(Copyright Estate of Stanley Tretick LLC)

The William J. Clinton Presidential Library opened a new exhibit last month in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Entitled, “And Freedom for All: The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” this exhibit pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of The March on Washington. The March took place in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963.  It was attended by approximately 250,000 people, it was the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation’s capital.

Stanley Tretick was assigned by LOOK magazine to cover the march behind-the-scenes with organizers and program speakers.  The exhibit features his pictures and videos of speeches by Daisy Bates, John Lewis and a performance by Mahaila Jackson.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech is also featured in the exhibit.  President Clinton declared it to be “the clearest clarion call to the more perfect union of America in the 21 century.”

Stanley Tretick was an American photojournalist who worked for United Press International, Look and People (where he was a founding photo editor). He covered every president from Harry S. Truman through George H. W. Bush. For UPI, he followed the Kennedy presidential candidacy.  He resigned when UPI would not assign him to the White House once JFK took office.  The President promised his broad access which prompted Look to hire him.  His photos of the Kennedys helped form the collective iconic images for which the family is now remembered.

The exhibit runs through November 17.