Dave Davis '70: “Kennedy to Kent State”

From the excitement of Woodstock and rock legend Bob Dylan to the graphic violence of the Vietnam War and the assassination of President Kennedy, Davis’ collection presents an enthralling array of photographs that retain astonishing moments from the time period.

In an interview with the Edge, Davis remarked, “[The 1960s] was an intense period of dynamic alteration… Vietnam, the draft lottery, the hippie movement; everything was happening so quickly that these images became a way of chronicling rapid change in the world.”

A number of the pictures in the exhibition are original prints from the 1960s. When a newspaper or a magazine wanted to publish one of these images, sometimes they would have to be shipped all over the world. In fact, the backs of many of the images are covered with stamps from a multitude of different publishing companies.

Photography was essential in 1960s media–it was the most effective method of relaying breaking news. Images came directly from the front lines to the average citizen’s doorstep. It was a universal means of communication.

Many of the images in the collection were not initially intended to be in museums – they were often taken on the fly and immediately sent to the press. However, over the years, these iconic photographs have developed an enduring significance. They are immediately recognizable, even to those who were not alive at the time the images were shot. These photographs allow people to briefly transcend time and space and experience the world of the past. They are forever embedded into this unique chapter of American history, yet they continue to captivate and inspire people all around the world.

Davis chose to present his collection at the Worcester Art Museum because it was the first museum to truly recognize photography as a fine art. According to him, “In some ways, images become just as important as events. Photo journalism can take a traumatic moment and make it into something beautiful.”

Davis declares his favorite image in the collection to be the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. The famous picture depicts Kennedy on the ground, surrounded by a crowd, lying in the hands of a man crouching beside him. Davis proclaimed, “I love it because it really is an amazing photograph… although it is tragic and devastating, it’s a beautiful photograph in and of itself. I look at it from an emotional standpoint but also as a work of art.”

While assembling his collection, Davis established a specific criterion for the images he would use. He chose only images of people and events that made a distinct change in the world. He would not include someone simply because he was famous; he had to be iconic to the 1960s. Furthermore, he focused primarily on the United States because it was the location of many of the most important events of the age. The entire world was reacting to what was happening in our nation.

The show focuses on events from this particular era because Davis has a very intimate connection with the 1960s. His display is not only a reflection of American history, but also of his personal growth as a teenager. In the catalogue for the show, Davis commented, “I wanted the potential viewer to glimpse the time period of my teenage and college years, a difficult time of anyone’s life. My coming of age and my experience of adolescence took place amid the mayhem of a rapidly changing society.”

Moreover, in an interview with The Edge, Davis recapped what it was like to be a teenager at an all boys’ preparatory school during a time of such radical change: “[It] was a safe zone. At Rivers, I felt isolated from all the pressure to do drugs and this new wave of freedom. I was at odds with everything that was happening… It was like being frozen in time from the progressing world.”

“Kennedy to Kent State” tells the story of freedom, rock and roll, violence, despair, and the rise of a new age. It is a most superb model of the 1960s and the journey of our great nation.

In the catalogue, Davis wrote, “I present these photographs not to comment but rather to share my experience of the time. I am not a historian, but I was there. If you were there too, you will recall the impact and power of these photographs. If you are too young to have lived through the time, I hope you can take away something you have never felt before. This collection is a story, the story of coming of age.”

Additionally, Davis specifically requested that the museum grant special access for the pupils of his alma mater to this exhibition. In fact, in the written deed of gift, Davis insisted that the museum make the collection accessible to the students of The Rivers School. It is his wish to enrich the members of the Rivers community with his vivid interpretation of America’s past and to provide them with a variety of internship opportunities. He hopes to expose as many Rivers students as he can to his collection.

Reprinted with permission from The Rivers Edge, October 31, 2012
Editor’s Note: Grade 11 students viewed the collection at the Worcester Art Museum in January. After a private tour of the exhibition with their United States History teachers, students enjoyed a question and answer session with Dave Davis. Grade 11 dean and Upper School history teacher Will Mills commented, “Coming face to face with some of the most poignant scenes from the 1960s will pay enormous dividends when it comes to the students’ understanding of the political, economic, and social complexities of the time period in their studies this spring.”