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Photograph of President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
Photograph of President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA
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Photograph of President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev

Artifact IDMO 83.21
Object Type Photograph
Date 1961
Date of event6/4/61
Gifter
Place MadeVienna, Austria, Europe
Medium photograph
DimensionsOverall H 14 7/16 in x W 11 in (36.7 cm x 27.9 cm )
Physical DescriptionColor tinted photograph of President Kennedy and Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev seated on a couch at the US Embassy in Vienna. Inscribed to President Kennedy by Premier Khrushchev in Russian.
Translated into English, the inscription reads: "To President Kennedy / To the memory of a meeting in Vienna / November 9, 1961/ N. Khrushchev"
Historical NoteColor-tinted photograph of President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev at the Soviet Embassy in Vienna, Austria, June 4, 1961.
The only time President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev met face-to-face was the summit meeting held in Vienna, Austria, June 3 - 4, 1961. The two leaders conversed one-on-one with only interpreters present. The talks were tough and contentious, covering a range of topics - strategic and ideological. Neither the United States nor the Soviet Union was willing to yield on the major issues that divided the two superpowers, most notably the divided city of Berlin, and no immediate progress was made in the easing of Cold War tensions. Premier Khrushchev's combative posture took President Kennedy by surprise. At the end of the summit, JFK told a reporter that the meeting was "the roughest of my life," and that Khrushchev "Just beat the hell out of me."
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteItem was a gift to President and Mrs. Kennedy from Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the USSR. It was donated to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library by the Estate of President John F. Kennedy.
Credit LineJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA; Gift of the Estate of President John F. Kennedy
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesGifts from Heads of State (National Archives Identifier 1677008)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - PossiblyUse Restriction NoteCopyright and other proprietary rights may be held by individuals or entities other than the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum does not warrant that the use of these materials will not infringe on the rights of third parties holding the rights to these works, or make any representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement, treaty, or protections that may apply. It is the user’s responsibility to determine and satisfy any copyright or other use restrictions.
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