As the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination approaches, a remarkable collection of memorabilia, including his Air Force One bomber jacket, has been sold at auction in the US.
 According to staff, the bomber jacket was a popular subject of discussion for Powers while at the JFK Library |
The sale, which took place on February 17 in Massachusetts, saw items consigned from the estate of David F Powers, the former president's White House special assistant and close friend, who passed away in 1998. His family had been unaware of the hidden collection until they recently prepared to move home.
"The amazing thing about this whole thing is that it shows the personal connection. This is stuff that's true, it's pure, it's right from the family home... right from the president's best friend," said the auction house's Dan Meader.
The jacket led the sale with an outstanding 1,472% increase on its $40,000 high estimate, selling for $629,000. Sporting the Great Seal of the President, it was accompanied by photographs of the president wearing it as well as a signed letter from Ronald Reagan, in which he thanks Powers for loaning the jacket to him.
Following the president's assassination in November 1963, Powers remained close to the Kennedys and served as the first curator of the John F Kennedy Presidential Library, before retiring in 1994.
With the anniversary of John F Kennedy's assassination just 10 months away, values for his memorabilia are already beginning to rise, as demonstrated by this sale. Stay ahead of the market with our fantastic selection of JFK items, including one of the famous "posthumous" autographs.
