Treasure Trove of JFK Items Auctioned
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: Half a century after Camelot and a treasure trove of John F. Kennedy's personal items are in the hands of JFK fanatics. Thousands of items from birthday cards to family photographs hit the auction block this weekend, and at the center of the auction, Kennedy's famous Air Force One bomber jacket, which sold for a whopping $629,000. It was expected to get about $40,000. Well, yesterday, I spoke with Rice University historian, Professor Douglas Brinkley. He told me more about that extraordinary collection and just what fascinates people with the Kennedy family, even after all these years.</s>DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Dave Powers was the adviser of John F. Kennedy. He was with him everywhere. It was almost like a brother. And he ended up saving all sorts of items, so I was utterly fascinated by this. And I deal with a lot of auction houses, some presidential memorabilia, being a presidential historian. I've never seen anything quite like the number of different, significant mementos coming out of this collection.</s>FEYERICK: Which one really jumped out to you? Because there are some magnificent pictures there. There are also notes and letters. Which one, if you could own one of them, which one would it be?</s>BRINKLEY: Well, I like the letters that he wrote in 1945 from Arizona when he went out to Benson, Arizona, lived on a ranch for a while. They're letters on stationary from a hot springs castle, hot springs hotel and also at Saddleback. Nobody thinks of John F. Kennedy in Arizona, but these letters from just fascinating. Anybody writing a future book on the young JFK will end up using those letters as a primary source.</s>FEYERICK: Also, what are your impressions, just even looking at some of the pictures there? We have seen a lot of pictures of John Kennedy and also Jackie O. But what about you resonates or what about them resonates for you in looking at these older photographs?</s>BRINKLEY: : Well, remember, you know, John F. Kennedy was murdered, you know, 50 years ago this year and -- but he always stays young. And when you look at these photos, you realize you don't have old images of John F. Kennedy, so there's just this handsome, gallant president, how tan he is in many of these photographs. There is a whole group of ones I hadn't seen before of him playing with his children that are really amazing. And then I particularly like the ones of him on some of his tours that Powers apparently took when Kennedy would travel to the national parks, for example, and he took these candid shots of Kennedy. So, it is -- a lot of these are faded. Some are almost like a Polaroid quality, but they're just interesting, new material.</s>FEYERICK: Eternal youth. Well, Black Eyed Peas star Fergie is expecting her first child. The singer posted a picture to Twitter saying, "Josh and me and baby makes three," with the hash tag, "my lovely baby bump." That's an edited photo of a young Fergie and her husband, Josh Duhamel. Congratulations to the two of them. You may not have heard much from country singer Lee Ann Rimes lately. The Grammy award-winner is suing her dentist for negligence, claiming that he stalled her career by giving her eight, badly placed crowns which she says caused gum problems so severe that she's had trouble chewing and singing. Well, sounds like he said/she said after a verbal exchange between actor Alec Baldwin and a "New York Post" photographer. A representative for the actor the accusations that Baldwin went on a race rant against the photographer are completely false. Baldwin is accused of making racist remarks to an African- American photographer who approached him outside of his home. The rep says any issues with the photographer, not with the "New York Post." Both sides have filed harassment claims. Forrest Whitaker, accused of shoplifting. The Oscar-winning actor was frisked at a New York deli. Whitaker was stopped by a suspicious employee during a lunch time rush in an upscale market Manhattan market. The employee searched him in front of other customers, but came up empty-handed. The employee later apologized and the actor left without filing charges, but Whitaker was reportedly shocked and angry. Coming up next, we'll talk to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for more on the death of Lakers owner, Jerry Buss.