Vintage Photograph of the Presidential Helicopter in Central Park on April 4th, 1968

April 4, 1968: The presidential helicopter left Sheep Meadow in Central Park after a sudden surprise visit to attend the ceremonies installing Archbishop Terence J. Cooke at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. “Until last week,” said one girl in the crowd watching across the street from the cathedral, “I would have booed the President. But I’m confused about what’s happened in the last few days. I don’t know what it all means.” Presumably, she was referring to President Johnson’s recent decision not to run to retain office. Later that night, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.“
April 4, 1968: The presidential helicopter left Sheep Meadow in Central Park after a sudden surprise visit to attend the ceremonies installing Archbishop Terence J. Cooke at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. “Until last week,” said one girl in the crowd watching across the street from the cathedral, “I would have booed the President. But I’m confused about what’s happened in the last few days. I don’t know what it all means.” Presumably, she was referring to President Johnson’s recent decision not to run to retain office. Later that night, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.“
Photo: Lively Morgue
(photo back)
(photo back)
Photo: Lively Morgue

The Lively Morgue is a daily photo blog from the New York Times in which an original photo from the newspaper's archives is reposted along with tidbits of information gleaned from the historical article it accompanied. Along with a rescan of the original photograph, the backs of each photo are also scanned, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the editorial process of one of the world's best newspapers.

Today's posting features a shot from April 4th, 1968 showing the Presidential Helicopter leaving Sheep Meadow in Central Park after a surprise visit from President Johnson.

April 4, 1968: The presidential helicopter left Sheep Meadow in Central Park after a sudden surprise visit to attend the ceremonies installing Archbishop Terence J. Cooke at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. “Until last week,” said one girl in the crowd watching across the street from the cathedral, “I would have booed the President. But I’m confused about what’s happened in the last few days. I don’t know what it all means.” Presumably, she was referring to President Johnson’s recent decision not to run to retain office. Later that night, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.“

The original article from 1968 has more.

Matt Coneybeare

Matt Coneybeare

Editor in Chief

Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.

Something wrong with this post? Let us know!

Brought To You By…