Unveiling Paul Fusco’s Haunting Presence Aboard RFK’s Funeral Train

In a poignant recollection of history, photographer Paul Fusco’s haunting presence aboard Robert F. Kennedy‘s funeral train on June 8, 1968, has been uncovered by Rein Jelle Terpstra after meticulous eight years of research.

As two million mourners gathered along the tracks, Paul Fusco, then a reporter for Look Magazine, was among the select 700 invited to document the journey.

Determined to showcase the insider’s story, Fusco found himself unable to capture the train’s interiors and riders, opting instead to gaze outside the window to the somber crowds who came to pay their respects.

Fast forward to 2018, inspired by Fusco’s work, Rein Jelle Terpstra embarked on a mission to explore the perspectives of the millions who lined the rails, waiting patiently for hours as the funeral train passed by.

Through his exhibition and book ‘RFK Funeral Train: The People’s Perspective,’ Terpstra crafted a unique narrative mirroring the poignant journey and its route, chronicling the moments of those who stood by trackside as essence.

Unfolding over the eight-hour train trip, Terpstra’s project offers a complete reversal of Fusco’s initial photographic approach, delving deep into the hearts and minds of the mourners who bore witness to the historic event.

Reflecting back on the project, Terpstra expressed the personal significance of revealing Paul Fusco’s implicit presence within the funeral train narrative by uncovering an image of the young photographer in action during those tender moments.

The emotional journey of discovery allowed Terpstra to confront Fusco’s photos as more than just documentary snapshots but as vessels that encapsulated the social mood of the time spurred by RFK’s final journey.

Terpstra’s attention to detail, including eyewitness accounts like Larry Beers’ footage of the waiting crowds, offers a fresh perspective on Fusco’s work by highlighting the society’s united front during that brief moment of historical mourning.