Literary Lunch

A Time it Was: Bobby Kennedy in the Sixties. Photographs and text by Bill Eppridge. Essay by Pete Hamill.New York : Abrams, 2008. 191 p., hardcover

Photographer Bill Eppridge had unprecedented access to Bobby Kennedy during the 1968 campaign. He was working as a photographer for Life Magazine at the time and travelled with Bobby and his entourage.

This book features many photographs that have never been published before. Also, Eppridge’s text helps you to feel that you were actually there; a few times his words reduced me to tears. The photographs featured in the book are from 1964 to 1968, the majority of which are from his 1968 presidential campaign.

Eppridge’s description of the shooting of Bobby and its aftermath are the most touching parts of the book. While Ethel tried to get all the press and photographers out of the room after Bobby was shot, I am glad Eppridge continued shooting. They are some of the most powerful photographs I have ever seen. Eppridge even managed to get inside Good Samaritan hospital to take photographs.

There is some humour in the book. One story that Eppridge relates had me almost laughing out loud. On the way to Arlington, the press bus took its place right behind the hearse carrying Bobby’s body (as they had always taken their place right behind his convertible on the campaign), even though the Presidential limousine was meant to be in that spot. It took the Secret Service three tries before the press bus backed off.  As Eppridge said, Bobby would have gotten a laugh out of this last dig at LBJ.

I would definitely recommend you get this book for the rare photographs it contains. It is great for those of us were weren’t there to see how people reacted to Bobby and see that the emotions and the crowds were real. Freckles, Bobby’s dog, gets a few mentions and there are lots of photographs of him. I especially love the photograph of someone holding a sign saying “Freckles for First Dog.”

The format of the book is what I would call a small coffee table book; longer than it is wide. This is the perfect format to present the great photographs featured in this book.