Photo exhibit reveals quieter moments from JFK's life

President John F. Kennedy's all-too-brief life was documented like never before in photos that helped build the image of a young leader, with more than a touch of glamour.

This year, to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, many of these images are being shown in an exhibition now touring the country which just opened in New York.

The new exhibit at the New York Historical Society Museum shows Kennedy's public persona as well as private moments. 

Kennedy's 1961 inauguration address remains one of the most memorable moments in American history. Shortly before those historic remarks, Kennedy and his wife Jackie were all smiles as they made their way from the snowy White House to the Capitol.

"What you see in this exhibit is not JFK as a politician, not JFK winning an election, or making a point in Congress or giving a speech, but you see him as a father," said Lawrence Schiller, curator of the exhibit. 

Stephen Kennedy Smith Jr. is a cousin of the 35th president and co-author of "JFK: A Vision For America," which includes everything from drafts of speeches to over 500 photographs of Kennedy.

"We went through 34,000 photos from America's greatest documentary photographers and put them together into the book and the exhibit," Kennedy Smith said. 

Some of the photographs reveal the weight of Kennedy's public life, like one of a pained president hunched over the Oval Office desk.

Others show quieter moments like a 1958 photo showing Kennedy beside his infant daughter Caroline.  

In one snapshot from the 1960 presidential campaign, a group of young admirers looks on as Kennedy worked on a speech.

The exhibit also covers the devastation following Kennedy's assassination, capturing a glimpse of Jackie on the day of her husband's state funeral.

 A hope is that visitors will come away with a new insight into one of the most captivating presidents in history.
 
"I want them to be intrigued, I want them to be inspired, I want them to be curious and I want them to read John F. Kennedy's words. That's really the whole point of this project," Kennedy Smith said.

The exhibit opened Friday at the New York Historical Society and runs through January 7.

It's also running at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington until September 7.