Working on a creative project for my first year history class, I'm going to fill a briefcase with some items that President Kennedy would have been carrying. Here is what I have so far: • Map of Cuba • Satellite images of Cuban missile bases taken by U-2s • Document with parts blacked out • Picture of Marilyn Monroe with a lipstick mark • Anti communism ad • Something leading up to his Dallas trip → map, hotel, travel brochures, etc. • Pill for back pain (health related) • Military budget list • Decoder • Naval insignia on the brief case THANK YOU FOR ANY INPUT FELLOW HISTORIANS/HISTORY LOVERS!
UPDATE: So as CarrionComfort mentioned the items I planned to use were not exactly historical or in order so i changed the project a little. Because I needed to convey a message I filled the briefcase with things that JFK would have had in the days right over the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion. My message being that the failure made JFK and the US look weak.
I included: Map of Cuba Fidel Castro mug shot, photos Condolence Letters to the families of pilots killed Letter from the CIA regarding ZIS-5 trucks & diagrams (the trucked used to move captured ex-Cubans) Pre and Post attack maps Rescue map of Cuba Marilyn Monroe photo with lipstick Pill bottle Letter from Khrushchev Blueprints of B-26 aircraft
Document with parts blacked out.
Who would be censoring things from the President?
Is this a "pop history" approach? Many things in there aren't historical, seeing as many of them are anachronistic, don't make sense or cannot be back up with evidence.
Why would he have an anti-Communism ad? The Cuban Missile Crisis happened a year before he went to Dallas, so those wouldn't be anywhere near each other. Decoder? That is other people's job. I trust you can see where I am going with this.
But if you are collecting items that are symbols of things the Kennedy is known for, that's fine. Something about the hotline to Moscow? A child's toy, as he was a father. A condom if you're feeling cheeky.
Lastly, this may seem better suited for /r/history than /r/AskHistorians
You could include a copy of spy who loved me Kennedy was a big James Bond fan in fact he saw an early print of from Russia with love at the White House in 63. Also unless you are doing it for a reason anything to do with Dallas would be not accurate as that trip is over a year away from your date.
UPDATE: So as CarrionComfort mentioned the items I planned to use were not exactly historical or in order so i changed the project a little. Because I needed to convey a message I filled the briefcase with things that JFK would have had in the days right over the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion. My message being that the failure made JFK and the US look weak.
I included: Map of Cuba Fidel Castro mug shot, photos Condolence Letters to the families of pilots killed Letter from the CIA regarding ZIS-5 trucks & diagrams (the trucked used to move captured ex-Cubans) Pre and Post attack maps Rescue map of Cuba Marilyn Monroe photo with lipstick Pill bottle Letter from Khrushchev Blueprints of B-26 aircraft