A Journey Through JFK’s Life
A new photography exhibit at Cape Cod Hospital chronicles President John F. Kennedy’s life through iconic and lesser-known images, including memorable moments on Cape Cod.
As curator Melissa Woringer strolls through the second-floor balcony gallery at Cape Cod Hospital, she pauses in front of a vibrant color photograph of Kennedy cousins packed into a golf cart at the family’s Hyannis Port compound.
“This is such an exuberant, joyful day,” she said, with a smile. “A joyride. A pile of cousins. Look at their faces—a quintessential summer day.”
The photograph is one of about 70 color and black-and-white images featured in “American Visionary: John F. Kennedy’s Life and Times,” an exhibit that chronologically traces Kennedy’s life from childhood through his presidency. Visitors will discover images that capture Kennedy’s life as both a husband, father and president—from sailing with Jacqueline off Hyannis Port and sharing quiet moments with his children in the White House to greeting enthusiastic crowds during the 1960 campaign and leading the nation during a pivotal period in American history.
Curator Melissa Woringer, an independent healthcare art consultant who has overseen Cape Cod Healthcare’s art program for more than two decades, said the exhibit grew out of a previous Kennedy photography display in the welcome gallery on the first floor of Cape Cod Hospital in the corridor by the main lobby. The display proved to be one of the hospital’s most memorable.
Fun Fact
Before heading upstairs to explore the JFK exhibit, take a moment to admire the colorful oil painting at the bottom of the stairs by renowned Cape Cod artist Sam Barber. Look closely and you’ll spot several passengers aboard the sailboats, including Sen. Ted Kennedy.
“It was a fabulously successful exhibit,” said Woringer, who recalled patients, visitors and employees stopping to share personal memories of the Kennedy family and their time on Cape Cod. “I measure success by how many people tell me how they feel about it.”
When the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, sought a new home for a large collection of Kennedy photographs, the JFK Hyannis Museum reached out to Woringer. Working with Wendy Northcross and Jennifer Pappalardo from the museum, along with Deana Kayajan, executive director of Patient & Family Experience at Cape Cod Healthcare, Woringer carefully selected photographs that would tell the story of Kennedy’s life while remaining appropriate for a healing environment.
“We want to be honest,” Woringer said, “but I was not about to show the Dallas moments.”
Instead, visitors follow a chronological journey through Kennedy’s life, discovering familiar images alongside quieter moments. Woringer said even she continues to notice new details each time she walks through the gallery.
For Woringer, the exhibit represents more than local history. As both an artist and cancer survivor, she believes art has the power to improve the healthcare experience.
“I understand the incredible power of being in an art-enriched environment,” she said. “It makes a difference.”
Her hope is that everyone who walks the exhibit leaves feeling, if only briefly, transported beyond their immediate concerns.
“I’d like them to have a sense of gratification and a sense of relief,” Woringer said. “I want them to get out of their troubles during the time they’re able to enjoy this.”
Expected to remain on display for about two years, the JFK exhibit invites patients, visitors and staff to step into one of Cape Cod’s most enduring stories. Explore the slideshow below for a preview, and then visit the second-floor gallery at Cape Cod Hospital to experience the full collection firsthand.
To view slideshow, click arrows at right or swipe left on mobile device.
The second-floor balcony gallery at Cape Cod Hospital features “American Visionary: John F. Kennedy’s Life and Times,” a chronological photography exhibit tracing Kennedy’s life from childhood through his presidency.
The exhibit features about 70 color and black-and-white photographs, including iconic moments and lesser-known images from the Kennedy family’s time on Cape Cod.
Senator Kennedy and fiancée Jacqueline Bouvier sail off Hyannis Port during a 1953 Life magazine photo shoot announcing their engagement.
John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy share a joyful moment during their wedding reception in Newport, Rhode Island, on Sept. 12, 1953.
One of the exhibit’s most beloved images captures President Kennedy walking hand in hand with young John F. Kennedy Jr. to the Oval Office.
A candid photo booth portrait of John and Jacqueline Kennedy, possibly taken during their honeymoon in 1953.
Jacqueline Kennedy attends the opening of the Mona Lisa exhibition Jan. 8, 1963, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a cultural milestone she helped bring to the United States.
A contemplative photograph shows President Kennedy leaning over his desk in the Oval Office, an image that reflects the weight of the presidency. Kennedy often stood hunched over his desk to help alleviate back pain.
One of the exhibit’s most iconic photographs captures President John F. Kennedy at work in the Oval Office while Caroline and John Jr. played nearby.
Sen. John F. Kennedy greets supporters during a 1960 campaign stop at Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis, with Jacqueline Kennedy beside him.
Deana Kayajan, executive director of Patient & Family Experience at Cape Cod Healthcare, and curator Melissa Woringer admire a photograph of Jacqueline Kennedy at the opening of the Mona Lisa exhibition in Washington, D.C.
