Americans everywhere, and others around the world, were transformed by the contrasting stories of January 20, 1961 and November 22, 1963. Cecil Stoughton was among the select few who stood at the epicenter of those stories and the 1,036 days in between the JFK inauguration and assassination. Stoughton played a role unlike any other individual attached to the Kennedy administration. He was not only the first official White House photographer. Just as remarkable, he evolved to become the Kennedys’ trusted chronicler of their personal lives at a level unheard of for practically any other public figure. Stoughton was ever present, yet undetectable, as he photographed and filmed virtually everything the first family did. This unprecedented privilege wasn’t just Stoughton’s job; it became his life. Daytime, nighttime, and on weekends, he continuously examined the Kennedys through his lens. As Stoughton’s authorized biographer, Harvey Sawler conceived of and is the co-author of the 2010 book Portrait of Camelot – A Thousand Days in the Kennedy White House, and now has written and published Final Photo – The Emotional Climax of Cecil Stoughton’s Journey with the Kennedys, marking the 60th anniversary of events in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Final Photo is a glimpse into Stoughton’s phenomenal true story, all of it leading to that one traumatic, dramatic moment in Dallas and his most important ‘Kennedy’ photo – the swearing in aboard Air Force One of the new President, Lyndon Baines Johnson.
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