My initial plans for documenting Darnell's traverse in Dealey Plaza did not include a detailed study of the Prayer Person images. However, after my first glace of the museum's quality images I realized there was sufficient improvement over any internet enhancements so I should try to document them. The superior imagery was noticed mainly with the neckline feature. Specifically, the neckline edge sharply contrasted with the surrounding garment, whereas on-line representations show the head/neckline as an elongated nebulous composite. In addition, bisecting the neckline is a thin, vertical line. The crispness of the neckline and vertical line were present on multiple frames. It's this clearly defined neckline and thin vertical line that were new and surprising to me. My first two sketches were made on different viewings of the film on the first day. The third sketch was made the following morning.
I remind the reader that the software (VLC) the museum provides to view videos is adequate for general viewing, but has poor utility for study on a frame-by-frame basis. There is no zooming feature and enhancements are not possible. You will soon notice that I'm not a sketch artist by any means.
Sketch 1
From the top I show shading on the top of the head. Below on the face there is a horizontal line like feature where one would expect eye level. If eyes, they are not resolved. The feature looks more like a 'uni-brow'. I did not notice this feature on other frames and it may be a video artifact. Below the chin level I show a horizontal line with a vertical line from the chin level down the center to the bottom of the plunging neckline. Those features are shown in all three sketches. Now as I write this I don't have a clear recall of the horizontal line and not sure if I saw or imagined it. The vertical line is real, and somewhat resembles a tie. But it would be a very thin tie. Something like a bolo (western) string tie. I asked my wife (who has no interest in this subject) for her impression of these features and she suggested a choker necklace with a pendent. Other ideas anyone?
Sketch's 2 and 3
These two are more alike than either is to Sketch 1. It is my recollection now that the neckline was about the same length as the head, and of about similar width of the head. In the future I plan on bringing some magnification optics and grid paper for another try.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
