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Post by Arjan Hut on Jan 24, 2019 4:35:23 GMT -5
I've read Christopher Fultons book The Inheritance in December last year. It is presented as fiction based upon true facts. It was endorsed by Vince Palamara, amongst others, and VP wrote that the book offered a lot of new information, which is why I wanted to read it.  My review, in short: The first part of the book is very interesting, it offers a clear narrative about the Kennedy assassination and what RFK got to know about it. A golden Cartier watch that Chris Fulton bought from Robert White, a collector, plays an important role. Fulton writes that it was part of the evidence RFK kept for himself to prove that the murder of his brother was a domestic conspiracy. White received JFK items from Evelyn Lincoln and when Lincoln passed away in 1995, White received her Kennedy-related inheritance. He wanted to open a museum with it. That drew the ire of the Kennedy family and the government wanted him to turn his collection over to the ARRB. A lot of this can be checked and verified. Fulton purchases some items from White, among them the golden Cartier watch Kennedy wore in Dallas when he was shot. Fulton wants to authenticate the watch. He ends up meeting former SA Robert I. Bouck, who tells him the whole story about RFK, the withheld evidence and LBJ's role in the events leading up to the assassination. It's not possible to verify this, since Bouck has passed away years ago. This is where the book gets fishy. Fulton eventually ends up in a Kafkaesque Federal nightmare, he is sentenced to years in jail and the story/book takes a turn for the worse. What started out as a clear and verifiable narrative escalates into a paranoid rant against a giant New World Order-like conspiracy, combining everything from Dallas to 9/11 and even dragging Nostradamus' prophecies into the fold. It is not unlike the conspiracy theories proposed by radical splinter groups or psychotic individuals. Although very anti-Federal, the narrative is also anti-racist, but does have antisemitic undertones and it sometimes reads as if the book was sponsored by the NRA. A page turner, yes, but it's no literature. Especially the 'quotes' from the Kennedy dictabelt tapes made me cringe. At times, it's like reading a B-movie. Fulton quotes people and documents from memory, and the image he presents of the Kennedy Brothers is rather schizophrenic. Yes they were talking with Castro, but were also planning his assassination, there was even a date for it: December 1st, 1963. Fulton here combines some historical facts with the CIA'sversion of events.*He does this throughout the book: combining known facts with rumors, theories, gossip, although he always receives this information from others, like Bouck, and later from a series of very knowledgeable fellow inmates. I wouldn't recommend this book if you are really interested in information. It is what is says it is, spectacular fiction based upon (some) true facts. You are left to wonder, though, what happened to the watch, to the tapes Fulton claims to have had and the politically very sensitive papers from White's collection. |
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Post by Arjan Hut on Jan 24, 2019 4:47:27 GMT -5
This quoted text is from a website by an author, photographer named Rae Anderson.
Anderson describes a meeting with Chris and 'Nikki'. Chris is wearing JFK's golden Cartier watch. They end up visiting Bob White and photographing White's JFK-collection in Washington. In the book, this must have occurred around 1995, 1996. This website was put up in 2013. Anderson claims his involvement with the story started 12 years before that, but that can't be right. What I gather from the website is that in 2013, Anderson still has the 300 photographs he made of items in White's collection and intends to release a book called JFK Camelot The Last Knight:"It all began one day when Chris and Nikki came over to our house for dinner. Chris took off his watch and handed it to me and said "try this on", it was an amazing antique Cartier. I held it in my hand and turned it over and read the inscription on the back, it said JFK 09 12 57. I had to ask, what is this? Chris replied, that is the watch JFK was wearing when he was shot. I looked again, it didn't seem reasonable that I would be holding that watch, but Chris was always serious and never a prankster. My next question lead to this entire adventure, "how is that possible?" I asked, thinking Chris must have been hoodwinked. We sat down in the living room and Chris told me the story of Evelyn Lincoln. After JFK died his personal secretary Evelyn Lincoln had helped clean up all of his personal items from the White House and had kept them all, instead of disposing of them. When she passed she willed it the collection to her friend Bob White, who in turn wanted to start a museum to display the collection. Bob could never find the necessary funding to get the museum started and occasionally would sell an item in order to keep going and keep his dream alive. Chris had become aware of the collection and being a JFK fanatic he had gone to see it and while there he had managed to convince Bob to sell him the Cartier. The watch was an Anniversary gift that Jackie had given to JFK for their 4th wedding anniversary, and it was also the watch JFK was wearing when he was shot. As Chris talked I realized he was telling the truth, I handed him back the watch without ever putting it on. It didn't bother me that he wore it but, it wasn't something I could bring myself to even try on. I must have been 7 when JFK was killed and I can remember, being sent home from school (which was odd because I was in Canada) and a few days later taking the first photo of my life. I took a photo of the TV screen when JFK's coffin was shown. It was a traumatic time for everyone and I guess part of me never really got over it, I just couldn't bear to wear that watch. Chris then proceeded to tell me all of JFK's personal possessions were in Bob's mother’s basement, in an old home in Baltimore. I recall Chris saying "someday they are going to have a flood or fire, and everything will be lost, someone should take photos of everything to preserve their memory before they are destroyed. I had just gotten a new 4X5 camera I was anxious to try out and always being up for an adventure, I said “we should go I'm willing". Chris shook his head, "Bob is very eccentric, he would never let us do that" he replied. "Do you have his number" I asked? Chris nodded, so I handed him my phone and said "give him a call and ask, all he can do is say no". Chris dialed the number and when Bob answered, he quickly agreed to let us come and take the photos. As soon as he hung up Chris said "we have to go immediately or Bob will change his mind and call us back and tell us not to come. Chris left to go home and pack a bag and figure out the schedule and I started to put my camera gear together, with all of the lights and everything it must have been over 100 pounds of gear. Chris and I got back together and Chris says " Oh by the way, I am afraid to fly, we have to take the train. I hadn't anticipated that but an adventure is an adventure let’s do this. We were in Vancouver British Columbia at the time so we took a bus down to Seattle and then took the train from Seattle out to Washington D.C. It was a fantastic trip, just travelling across the North Western States by train through all of the old towns was really amazing. We got into Washington and rented a car, then drove past the White House. You always see it in photos or on TV but it was really impressive to see it for the first time in real life. We then continued up to Baltimore, where Bob lived just a little bit North of Washington. We got there I believe it was Monday evening and Chris called him and said "OK we are here to take the photos" and Bob said "Oh I was going to call you guys and tell you not to come, but seeing as you are here come on by in the morning and let’s take the photos. "Early the next morning we went over and met Bob at his house for breakfast. Being prepared, I wanted both him and Chris to sign releases for the photos I was about to take. Normally I wouldn’t have bothered, a photographer always owns the copyright to any photos he takes, except of people where you need a release. However I felt if Bob was really as eccentric as Chris claimed, I should have documented proof that I was given permission to take the Photos, otherwise if he claimed he never gave permission it could be a gigantic waste of my time. I got Chris to sign first, I wanted to take photos of the Cartier watch and if I was going to get Bob to sign, I felt Chris should sign as well. Bob had no problem signing the release, so I felt Bob wasn't as eccentric as Chris had painted him. Breakfast was now over and off we went to his mother’s house to start taking the photos. We met his mother a lovely lady and then proceeded down into her basement, It was unbelievable. I suddenly realized why Chris thought Bob was so eccentric. The basement was packed, you could hardly move. I was looking for a place to put down my camera gear, I was about to put something on this glass case when I looked inside and saw this mummified body. Not used to having dead people in the basement I gasped "what's with the dead guy". Bob replied "oh that’s a gunfighter that was killed and the circus used to display him, I bought him after the Circus closed down. I also have the world's tallest woman, her case was too big to bring down here so she is under the deck if you want to see her". "No, no that’s alright" I managed to get out. Then I turned and looked some more and on the back wall was a row of shrunken heads, Bob had the largest collection of shrunken heads outside of a museum. As Chris said Bob was a little eccentric, but he was a really nice guy at the same time. We got to work and started taking Photos, they were long days at least 16 hours a day. 4X5 film has to be loaded in the dark one shot at a time so Chris would load film while Bob would dig out the items we were shooting and I would take the pictures. We never took a break, we had pizza or Chinese food brought in and just kept working. We took over 300 photos. We documented JFK's most loved and cherished possession’s that he really loved and were near and dear to his heart. Chris thought we should write a book together, so Bob and I agreed to this, but shortly after Bob decided to auction off his collection and soon after died of a heart attack, and Chris disappeared and I had no way to contact him. After a bit I decided the public should have access to these great photos and stories so I have been working hard to put it together as a memento for the 50th anniversary of JFK's passing. I hope you enjoy it!"
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Post by Arjan Hut on Jan 24, 2019 4:51:04 GMT -5
There's a Kickstarter promo video from 2013:
Apparently, nothing has come of the photobook. Anderson offers some photo's for sale on his site,
but they are not of the White-items.
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Post by Arjan Hut on Jan 24, 2019 4:52:33 GMT -5
Robert White dies in 2003:"Robert L. White, 54, who turned a chance autograph from President John F. Kennedy into an obsession and then into a makeshift museum, died Oct. 11 at Howard County General Hospital after a heart attack. He lived in Woodbine. ( ...) Mr. White's accumulation remained a largely private affair until the mid-1990s, when he left his longtime job selling industrial cleaning supplies to start a more formal JFK museum. He hoped for public funds to help the effort, but nothing was finalized. But he was encouraged by the millions raked in through Sotheby's 1996 auction of the estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Mr. White decided he would sell some of his Kennedy wares and use the income for his own museum. That drew the ire of the Kennedy family and the attention of the U.S. government, which began to probe whether the goods were federal property. In the end, Mr. White withdrew some items from auction, including a mahogany clock that once had ticked in the Oval Office and journals from Kennedy's congressional career." (Adam Bernstein, Robert White Dies, Washington Post, October 15, 2003)
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Post by Arjan Hut on Jan 24, 2019 4:57:19 GMT -5
In 2005 there is an auction of White's collection. There a book that goes with the auction, you can purchase it for 70 USD. This text is from the Guernsey site:
"The cornerstone of this auction is The Robert L. White Collection. Excerpted below is a brief history of Robert L. White and how his Collection grew to be the pre-eminent Kennedy collection in private hands. (The full version can be found in the print version of the auction catalogue.) The Collection BeginsRobert L. White specialized in rare documents, historically significant items, and personal artifacts, and dedicated his life to the passionate assembly of the Robert L. White Private Kennedy Collection – a truly unique and all encompassing testimonial to JFK’s personal and political history. Robert’s lifetime course was set as a child’s hobby – prompted by his father and a Lassie television episode on collecting autographs. A youthful Robert White, already fascinated with history and autographs, decided to write to Evelyn Lincoln, John F. Kennedy’s Personal Secretary, and requested a signature from the President. Several weeks later, a letter arrived from the White House which contained a facsimile signature of John F. Kennedy. Even though Robert knew it was not an original signature, this cherished first item formed the seed for what was to become the largest, most comprehensive and finest privately-owned John F. Kennedy collection of artifacts and documents in the world. John F. Kennedy has countless, world-wide admirers to whom the 35th President of the United States of America will always be remembered as charismatic and special. The events of November 22, 1963 horrified the world. Along with the rest of the country Robert White was devastated. On that day, this 15-year old dedicated a page in his journal to the President, noting “…What happened today will be down in history books forever. And I will never forget it.” A Lifetime of CollectingAbove all, Robert enjoyed the sleuthing and challenges involved in the process of assembling his Collection. His studious approach to the history and surroundings of the JFK story was fueled by his enthusiasm for collecting. His sincerity and manner allowed him to seek out many of those who were part of the Kennedy Administration and immerse himself in their stories. Many also sought Robert out because of his reputation, Kennedy dedication, and camaraderie which spread among insiders by word of mouth. Sometimes these friendships would result in a lead or an artifact to add to his Collection, sometimes not, but he cherished the knowledge and time they shared and his interest in the President’s legacy never waned. The provenance and authenticity of this Collection is impeccable. Robert embellished his private collection by personal insights and genuine appreciation for Kennedy and the President’s role in history. The scope and magnitude of his knowledge was enormous. Both he and the Collection evoked heartwarming and stirring memories that have brought both smiles and tears to those who have experienced the Collection and who had the privilege of knowing Robert White. The composition of the Collection is neither easily nor briefly described; however, a true perspective of the breadth and scope of the Collection is essential to any discussion. Robert viewed the Collection from three separate perspectives. Most simply, the Collection is “Everything Kennedy.” Within the Collection, however, are several areas of specific focus including: Kennedy family, political memorabilia, historical paper, Evelyn Lincoln related items, assassination, and the Kennedy legacy. While these terms are descriptive of broad categories of materials, Robert’s display and visualization was that of a walk through Kennedy’s life. Each item, while extremely significant on its own, takes on an importance larger than the item itself when enhanced by other related items. John F. Kennedy: The Exhibition at Florida International MuseumIt was his dream to eventually transform the Collection into a permanent exhibit within a museum, which focused not only on John F. Kennedy, but on one of the most tumultuous eras in American history. In 1999, Robert was able to realize this vision when his Collection became the cornerstone and focus of the Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Robert L. White Collection was displayed there, with galleries traveling nationally and internationally, through 2003. While on display, Robert was able to share personally his knowledge and enthusiasm with the many thousands who visited. Robert and his Collection were afforded the deserved respect for his life-time of effort. Two years ago, at age fifty-four, Robert White suddenly passed away. He is dearly missed by his family as well as his close personal friends and the thousands who had the opportunity to know Robert through his Collection. “This is my life’s work and I want to share that with the Nation,” Robert said in an interview. The White family have determined that it is appropriate to offer Robert’s personal Kennedy Collection to the public. These treasures have been showcased as the finest privately-owned Kennedy collection in the world. Through Robert White’s remarkable efforts and keen sense of history, many treasured artifacts will now be passed along to future generations while history is preserved." 
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Post by Arjan Hut on Jan 24, 2019 5:03:37 GMT -5
This is a video of a March, 1994 tour through Bob White's collection in his mothers basement.
I suggest you watch it, it's pretty fascinating. From about five 1/2 minutes on, it is about his
Kennedy collection. This is before he will inherit most of Evelyn Lincoln's collection. He already has
several items of assassination-related evidence, I was amazed.
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Post by Arjan Hut on Jan 24, 2019 5:10:10 GMT -5
The story doesn't end here, but I will most likely post about further interesting aspects related to White's collection in the Erasing the past-section. |
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Post by Arjan Hut on Jan 28, 2019 3:24:23 GMT -5
One other point (which I didn't include in my initial review) is Project Oswald. In his description of Project Oswald, Fulton regurgitates the CIA's version of events, namely that Robert Kennedy was in control of this plot to assassinate Castro, which contradicts even the CIA's own investigation into what RFK knew of the CIA's ongoing project to assassinate the Cuban dictator. So again, Fulton combines rumor (LHO was RFK's 'project') with the CIA's version of events (Kennedys and the CIA were on the same page with regards to Castro).  |
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Post by Arjan Hut on Mar 25, 2020 13:42:29 GMT -5
When White died at a relatively early age, his collection was put up for auction in New York City, where many items were successfully contested by the Kennedy family. Meanwhile Fulton was arrested for bank fraud, and served time in prison. When he was released he wrote a book that falsely intimidated that he was imprisoned because of his ownership of the JFK watch, that he met with agent Bouck and sold the watch to JFK, Jr. ( JFK Countercoup, Listening In - By Caroline Kennedy and Ted Widmer) |
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