Abraham Zapruder facts for kids

Abraham Zapruder (born May 15, 1905 – died August 30, 1970) was an American clothing maker. He was born in Ukraine. Zapruder became famous because he filmed the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. This happened in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.

He was filming the President's car as it drove through Dealey Plaza. His home movie, known as the Zapruder film, captured the shooting. It is considered the most complete video of the event.

Early Life and Moving to America

Abraham Zapruder was born into a Jewish family in Kovel, which was part of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine). He only went to school for four years in Ukraine. In 1909, his father moved to North America.

In 1920, Zapruder and his family moved to the United States. They settled in Brooklyn, New York, and joined his father there. He learned English at night and worked as a clothing pattern maker in Manhattan. In 1933, he married Lillian Sapovnik. They had two children together.

In 1941, Zapruder moved to Dallas, Texas. He worked for a sportswear company called Nardis. Later, in 1949, he started his own company, Jennifer Juniors, Inc. His office was in the Dal-Tex Building, right across from the Texas School Book Depository.

Witnessing the Kennedy Assassination

Abraham Zapruder was a supporter of President Kennedy. He was excited to see the President's motorcade in Dallas on November 22, 1963. That morning, it was raining, so he almost did not bring his camera. But his assistant told him to go get it because the weather cleared up.

Filming the Event

Abraham Zapruder's camera, now kept in the U.S. National Archives.

Zapruder's camera was a high-quality 8 mm Bell & Howell Zoomatic. He had bought it in 1962. He first planned to film from his office window. But he found a better spot in Dealey Plaza where the motorcade would pass.

He stood on a concrete wall about 4 feet high. This spot was near a pergola on the grassy knoll. His secretary, Marilyn Sitzman, stood behind him. She held his coat to help him stay steady because he had vertigo.

Zapruder started filming as the President's car turned onto Elm Street. His film captured 26.6 seconds of the motorcade. It showed the moment President Kennedy was shot in the head. This happened when the car was almost directly in front of Zapruder.

Zapruder later said he knew right away that the wound was fatal. He saw the President's head "...explode like a firecracker." After the shooting, Zapruder walked back to his office. A reporter named Harry McCormick, who had seen Zapruder filming, met him. McCormick knew a Secret Service agent, Forrest Sorrels. He offered to bring Sorrels to Zapruder's office.

Zapruder agreed to give the film to Sorrels. He asked that it only be used for the investigation. They took the film to a TV station, WFAA, to develop it. When that didn't work, they went to Eastman Kodak's plant. The film was developed there. Copies were made, and Zapruder kept the original and one copy. He gave two copies to the Secret Service.

Television Interview

While at the TV station, Zapruder spoke live about what he saw:

Selling the Film Rights

That evening, an editor from Life magazine, Richard Stolley, contacted Zapruder. The next morning, Zapruder sold the rights to print images from the film to Life for $50,000. The day after, Life bought all rights to the film for $150,000.

Zapruder had a bad dream that night. He dreamed of a sign in Times Square saying, "See the President's head explode!" He decided he wanted to make money from the film, but he did not want the public to see the most shocking part. So, he made a rule that frame 313, which showed the fatal shot, would not be shown to the public.

He also asked that the amount he was paid not be made public. Zapruder later gave $25,000 of the money to the widow of Officer J. D. Tippit. Tippit was a Dallas police officer killed by Lee Harvey Oswald shortly after President Kennedy.

In 1975, Time, Inc. (which owned Life magazine) sold the film back to the Zapruder family for $1. In 1978, the Zapruder family allowed the film to be kept at the National Archives and Records Administration. In 1999, they gave the copyright of the film to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

Giving Testimony

Abraham Zapruder also gave his testimony to the Warren Commission. This group investigated President Kennedy's assassination. He was asked where he thought the shots came from. Zapruder said he thought they came from behind him. He explained this was because the President's head moved backward when he was shot. Also, the wound was on the side of the President's head facing that direction. He also saw police officers run to the area behind him.

He became very emotional and cried when he talked about the assassination. He cried again during a trial in 1969.

Death

Abraham Zapruder died in Dallas on August 30, 1970. He passed away from stomach cancer at Parkland Memorial Hospital. He is buried in the Emanu-El Cemetery in Dallas.

See also

In Spanish: Abraham Zapruder para niños