The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-03
PHOYOGRAPHING PUBLIC MEN
ROOSEVELT A POOR SUBJECT,
THOUGH MUCH TAKEN.

H0rseback Pictures Those He Lakes Best
Mckinney Before the amer -scna-
tors VINO Are Hard TO Get-DIpIomats
Coed MOheAs-6Ome BashRuI Statesmen.
WASHINGTON, Nov. AZ guess ROOsO-
veIt has had his picture taken Ofteler than
any other President" said a Warrington
photographer who has trained his camera
on nino-tenths OF the men prominent In the
public affairs OF this generation. But IL
isn't because he wants to do IL.
III he was crazy to have his picture taken
he could pat in tw~snty-Four hour a day at 1t
and still have tho camera men standing In
line. When he lie at the White House there
isn't a day that ten or a dozen photograph
ers don't go there with one plea or another
TO get h President to sit for them.
1t Isn't because he's a good subject
either. On the contrary he's rather diffi-
cult. His eyes are light blue and take lmOsc
white. The eyes in all the pictures you see
Of him are scratched In ON the negative.
Then. too. his eyes are narrowed down
TO mere sits. and his face is always more
or lcss-generally mOre-tied up in double
bOwknots. Add to this the glasses he
always wears and you can figure out for
yourself that it's no easy job to get a pretty
picture OF the President.
Not that he cares whether it's pretty or
not. The only pictures Of himself that l
ever knew him to lake a real interest In are
those jumping Ones"-pointing to a series
Of snap shots of the President m horse
back. He put of a Cabinet meeting to
a v those pictures taken.
He had arranged with me to call him up
the first bright day suitable for instan-
taneous work. l did so about 1890 me
clear morning.
why. l can't go this morning. he said.
I've got a Cabinet meeting at m
Il said that was all right; there was no
telling when We would have another day
like that. but Of course We might; and
so forth. Well. the upshot of il was that he
had Loeb telephone to all the members Of
the Cabinet telling them to stay at home
and be good. that he was going to have
his picture taken. And he did.
But il wasn't because il was his picture,
you understand. IL was because IL was a
record Of sport that he was Interested in.
-When his horse carried him over a barred
gate the thing wasn't lone with. The
picture would emain as a record OF IL, to be
seen and studied at his leisure. OF course.
too, it was partly because the photographing
Of stunts like that is a comparatively recent
mechanical achievement.
THAT reminds me Of one time I went to
Canton to make a moving picture of Presi-
dent Mckinley walking across the lawn Of
his home there. He didn't understand the
mechanism by which moving pictures are
made and he asked me to explain how il was
done. For fifteen minutes he was like a
boy with a new game. he was so eager and
enthusiastic about il.
Mckinley was always a good subject.
He had good features and fine eyes. Be
sides that he had dignity and repose. which
are always helpful in picture making.
: Il remember the last picture l made OF
him. / had an appointment to come to his
Office in the White House one morning. but
when had him posed he looked so serious
and almost stern that l said:
You know, Mr.. President. q man can
smile with his eyes az well as with his mouth.
Can't you do that for me. so that I can get
the little twinkle Of the eye that ! wsntP'
He shook his head.
I'm afraid this is a bad time to try 60
get>me to twinkle he said. I'm a good
deal bothered just now and I can't seem to
End that twinkle you're after
~And as ne said that the twinkle did shine
in his eye FOR just a second and I got one OF
the best pictures I ever made OF him"
How about photOgraphing Cleveland?'
-Oh. well. you know. you can't do much
pictorially speaking with a man like Cleve-
land. You can't pose him with any more
variety than you could a loaf Of sugar.
-You can put his and in the breast Of his
coat or you can leave 10 out. That's about
all YOU can do. He made a rather rood
picture. too; but all Of them were pretty
much alike
"How about the present Cabinet7'
Root is a fine subject. He is a man Of
superb training. OF splendid poise and wide
experience. He knows how to conduct
himself anywhere you put him-and let
me say that in 'front.' OF the camera is DOT
| the least trying position in the world.
why. there are public men who abso-
lutely shake with nervousness when they
| sit for a photograph. They turn deadly
pale, and as for their hands they might
almost as well rave st. Vitus dance.
mo that any OF the Cabinet members
are afflicted that way. They are all pretty
good subjects. COrtelyou is a sphinx who
photographs well.
lnere > u Clever man lot you! NEVER
says a word. but listens-listens-listens.
Hears you all through with-at lenst,
apparently-the keenest attention. Then
makes a few rapid shorthand notes and
sends you away saying 10 yourself:
-'Humphi 1 rather think | impressed
him very profoundly the way / presented
that matterl'
y expect the shorthand notes go into the
waste basket a good deal Of the time before
the visitor is out Of the house. But you
don't know that.
Garfield is a good subject. He's good
looking and has had enough experiences
in social matters to make him easy and not
self-oOnsciOus.
Taft. too. is a good subject. though
you might not think 30. lie il the en-
bodiment of good feeling. As for hts
size. there is really some advantage in that.
He doesn't try TO nose.
Simply plants himself in a chair. and
there you are. He can't get himself into
awkward kinks. It's a physical impossi.
bility for him.
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