BOBBY, MARTIN & JOHN: Once Upon An American Dream contains (156) photographs from the archives of LOOK magazine photographer Stanley Tretick and documents the courage and struggles of three of America's greatest leaders: Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, all of whom were assassinated as they campaigned on behalf of the American public.

Robert F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy inspired millions in America and in many countries with their hopes and dreams of a more peaceful and better world. Many shared those hopes and dreams and became active in their communities to guarantee them.

We knew we would be better off. We would end war. We would make progress toward equality for the races and for women and achieve economic justice for all. This comprehensive exhibit of Stanley Tretick’s award-winning photography shows both the personal lives of these three leaders and their impact on our nation.

President John F. Kennedy called on us to serve our country. He began the march toward voting rights and civil rights. He and Robert Kennedy negotiated an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis. They stood firm to Khrushchev and Castro and ended the threat of a nuclear holocaust with the removal of missiles from Cuba.

Dr. King became the natural leader of the civil rights movement leading us to the goal of equality and economic justice through nonviolent direct action. His "I Have a Dream Speech" on August 28, 1963 ended a very tense but joyful day when 250,000 joined in the peaceful March on Washington. Afterwards he was invited to the White House to meet with President John F. Kennedy for the first time.

Robert Kennedy, after the devastating loss of his brother who was assassinated on November 22, 1963, left the Johnson administration and was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York. He was deeply concerned with the human loss and the costs of the war against Vietnam and its undermining of the war on poverty.

He fought for community action projects like his Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Program run by the poor themselves in Brooklyn, NY.

Cesar Chavez, leader of the farm workers struggle, said, "He could see things through the eyes of the poor." Native Americans said of his ruthlessness on behalf of his brother, "He is our kind of warrior chief," and called him 'The White Crazy Horse'.

Robert Kennedy decided to run for president on March 10, 1968 in Delano at the mass ending Chavez's long fast against violence. He announced his candidacy six days later. Soon after, President Johnson decided not to seek the nomination for re-election. Kennedy ran because of the threat of a wider war, the neglect of the poor and the racial divide. He knew he could help solve these problems if he won.

The assassination of Dr. King on April 4 was followed by riots and fires in one hundred and ten cities. Robert Kennedy’s campaign reached a peak with his victory in the California primary election on June 4. He, too, was assassinated that evening in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel.

We lost three great leaders who were committed and acted to end war and poverty and to heal our divided nation. We are faced with the same reality today. We need to elect leaders who understand and will act as they did with the public support they achieved.

Three Dreamers.
Three Leaders.
Three Martyrs.

Their dreams, their voices and their convictions echo inspirations for our future generations.

-Paul Schrade, former director of the United Auto Workers Union and aide to presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy

Stanley Tretick

About Stanley Tretick American photographer Stanley Tretick is best known for his candid images of President John F. Kennedy relaxing with his family. While the President's wife Jackie fought to maintain an umbrella of privacy for young Caroline and John, Jr., Tretick grew close to the family. His photographs of them published in LOOK Magazine from 1960 to 1964, helped define the American family of the early sixties and are among the classic images of American photojournalism. Tretick's uncanny understanding of the symbolic value of such imagery allowed him to focus on small humanistic moments within the power and politics of Washington.

Tretick later covered the 1968 presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy.

He died in July 1999 at the age of 77, just days after John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s plane crashed off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.

All images are courtesy of Kitty Kelley and the Estate of Stanley Tretick
Produced by Artvision Exhibitions
www.artvisionexhibitions.com

Sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. James Ziegler, ORVIS Company, Sarah K. deCoizart Charitable Trust, Elizabeth Bartlett Sturges, Mr. & Mrs. Peter Kinder and Dr. & Mrs. Marvin S. Rappaport