AN EXTRA DIMENSION:
APPLYING STEREOANALYSIS AND 3-D PHOTOGRAPHY TO RESEARCH
IN THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY
by Martin Shackelford (August 1994)
INTRODUCTION:
In 1978, I wrote a short article called "Dealey Plaza in Three
Dimensions" for Penn Jones1. I have been asked by various researchers to
expand on the topic, but never quite got around to doing that. This is
dedicated to those patient colleagues.
1. STEREO: HOW DOES IT WORK?
Depth perception, the ability to see spatial relationships in three
dimensions, is an artificial creation of the brain. Each eye sees a
two-dimensional image, and the brain combines them, interpreting the
information on depth to create what you "see." If the two images are
provided by two camera lenses (or two camera positions), the brain will
do the same thing: show you a three-dimensional image2. Several
discussions of stereo theory appeared in the volumes of the House Select
Committee on Assassinations3.
2. STEREO PHOTOGRAPHY: SOME HISTORY AND SOURCES
People frequently seem amazed that I know about 3-D photography,
until I remind them of the View-Master stereo viewers and reels that
nearly all of us have been exposed to since childhood.
Stereo photography (both amateur and professional) has been popular
since the 1850s, shortly after the invention of photography, and has led
to the organization of several organizations devoted to the subject4.
Stereo view cards sold well as late as the 1920s. There was a revival of
3-D photography in the 1950s, and new cameras and equipment have again
become available in recent years5.
Beginning in the 1920s, there have also been periodic bursts of 3-D
movie -making, most notably in the 1950s ("Creature from the Black
Lagoon," "Dial M for Murder," etc.) and early 1980s ("Comin' At Ya!,"
"Jaws 3-D," etc.)6.
A few 3-D films have become available in 3-D7 on videotape8. There
is also anaglyph 3-D available in computer disk and CD-ROM formats9.
In recent years, there have also been a variety of television
promotions, both repeats of older 3-D movies, and special events, like
3-D halftime broadcasts during football games, with viewing glasses sold
through convenience store chains. With these glasses, you can view some
assassination-related footage in 3-D (see below, Section 3A, "Films").
Magazines occasionally run photos in various 3-D formats, including
anaglyph and hologram (laser-generated on film: no viewer required)10.
3-D comic books11, trading cards and other items appear on a semi-regular
basis. There are also books containing numerous reproductions of antique
stereo views12, and 1950s Stereo Realist views13.
Most recently, the popularity of so-called "Magic Eye" posters has
led to books, postcards and other items using the technique. One spinoff
this year was several books which showcase a variety of stereo views and
formats14.
Once you know where to look for it, stereo is not difficult to
find.
3. WHERE TO LOOK IN THE J.F.K. EVIDENCE
A. FILMS
As mentioned in Section 1, images produced by two camera lenses or
two camera positions can provide a three-dimensional image. As far as we
know to date, there is no intentional 3-D photographic evidence relating
to the J.F.K. assassination, but that doesn't mean there is no 3-D
photographic evidence.
One source of changing camera positions is a camera that is
panning. Examples of films taken by panning cameras include the Zapruder,
Nix, Muchmore and Hughes films, among others. These films can be viewed
in 3-D using the convenience-store TV promotion 3-D glasses, which
slightly delay the transmission of each image to one eye, creating the
parallax necessary for 3-D viewing (this also works for regular
television programs and videotapes which include panning). Quite an
assortment of the footage currently available on video can be viewed in
this way, including panning views of Oswald in the Dallas Police
hallways15.
Depth information can also be obtained from the films by examining
pairs of frames in a stereo viewer. In the Zapruder film, for example,
pairs like 133 and 135, 187 and 193, and 182 and 200 (separation varies
depending on what kind of information is being sought; sometimes
exaggeration is helpful in bringing out degrees of difference16) create
useful stereo images17. If one has a clear set of frames from the Nix,
Muchmore or other films, similar stereo views can be created. Remember,
however, that a sequence during which the camera is not panning will not
produce stereo views. Stereoanalysis of the films was done for the House
Committee on Assassinations,18 as well as by the Itek Corporation for its
1976 report19.
Stereo viewing can make clearer the location of the J.F.K.
limousine in Elm Street, the relative positions of the limousine's
occupants (a key element in analyzing the Single Bullet Theory: you don't
have to rely on someone else's computer simulations), and the
relationships of various spectators to each other, to list a few
examples.
B. PHOTOGRAPHS
(1) LOCATION
If we were lucky enough to have two photographs, taken in the same
direction by different photographers at the same instant, and from nearly
the same location, we would have a stereo pair. So far as I am aware,
there was no such lucky conjunction of the photographic evidence of the
J.F.K. assassination.
There were, however, spectators with still cameras standing near
spectators with movie cameras, so there is another possibility: matching
a still photo with a film frame. This works, for example, with a Houston
Street frame from the Marie Muchmore film and Wilma Bond's photo number
3. Robert Hughes, Charles Bronson and Orville Nix were also filming from
positions relatively near each other. The separation20 would produce an
exaggerated stereo effect, but the degree of exaggeration can be taken
into account.
(2) CAMERA MOVEMENT
Another source of stereo pairs results from situations where a
subject hasn't moved, but the camera has. Numerous subjects from Dealey
Plaza may suggest themselves, as well as many photos taken from differing
angles of the Texas School Book Depository and other locations.
Inside the Book Depository, the Dallas Police crime lab crew were
busy taking crime scene evidence photographs. Lt. J.C. Day would take a
photo, then hand the camera to Robert Studebaker, who would take a nearly
identical view21. Some of these pairs are viewable in stereo. Possible
movement of the "sniper's nest" boxes has also been the subject of
stereoanalysis22.
Two photos taken by Fort Worth police of Oswald in his coffin at
the O'Neal Funeral Home form a stereo pair. So do the backyard photos, CE
133a and 133b, including the heads, which eliminates the claim that the
heads are "identical": almost, but not quite23.
For those studying ballistics, Harold Weisberg provides a usable
stereo pair of the base of CE 399, "the magic bullet," in Post Mortem24.
Better ones could be made of the original exhibit at the Archives. There
may also be stereo pairs among the Dallas Police photos of the rifle and
other evidence.
In the area of medical evidence, stereo viewing is possible with
at least five pairs of autopsy photos25. Although the two photos of the
back of the head mentioned by Robert Groden (apparently the two most
likely to reveal forgery to conceal evidence of a rear exit wound) are
not yet both available, we do have useful pairs from the Fox set showing
the head and shoulders (Fox 1 and 2), the back (Fox 5 and 5a), the top of
the head (Fox 6 and 7), and the skull interior (Fox 8 and 9). Some of
these have been published in usable form26.
Lastly, stereomicroscopy, using angled lighting, is used in
evaluating documents for authenticity,27 but this works only on original
documents, not photo copies.
4. COMPUTERS AND 3-D
There is both reading and imaging software available for those who
wish to use their computers to work in 3-D28. Just as there are guides to
drawing in 3-D with colored pencils or pens, there are computer 3-D
drawing programs29.
Some 3-D housing design and landscaping programs may be
adaptable to creating 3-D models of Dealey Plaza. Such models can be
crucial in doing trajectory analysis, where a two-dimensional model may
be extremely misleading. Detroit researcher Dale Myers has done extensive
modeling of the Plaza and the Book Depository, and has recently begun
making his work available in video form30.
Those with scanners can scan images and put them side-by-side for
simple stereo viewing31, either on-screen or laser-printed. Inexpensive
viewers are readily obtainable32.
Some hospitals are using computer programs designed by one of
"Star Wars" director George Lucas' spinoff companies to create rotatable
3-D images from X-rays, another technology with obvious applications to
the J.F.K. case33.
5. TAKING YOUR OWN 3-D RESEARCH PHOTOS
A. WHAT YOU NEED
FILM: No special film is required for taking 3-D photos. This
means that you have available to you the full range of 35mm film stocks
for prints and slides. You can even take 3-D with Polaroid film if you
use two cameras or photograph a non-moving subject (take one photo, step
three inches to the left or right, and take a second photo: the two form
a stereo pair).
CAMERA: Just as described above for Polaroid cameras, you can
take stereo pairs with any camera34, but 3-D is easier with a camera
designed for the purpose, or a camera with a special attachment (see
below). Though they are designed for 3-D, I don't recommend the Nimslo or
ImageTech cameras35, which require special processing of the film and
produce images you can't easily reproduce or enlarge. The only camera
currently on the market for taking stereo pairs is the Loreo, which comes
in a set with a matched viewer for $120. On the used camera market,
Stereo Realist, View-Master Personal Stereo, and other older cameras can
be obtained. Stereo Realist is generally favored, as it produces two full
35mm images, and such accessories as mounting supplies remain readily
available36.
ATTACHMENTS: For my own work, I use a standard 35mm camera and a
beamsplitter attachment, which places two images side by side on a frame
of film37. The resulting stereo images are easy to organize and view. The
Pentax beamsplitter attachment I use is apparently no longer on the
market, though it may be available second-hand. A less expensive version,
the Franka Beam Splitter, sells for about $55 (see Appendix B, exhibit
2). The advantage of using an attachment is that you can take both 3-D
and regular photos on the same roll of film. I alternated between the two
in taking two sets of reference photos in and around Dealey Plaza in the
Fall of 1991.
VIEWERS: These are available for both prints and slides, in
various formats. Side by side stereo images can be viewed with a simple
plastic hand viewer (see Appendix B, exhibit 1), an antique stereoscope,
or a high quality biopter stereoscope. Adjustable viewers and folding
viewers are also available.
PROJECTION: There are currently no 3-D projectors on the market,
but accessories are available that allow for 3-D slide projection with
standard projectors38. If you intend to project, you will need a format
like Stereo Realist whih produces two 35mm slides.
B. PICKING YOUR SUBJECTS
PEOPLE: Witnesses, researchers and others related to the case are
appropriate subjects for 3-D. People are always good 3-D subjects.
LOCATIONS: Shooting relevant locations, as I did Dealey Plaza in
1991, is always helpful for future reference. Shooting in 3-D gives you
more information to refer to later. The best 3-D photos usually include
objects in the foreground, middle ground and background. The more 3-D you
shoot, the easier it will become to compose your photos, so you might
want to practice it before you begin serious photography.
EVIDENCE: 3-D photographs of three-dimensional evidence (rifle,
bullets, curbstone and other exhibits) will provide you with more
information: is that a bump or a depression? a dark spot or a hole?
shallow or deep? An example is the base of CE 399, mentioned above39. Two
dimensional images can often be very misleading, as many theories based
on them arising in this case attest.
CONCLUSION
Whether you employ stereoanalysis to examine existing
photographic evidence, or take your own 3-D images in the course of your
research, stereo is a valuable tool in exploring questions about the
J.F.K. assassination which may be answerable in no other way.
APPENDIX A: STEREO VIEWS
1. LEE HARVEY OSWALD, IN CUSTODY AT DALLAS POLICE HEADQUARTERS, NOVEMBER
22, 1963 (FROM POLAROID SLIDE PRINT OF FILM FRAME SLIDES).
2. TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK DEPOSITORY FROM NORTH PERGOLA
(FROM POLAROID SLIDE PRINT OF COLOR 35MM SLIDE)
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APPENDIX B: STEREO EQUIPMENT
1. A SIMPLE PLASTIC VIEWER
2. BEAM SPLITTER ATTACHMENT FOR A 35MM CAMERA
1 The Continuing Inquiry, Volume 3, Number 1 (August 22, 1978).
2 A superb introduction is Photographing in 3-D by David Burder and Pat
Whitehouse (1992, The Stereoscopic Society). The best source for this and
other 3-D books, computer software, camera attachments, 3-D glasses and
viewers, and other related items is Reel 3-D Enterprises, Inc., P.O. Box
2368, Culver City CA 90231, (310) 837-2368. Their catalog also has a good
introduction to 3-D, in a Q&A format. A more advanced book is Stereo
Photography: An Introduction to Stereo Photo Technology and Practical
Suggestions for Stereo Photography by Fritz G. Waack, available from Reel
3-D. Another recent book, Adventures in 3-D by Douglas E. Wolfgram (1993,
Que) includes a 3.5 computer disk with samples of 3-D programs.
3 These are easily located in the CD-ROM edition of the House volumes
produced by L.M.P. Systems of Dallas, which is expected to release a
combined Warren Commission/House Committee volumes CD-ROM late in 1994.
Stereo theory is outlined on p. 577 of the Report (hereafter cited as
HR577), I 177, II 418, VI 18 and 227, and VII 213.
4 In the U.S., The Stereoscopic Society of America, The National
Stereoscopic Association, the Stereo Division of The Photographic Society
of America, and the U.S. branch of the International Stereoscopic Union.
There are also four organizations in Britain, and many in other
countries.
5 The Nimslo camera and a single-use throwaway 3-D camera from ImageTech
produce images that don't require viewers, but have clear limitations.
Dual image slides and prints are the easiest format to use, and can be
taken with any 35mm camera and a beamsplitter attachment, and viewed with
a variety of viewers, ranging from $2 to $95. Two cameras can be mounted
together on a camera bar for simultaneous images. Finally, there are dual
lens cameras like the Loreo, as well as used Stereo Realist and other
models from the 1950s and 1960s.
6 See, for example, 3-D Movies: A History & Filmography of Stereoscopic
Cinema by R.M. Hayes.
7 "Jaws 3-D," "Amityville 3-D," and others have been released on
videotape, but not in 3-D, as the original films were viewable with
polarized lenses, not a format transferable to video; films in the
anaglyph format (red and blue glasses), however, are transferable.
8 "Cat Women of the Moon"(1954), "The Mask"(1961), and the X-rated "Legend
of the Magic Bed".
9 A company called Knowledge Adventure offers "3-D Dinosaur Adventure" and
"3-D Body Adventure" among their science programs.
10 Sources include everything from Playboy and Club to Omni and Sesame
Street.
11 One series is called "3-D Zone"; most major comics dealers carry an
assortment of titles.
12 For example, Stereo Views: An Illustrated History and Price Guide by
John Waldsmith (1991, Wallace-Homestead), The Stereoscopic Nude:
1950-1930 and Early Erotic Photography by Serge Nazarieff (both in 1994
editions)
13 Such as 3-D Hollywood: with 3-D Photographs by Harold Lloyd ed. Suzanne
Lloyd Hayes.
14 3-D Wonderland (1993, Tokuma Shoten), Stereogram and SuperStereogram
(both 1994, Cadence Books).
15 I was able to produce a nice stereo view of Lee Harvey Oswald from two
Hearst newsreel frames, for instance (see Appendix A, view 1).
16 See below, note 20.
17 I have begun, and hope at some point to complete, a complete listing of
stereo views contained within the Zapruder film.
18 Zapruder film: R46, VI 18, 49 and 54.
Nix film: VI 307
Hughes film: VI 309.
19 "John F. Kennedy Assassination Film Analysis".
20 Standard separation is the approximate distance between the pupils of
two eyes. When the separation is less, the view is "flatter." When the
separation is greater, the subject is miniaturized and the depth
exaggerated. This can produce some startling effects! This issue is
explored in Chapter 3 of Photographing in 3-D (above, note 2).
21 See, for example, pp. 153 and 154 of JFK: First Day Evidence by Gary
Savage (1993, The Shoppe Press).
22 HSCA IV 423.
23 See also the HSCA analyses of this: R55, II 398, 416, 418 and 422, and
VI 146, 176-7, 205, and 226.
24 p. 602, Post Mortem: JFK assassination coverup smashed! (1975,
self-published).
25 For the HSCA analyses: I 179, VI 220, 229 and 383, and VII 40-41, 70,
76, 83, 103, 105 and 107. The HSCA experts only identified four of the
five stereo pairs, omitting the skull interior.
26 Clear copies of some appear in High Treason 2 by Harrison Livingstone
(1992, Carrol and Graf).
27 HSCA VIII 232, 243-4.
28 An example is cited in note 2, above.
29 Sample programs are included in Adventures in 3-D (above, note 2).
30 "JFK Assassination: Volume One: The Dealey Plaza Shooting" was recently
offered in a limited edition. Future volumes planned include "The
Eyewitnesses," "The Oswald/Baker Encounter" and "The Tippit Shooting." To
receive information on these, contact Microtech Graphics & Animation
Inc., 9602 Hartel, Livonia MI 48150. Myers was seen discussing the Tippit
shooting on the "Frontline" special "Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?", and
has done radio programs on the assassination.
31 An example is Appendix A, view 1.
32 Antique stereo viewers can often be obtained at antique stores or
antique shows. For viewers as little as $2 each, a source like Reel 3-D
Enterprises is an option (see note 2, above).
33 An episode of the television series "The New Explorers" elaborated on
this technology. For an example of rotatable body imaging, see "3-D Body
Adventure" (1993, Knowledge Adventure; available on disk or CD-ROM); an
example of body imaging (skeleton) is on Knowledge Adventure's "3-D
Dinosaur Adventure CD-ROM Sampler," which includes 3-D glasses.
34 You can even buy a twin cable release, that triggers two cameras at
the same instant, and a camera bar for mounting two cameras side by side.
35 See above, note 5.
36 For information on supplies for various formats, see the Reel 3-D
Enterprises catalog (above, note 2).
37 See Appendix A, view 2 for a scanned black and white copy.
38 This can involve a twin projector stand, a dual remote that advances
both projectors at once, polarizing filters for each projector, a special
silver lenticular screen ($90-292; also produces sharp clear images with
regular slides) and viewing glasses with matching polarized lenses (at 60
cents to $8 a pair, depending on style and durability).
39 In section 3 B (2).