the man is actually 70” tall, the rifle should be 7.3 instead of 7.75”. When measurements were made of the photographs this is what was found.
(1) The man in the photograph is only 64” tall—this means he is FIVE INCHES SHORTER than LHO in bare feet.
(2) The rifle in the photographs is actually 42.6” long—2.4 inches longer than the M-C in question.
These measurements can’t be said to be definitive because the photographs could give us a false perspective of the images seen in it. The real point here is that the FBI expert did NOT take into consideration these types of measurements when deciding on authenticity. Why NOT? Comparative measurements should always be used in situations like this.
The FBI would recreate the pose of one of the photographs by having an agent stand with the alleged murder weapon in the same type of sunlight that was seen in print in the evidence. We do see the body shadow fall to the right and behind the agent’s body as in the one in evidence (albeit more sharply). So did the nose shadow fall straight under his nose then, right? Who knows as the agent’s head and face have been completely BLACKED OUT!
CE 748: www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh17/pages/WH_Vol17_0274b.jpg
Why would they do this? FBI expert Lyndal Shaneyfelt offered the following reason during his WC testimony.
Mr. EISENBERG. I see the head of the individual in the photograph is blacked out. Can you explain the reason for that?
Mr. SHANEYFELT. I blanked out the head because it was one of the employees of the FBI, and I felt it was desirable to blank out the head since it was not pertinent.
This excuse is totally ridiculous since one of the main issues of suspicion with the BYPs being authentic are the shadow inconsistencies between the body and the face. So how was the head and face of the recreation photograph “not pertinent” again? Can anyone please explain this excuse to me? Furthermore, unless the FBI agent used for the recreation photograph was used in undercover operations--and then one must wonder why they would be picked at all--why would showing their face be that big of a deal since NO one outside their family, friends and immediate coworkers would even know who they were?
When the DPD did an recreation photograph (CE 712) they did NOT black out the person’s face, so again, why did the FBI do this?
CE 712: www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh17/pages/WH_Vol17_0262a.jpg
[Note: As has been mentioned before the pose seen in the DPD’s recreation photograph matches the pose seen in the copy known as the “Dees” photograph. This is known as 133-D and this did NOT get seen by the authorities until 1975. IT does NOT match the poses seen in CE 133-A and CE 133-B. How is that possible if they are authentic? How did the DPD know to pose like the person did in a photograph NOT seen by them supposedly?]
You’ll notice they did not try and duplicate the lighting seen in the BYPs as there are no shadows from the body or on the face so this photograph is no help in determining what is seen in the alleged originals is possible or not.
When we add these issue to the many other issues with the BYPs (including chin issue, where they were developed, only the head matching in both photographs, etc…) we see it is impossible to claim beyond all doubt they are original and do depict LHO as claimed. Furthermore, the WC never explained for us why the camera claimed to have been used—the Imperial Reflex—was ONLY used to allegedly create incriminating photographs (Walker exterior and BYPs), but NEVER used to photograph his wife, children or anything else in everyday life.
It is clear by the fact the WC only used the FBI as their experts that there is serious doubts in play since they themselves said the FBI was a “questioned authority.” The FBI chose to handle the issue of the shadows by simply blacking out the face of their recreation photograph instead of dealing with this issue in a scientific manner. It is obvious there is no conclusive evidence showing that LHO is depicted in the photographs so the possibility of LHO’s claim is still in play—that someone or some group (LHO said the DPD) pasted his head onto someone else’s body.
This whole issue shows the precarious position the WC was in. These photographs were positioned as some of their best evidence for showing LHO owned both CE 139 (40.2” M-C) and CE 143 (Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver) and that he had access to the two weapons accused of killing JFK and JDT. Of course the WC NEVER showed via evidence that either weapon did kill JFK or JDT by the way, but the WC made a lot of claims they never supported. Even if authentic, and there is serious doubt about that, how can two pictures taken nearly EIGHT MONTHS before the killings of JFK and JDT support anything? How does posing with weapons support the claim of using them on two human beings? Also, as we have seen in other posts on this topic, the FBI expert said the rifle seen in the BYPs could NOT be said to be the one found in the Texas School Book Depository (TSBD) anyway so these photographs are really useless in the way the WC used them.
I think we see again that the evidence in the twenty-six volumes of Hearings & Exhibits sink the conclusions of the WC found in their Report, thus, the WC is sunk.