Robert F Kennedy's funeral train by Paul Fusco – in pictures
Magnum photographer Paul Fusco, who has died aged 90, covered stories ranging from police brutality in New York to the long-term effects of the Chernobyl disaster and people living with Aids in California. In 1968, he photographed the spectators lined along the route of Robert F Kennedy’s funeral train from New York to Washington, capturing the emotion of the nation and becoming one of the most celebrated series of photographs of the time
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In 1968, Paul Fusco was a staff photographer for Look magazine. He was commissioned to document the events surrounding the funeral of Robert F Kennedy, including the eight-hour journey on the train that carried his coffin.
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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From the Robert F Kennedy funeral train series.
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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‘I was on the Robert F Kennedy funeral train, photographing the countless thousands of mourners that stretched from New York City to Washington DC. People crowded together all along the route, almost leaning into the train to get close to Bobby.’
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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Mourners watch the train passing.
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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‘I was using low-speed colour film, I was on a moving train, I was photographing moving subjects, my shutter speeds were getting lower and lower and yet there were still endless numbers of mourners I was trying to photograph.’
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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‘It was important for me to keep trying because the people displayed their loss, pain, and love for Bobby, and it was important to me to record this moment.’
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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A final farewell for the American politician.
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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Crowds gather to get a better view of funeral train.
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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‘I was very concerned that the movement would ruin every shot. I began to concentrate on tracking the subjects in every photo to lessen the effects of the train’s motion, hoping that I would be lucky enough to get a few usable photos.’
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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Blurred image from Fusco’s series.
Photograph: Paul Fusco/Magnum Photos
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Photograph: Magnum Photos
