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Oswald Backyard Photographs

Photographs showing Oswald with a rifle and political publications. This page combines historical context with 20 matching records drawn directly from the Kennedy Assassination History archive.

20 matching archive records 1963–1978 record span Open the full 1,932-record archive

Historical context

Oswald Backyard Photographs: overview and significance

What happened?

Photographs recovered after the assassination appear to show Lee Harvey Oswald standing in a Dallas backyard holding a rifle and political newspapers. Marina Oswald testified about taking photographs of him.

Why was it important?

The images became important physical and documentary evidence because they connected Oswald with a rifle resembling the weapon linked to the assassination. Their authenticity also became a recurring subject of criticism and forensic examination.

Archive records

Oswald Backyard Photographs timeline

The records below are selected from the 1,932-record JFK assassination archive and are rendered as static HTML in chronological order.

1963
1963 31st March

Backyard Photos

George de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

According to Mohrenschildt, the photograph was not found among his stored papers until he and his wife found it in February 1967. When analyzed by the HSCA in 1977, this photo turned out to be a first generation print of the backyard photo already known to the Warren Commission as "CE-133A" and which had probably been taken on March 31, 1963

1963 31st March

Backyard Photos

Marina Oswald · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

When shown the pictures at Dallas Police headquarters after his arrest, Oswald insists they are fakes, however, Marina Oswald testifies in 1964 and 1978 that she took the photographs at Oswalds request. The "backyard photos," taken by Marina Oswald, show Oswald dressed all in black and holding two Marxist newsletters - The Militant and The Worker - in one hand, a rifle in the other

1963 March

Backyard Photographs

Lee Harvey Oswald · Dallas · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

Marina Oswald photographed Lee Harvey Oswald at the Neely Street residence holding a rifle and political newspapers, with a revolver strapped to his belt.

1963 5th April

Backyard Photos

George de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

George de Mohrenschildt later said he assumed Marina Oswald had written the Russian inscription on the photograph sarcastically.

1963 5th April

Backyard Photos

George de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The back of the print bears an inscription to George from Lee Oswald, the date 5 April 1963, the words “Copyright Geo de M,” and a Russian phrase translated as “Hunter of fascists.”

1963 5th April

Backyard Photos

George de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

Handwriting specialists concluded that Oswald wrote the dedication and signature, but they could not determine whether the remaining writing was by Lee Harvey Oswald, George de Mohrenschildt, or Marina Oswald.

1963 5th April

Backyard Photos

George de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The remaining handwriting on the photograph could not be conclusively attributed to Lee Harvey Oswald, George de Mohrenschildt, or Marina Oswald.

1963 5th April

Backyard Photos

Marina Oswald · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

George de Mohrenschildt later said he assumed Marina Oswald had written the Russian inscription on the photograph sarcastically.

1963 5th April

Backyard Photos

Marina Oswald · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The back of the print bears an inscription to George from Lee Oswald, the date 5 April 1963, the words “Copyright Geo de M,” and a Russian phrase translated as “Hunter of fascists.”

1963 5th April

Backyard Photos

Marina Oswald · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

Handwriting specialists concluded that Oswald wrote the dedication and signature, but they could not determine whether the remaining writing was by Lee Harvey Oswald, George de Mohrenschildt, or Marina Oswald.

1963 5th April

Backyard Photos

Marina Oswald · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

The remaining handwriting on the photograph could not be conclusively attributed to Lee Harvey Oswald, George de Mohrenschildt, or Marina Oswald.

1963 April

Backyard Photos

George de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

George de Mohrenschildt later discovered a backyard photograph showing Lee Harvey Oswald with a rifle and pistol, taken before the April 1963 shooting at Edwin Walker.

1963 23rd November

Backyard Photograph Confrontation

J. Will Fritz · Captain Fritz's Office · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Captain, Homicide and Robbery Bureau

Fritz showed Oswald a photograph recovered under search warrant depicting him holding a rifle and pistol; Oswald claimed the image had been altered.

1963 23rd November

Backyard Photographs Recovered

Guy F. Rose · 2515 West Fifth Street, Irving · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Dallas Police Detective

Rose and fellow officers recovered photographs showing Oswald holding a rifle and pistol among the effects examined under the search warrant.

1977
1977 1st April

Backyard Photographs

Jeanne de Mohrenschildt · Washington · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Witness

Jeanne de Mohrenschildt provided the committee with a print of a Lee Harvey Oswald backyard photograph.

1977 1st April

Backyard Photos

Jeanne de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

Jeanne de Mohrenschildt gave the House Select Committee on Assassinations a photograph taken by Marina Oswald showing Lee Harvey Oswald holding a rifle.

1977 1st April

Backyard Photos

Jeanne de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

Jeanne de Mohrenschildt gave the House Select Committee on Assassinations a previously unknown print showing Lee Harvey Oswald in his Dallas backyard holding two newspapers and a rifle.

1977 1st April

Backyard Photos

Jeanne de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

While similar to other prints which had been found among Oswalds effects on November 23, 1963, the existence of this particular print was previously unknown. Hands over a photo with the words "Copyright Geo do M" & a Russian phrase,"Hunter of fascists, ha-ha-ha! ".

1977 1st April

Backyard Photos

Jeanne de Mohrenschildt · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF

and with a pistol on his hip - a photograph taken by Oswald's wife Marina.

1978
1978

Backyard Photographs

House Select Committee · Washington · Politics · Assassination of Kennedy, JF · Congressional Committee

The House Select Committee on Assassinations reviewed the authenticity and evidentiary value of Lee Harvey Oswald’s backyard photographs.

Editorial provenance

Sources and editorial review

Compiled and edited by Kennedy Assassination History.

Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from the site's structured JFK assassination records.

Last reviewed: September 2026.

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