This is one of my all-time favorite photographs. Taken by George Tames in 1961, the New York Times christened it, “The loneliest job in the world.”

Tames remembered: “President Kennedy’s back was broken during the war, when that torpedo boat of his was hit by the Japanese...

... destroyer. As a result of that injury he wore a brace on his back most of his life. Quite a few people didn’t realize that. Also he could never sit for any length of time, more than thirty or forty minutes in a chair without having to get up and walk around.

Particularly when it felt bad he had a habit, in the House, and the Senate, and into the Presidency, of carrying his weight on his shoulders, literally, by leaning over a desk, putting down his palms out flat, and leaning over...

... and carrying the weight of his upper body by his shoulder muscles, and sort of stretching or easing his back. He would read and work that way, which was something I had seen him do many times.

When I saw him doing that, I walked in, stood by his rocking chair, and then I looked down and framed him between the two windows, and I shot that picture.

Then I walked out of the room and stood there for a while, then I saw him straighten up.

I went in again and I photographed him straight up, for a different shot, from the back, then I walked around to the side and photographed him profile, right and left.

He had a copy of the New York Times. He was reading the editorial page--and I have that print right here, I was looking at it just the other day.

He looked over and he saw me.

He hadn't been aware that I took that picture from back, but he saw me when I moved to the side there.

He glanced over at me, and he said: "I wonder where Mr. Krock gets all the crap he puts in this horseshit column of his."

Apparently, he was much upset about Mr. Krock's column that day. So that was the occasion of that picture."